FlightSpan vs Tachbase

A complete flight operations software solution specifically designed for remote contexts. FlightSpan provides flight crews with tools for flight planning, daily flight logs/journey logs, weight and balance, takeoff and landing performance, departure and arrival briefings with company runway charts, flight tracking and two way communications (when paired with a v2 Tracker), moving map with capability to use custom/company navigation charts, Notam and hazard identification tracking and more.

Tachbase is an electronic flight bag (EFB) for general aviation pilots — preflight planning, in-cockpit awareness, and logging in one fast, offline-first app for iPhone, iPad, and the web. TACHBASE ASSISTANT Ask in plain English — "Any NOTAMs at KSFO?", "Cat A minimums for the RNAV 31 at KPAO?", "Am I night current?" — and get answers looked up live, not from memory: weather, PIREPs and winds aloft; runways, crosswinds and Chart Supplement remarks; approach fixes and minimums from the plate; the FAR/AIM and FAA handbooks; and your own logbook, currency and aircraft. Runs on Tachbase's own servers — your questions never go to a third-party AI. Aviation only; sign in for your own records. Advisory, not an official briefing. FREE — EVERYTHING INCLUDED No subscription, nothing to buy. The moving map, charts and georeferenced plates, in-flight tools, and offline downloads all work without an account. Create a free account and nothing lives on one device: your logbook, flights, plans, aircraft, and checklists sync across iPhone, iPad, and the web. MOVING MAP Airports, airspace, navaids, fixes, airways, and MTRs — tap any feature for details. Airport diagrams draw on the map as you zoom in. Overlay VFR/IFR charts, live weather (radar, satellite, winds aloft, PIREPs, AIRMETs/SIGMETs), TFRs, and your route. Download states & territories offline. CHARTS & PLATES FAA approach plates, departure/arrival procedures, airport diagrams, and takeoff/alternate minimums — plus taxi diagrams where the FAA has none. Plates are georeferenced (your aircraft draws on the chart); drop any chart onto the map. AIRPORTS Frequencies, runway wind analysis, METARs/TAFs, NOTAMs, fuel & services, sunrise/sunset, and the chart supplement — all offline-ready. WEATHER Local Weather for your home or nearest airport: conditions, a plain-English TAF outlook and the 7-day forecast. Decoded METARs and TAFs, 270+ imagery products cached offline, FAA weather cameras, and FIS-B with an ADS-B receiver. NWS warnings, forecaster discussions and satellite loops arrive live from Tachbase's own GOES-18 satellite dish. TRAFFIC & FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS Connect any GDL90 ADS-B receiver — Stratux, Stratus 3, SkyEcho — for live traffic and weather. A PFD pairs an AHRS attitude indicator with an HSI that tracks your active leg or Direct-To. A customizable data bar adds terrain, obstacle, and traffic alerts with spoken callouts. FLIGHT PLANNING The route finder suggests routes ATC recently assigned — SIDs and STARs load with published legs on the map. Add approaches and airways; check a terrain profile with recommended MEA. Wind-corrected nav log with fuel planning, weight & balance, and PDF export. File, activate, amend, and close flight plans with Leidos Flight Services and official FAA/FSS briefings. Direct-To with holds and track lines. SMART LOGBOOK Log flights with approaches, passengers, and cost-splitting; auto-log with a GPS track; track FAA currency; and generate experience and 8710 reports. Import from ForeFlight or MyFlightbook, export CSV. Sign entries inline or via QR for instructor endorsements. AI APPS & DEVELOPERS Bring Tachbase into Claude or any MCP app, or build on our API: weather, airports, charts and regs — and, only with your approval, read-only access to your logbook, currency and aircraft. tachbase.com/developers PLUS: Home Screen widgets and a live Lock Screen flight activity; an aircraft hangar with weight & balance, POH takeoff/landing distances, and maintenance tracking; normal and emergency checklists; an E6B; an offline FAA library (FAR/AIM, handbooks, ACs); your own POHs and PDFs; iCloud backup; contacts; 8 themes. Tachbase supplements, not replaces, certified avionics and official sources. All data — aeronautical, weather, own-ship position — is for situational awareness only, not for primary or IFR navigation. Per FAA AC 91-78 and AC 120-76, the pilot in command must verify all information against official sources.