SonsOfSmokey vs Landing Zone
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SonsOfSmokey
This app helps users identify and report illegal dumping on public lands. Users can geo-tag and photograph dump sites, then mark them as cleaned up. It aims to unite public land users and volunteers in restoring natural areas.
- Identify illegal dump sites
- Geo-tag and photograph debris
- Real-time trash map
- Mark locations as cleaned up
- Volunteer for cleanup projects
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Sons Of Smokey - SOS app is uniting public land users of all types and volunteers looking to help restore public land for future generations! Use the SOS app to identify and clean up illegal dump locations on public land. Geo tag and photograph abandoned vehicles, dump sites, etc. and update our real-time trash map. Scout out these marked locations for clean up projects and mark them as cleaned up when you're done. How it works: - Download the app and Sign-In with Apple - Open the SOS app while using public lands - If you see dumped debris, select the large "+" button in the middle of the screen, provide a description of what it is and take a few photos - You will see the trash icon appear within the app - If you can clean up a trash location, do so and tap the 'Clean Up' to provide some new photos and describe what you did
Landing Zone
This platform provides verified hospital intelligence and standardized landing zone data for helicopter flight crews. It enables pre-planning from any location, manages radio frequencies, and shares real-time community NOTAMs for enhanced operational safety and efficiency.
- Verified hospital intelligence with certification levels
- Distance-based sorting for qualified facilities
- Pre-planning from any location
- Standardized HEMS location naming
- Radio frequency management
- Live community NOTAMs with hazard reporting
- Real-time sync across devices
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Most aviation apps are built for airplanes, airports and altitude. Landing Zone is built for helicopters — the low-level world of hospital pads, PELAs, scene calls and off-airport landings. FREE TO DOWNLOAD. FREE TO USE. All core features work in the free app: your shared guide, community NOTAMs, weather, TFRs, radio management, avionics exports and more. An optional subscription adds verified directory data — satellite-verified landing locations and hospital certifications — for the states you choose. ONE SHARED GUIDE FOR YOUR WHOLE OPERATION - Build a landing zone guide with your group, or keep your own personal guide - Every base, hospital pad, PELA and landing area syncs to every member in real time - Door codes, gate notes, phone numbers and arrival procedures stay private to your group - Role-based access, admin approvals and a full change history - Invite crew members by text or email with your group code - Standard naming: LEXI01 means one exact place to dispatch, the flight crew and the med crew alike - Works offline: your guide, frequencies and directory stay available with no cell service HELICOPTER NOTAMS FROM THE PEOPLE WHO FLY Crews post the hazards that never make an official NOTAM: new cranes and towers, wires, inoperative pad lighting, closed pads, construction and hospital arrival or departure procedures. Each one is pinned on the map with hazard markers and shaded no-fly areas, reaches every nearby user within seconds, and keeps a full audit history. Post for everyone, or for your group only. WEATHER FOR LOW-LEVEL FLYING - Airport weather on the map showing visibility and ceiling, color-coded VFR, MVFR, IFR and LIFR - Weather Brief for any point: a plain-English picture within 50 to 150 miles, from the next 12 hours out to 5 days with a day-by-day outlook, including valley fog the airport forecasts often miss - NEXRAD radar and FAA VFR sectional and terminal area charts - Tap any airport for conditions, forecast, runways and frequencies TFRs IN PLAIN ENGLISH Every nearby TFR explained: what it's for, whether it restricts manned aircraft or only drones, altitudes, active times, and the controlling ARTCC and frequencies. FREQUENCY MANAGEMENT EMS, fire, law enforcement and ground frequencies for every location in your guide, with the exact radio, zone, channel and tones from your codeplug. All 216 NIFOG interoperability frequencies are included. BUILT FOR THE COCKPIT - Drop a pin anywhere for bearing, distance, nearby hospitals, PELAs, airports and a weather brief - Coordinates in DDM, DD and DMS with one-tap conversion - Export your guide to ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, G1000 and GTN 650/750 - One-page PDF briefing sheets and a printable group guide - A web portal for dispatch and communications centers VERIFIED DIRECTORY (OPTIONAL SUBSCRIPTION) Satellite-verified helipad and landing coordinates, landing-surface status and direct-dial hospital numbers, plus trauma, stroke, burn and cardiac certifications verified against ACS, The Joint Commission, DNV and ABA. Pick a certification and the closest qualified hospital comes first, with a line drawn to it on the map. Subscribe by state, or all states. New users can start with a free trial. Built for air medical, fire, law enforcement, search and rescue, utility, offshore and every rotor-wing operation. Landing Zone is a supplementary reference. Verify hospital capabilities with the receiving facility. Weather and TFR information comes from NOAA and the FAA and does not replace an official briefing, official NOTAMs, dispatch or ATC. Landing Zone LLC · landing-zones.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://www.landing-zones.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.landing-zones.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Landing Zone at 5.0 against SonsOfSmokey's 3.8. Landing Zone also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). SonsOfSmokey's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (18 vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Landing Zone sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SonsOfSmokey asks for nothing beyond the download.
Landing Zone holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SonsOfSmokey has 18 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
SonsOfSmokey ships an update every 3 months, Landing Zone every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SonsOfSmokey | Landing Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (18 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 — better | 18.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 77 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Sons of Smokey | Landing Zone LLC |
Customer experience
SonsOfSmokey
Landing Zone
In-app purchases
SonsOfSmokey
No in-app purchases
Landing Zone
- 1 State Access14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- 2 States$17.991 Month
- 3 States$24.991 Month
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- All States$29.991 Month









