# Pilot Handbook vs FAR/AIM by ASA

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pilot Handbook at 93% against FAR/AIM by ASA's 33%. Pilot Handbook also leads on price ($2.99 vs $19.95) and rating (4.9 vs 3.4). FAR/AIM by ASA's advantage is chart position (#4 vs unranked). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Pilot Handbook costs $2.99 and FAR/AIM by ASA $19.95 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pilot Handbook holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 320 and 253 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Pilot Handbook's written reviews are positive against 33% of FAR/AIM by ASA's.

Pilot Handbook ships an update every 6 months, FAR/AIM by ASA every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pilot Handbook | FAR/AIM by ASA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $19.95 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (320 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-handbook/id346827608/reviews)** | [3.4 (253 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faraim-by-asa/id361784690/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **320** | 253 |
| Positive reviews | **93.5% of reviews** | 33.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#4** |
| Size | 99 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Calculated Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/370406449) | [ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/334278379) |

## What reviewers say

### Pilot Handbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-handbook/id346827608)

Access essential aeronautical knowledge for pilots and students. This app provides comprehensive information from the FAA's Pilot's Handbook, including over 110 aviation calculators and detailed weight and balance data. It features over 800 illustrations to aid understanding.

**Highlights:** Aeronautical knowledge content, 110+ aviation calculators, Weight and balance information, 800+ illustrations, FAA pilot training manual format, Standalone calculators

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface and easy navigation
- 📚 Comprehensive and detailed aviation content
- 💰 Excellent value for the price
- 📖 Well-organized reference material
- 🎨 Clear illustrations and graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Content not updated to latest FAA standards
- 🐛 Trip planning calculators malfunction
- 🐛 Pages frequently stick and don't scroll
- 📱 Not optimized for newer device screens
- 🎨 Logo compass design error (aircraft banking issue)

**Reported bugs**

- Trip time calculator repeats descent time value instead of summing properly
- Fuel calculation based on incorrect trip time
- Pages stick and don't scroll down properly
- App crashes and shuts down unexpectedly
- Not optimized for iPhone X and newer devices with larger screens

**Requested features**

- Update content to FAA-8083-25C 2023 version
- Dark mode for night reading
- Chapter numbers for easier reference
- Text highlighting and underlining capability
- Text enlargement/zoom feature


### FAR/AIM by ASA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faraim-by-asa/id361784690)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Paid · Reference, #121 Top Paid, #185 Top Grossing · Reference (US App Store)

Access comprehensive aviation regulations and information, including the FAR, AIM, and Pilot/Controller Glossary. Features include free updates, text search, study by certificate, and customizable reading options. Stay current with daily FAA changes.

**Highlights:** Free updates, Complete FAR/AIM content, Study by certificate, Text search functionality, Customizable reading options, Highlight and bookmark text

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Convenient offline access to FAR/AIM
- 💰 One-time purchase with free lifetime updates
- 🔍 Search functionality available
- ⭐ Well-organized content structure
- 🎯 Study by Certificate feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Search function is poorly designed and unreliable
- 🔄 No cross-device synchronization of highlights/bookmarks
- 🐛 Highlights disappear or move randomly after updates
- 🌙 No dark mode for text content (only menus)
- 📝 Cannot add notes or annotations

**Reported bugs**

- Search function returns too many irrelevant results or zero results
- Highlights disappear after app updates
- Highlights move randomly within text
- App resets to home screen when switching apps
- Bookmarks show blank pages

**Requested features**

- Cloud sync for highlights and bookmarks across devices
- Note-taking and annotation capabilities
- Multiple highlight colors
- Dark mode for text content
- Adjustable font size slider


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pilot Handbook free?

Pilot Handbook costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FAR/AIM by ASA free?

FAR/AIM by ASA costs $19.95, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pilot Handbook or FAR/AIM by ASA?

Pilot Handbook is rated higher. Pilot Handbook averages 4.9 out of 5 from 320 ratings, while FAR/AIM by ASA averages 3.4 from 253 ratings.

### Do Pilot Handbook or FAR/AIM by ASA have ads?

Neither Pilot Handbook nor FAR/AIM by ASA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pilot Handbook or FAR/AIM by ASA?

Pilot Handbook ships an update every 6 months, and FAR/AIM by ASA every 5 months. Most recently, Pilot Handbook was updated on October 29, 2026 and FAR/AIM by ASA on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*