Comparison

Airplane Flying Handbook vs FAR AIM by Flightready

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Airplane Flying Handbook

This app provides the official FAA source for learning to fly, covering essential pilot skills and knowledge. It's a valuable resource for student pilots, experienced pilots seeking to improve proficiency, and those preparing for certifications or ratings.

Highlights
  • Official FAA flight training material
  • Covers essential pilot skills and knowledge
  • Information on ground operations and maneuvers
  • Guidance on stalls, spins, and landings
  • Details on night operations and complex aircraft transitions
  • Emergency procedures included
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Airplane Flying Handbook is the official FAA source for learning to fly and the source for many FAA Knowledge Exams test questions. The Airplane Flying Handbook app is a "must" for all pilots. This app introduces the basic pilot skills and knowledge essential for piloting airplanes. It benefits student pilots, as well as those pilots wishing to improve their flying proficiency and aeronautical knowledge, pilots preparing for additional certificates or ratings, and flight instructors engaged in the instruction of both students and licensed pilots. This app introduces you to the realm of flight and provides information and guidance in the performance of procedures and maneuvers required for pilot certification. It contains information on: + flight training + ground operations + basic flight maneuvers + slow flight + stalls + spins + takeoff and departure climbs + ground reference maneuvers + airport traffic patterns + approaches and landings + performance maneuvers + night operations + transition to complex airplanes + transition to multiengine airplanes + transition to tailwheel airplanes + transition to turboprop powered airplanes + transition to jet powered airplanes + emergency procedures.

About

FAR AIM by Flightready

Access comprehensive aviation regulations with powerful search and personalized filtering. Bookmark, annotate, and highlight sections to create a customized study tool. Sync your progress across devices for seamless learning.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive FAR/AIM content
  • Personalized regulation filters
  • Powerful multi-document search
  • Advanced annotation tools
  • Cross-device iCloud sync
  • Adjustable text size and themes
Features
Read full description

A comprehensive, easy-to-use FAR/AIM with powerful search, personalized regulation filters, and advanced annotations. Try any subscription free for one month, or purchase lifetime access with a single payment. COMPREHENSIVE AVIATION REGULATIONS ▸ All of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, including Parts 1, 43, 48, 61, 65, 67, 68, 71, 73, 91, 97, 103, 105, 107, 110, 117, 119, 121, 135, 136, 137, 141, and 142. ▸ Title 49 Parts 172 and 175 (HazMat), 830 (NTSB), and 1544 and 1552 (TSA). ▸ Every section of the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), including the original figures. ▸ The complete Pilot/Controller Glossary. ▸ Updated regularly with the latest content. FARs FILTERED FOR YOUR USE CASE ▸ Filter regulations by use case: General Aviation, Sport Pilot, Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor, Flight Crew, Remote Pilot, or Maintenance. ▸ Your selected filter applies to FAR lists, search results, and the Next and Previous buttons in the reader. Choose All Regulations to see everything. POWERFUL SEARCH ▸ Search every document at once, or limit a search to the FAR, AIM, Pilot/Controller Glossary, NTSB, HazMat, or TSA. ▸ Search exact phrases using quotation marks, combine terms with OR, and exclude terms with a minus sign. ▸ Narrow searches to a specific FAR Part, section titles, or whole words. ▸ Search results include preview lines with matching terms highlighted. ▸ Sort results by relevance or document order. ▸ Matches within the section you’re reading appear first and are highlighted on the page. Navigate between matches one by one (iOS 17.2 and later). ANNOTATIONS ▸ Bookmark any section, add notes, and highlight text in five colors. ▸ Give sections custom names and organize them with color tags. ▸ Manage all annotations in one place, with filters for type, document, or tag. ▸ Automatically sync annotations across your Apple devices using iCloud. ▸ Optionally create a FlightReady account to back up your bookmarks, notes, highlights, tags, and reading history and keep them synchronized across devices. MORE FEATURES ▸ Reading history organized by day. ▸ Email, print, or share any FAR section, AIM paragraph, or glossary definition. ▸ Adjustable text size with support for iOS Dynamic Type. ▸ Light and dark themes, or automatic switching to match your system settings. ▸ Portrait and landscape orientations, with multitasking support on iPad. SUBSCRIPTIONS Start with a free one-month trial on any subscription. Free trials automatically convert to paid subscriptions unless canceled before the trial ends. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. To cancel a subscription or free trial, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. You can also manage subscriptions in the App Store by tapping your profile picture and selecting Subscriptions. Deleting the app does not cancel a subscription. All FAR/AIM content comes from public sources, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Government Publishing Office. Terms of Service: https://www.flightready.net/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://www.flightready.net/privacy-policy/ Customer Service: https://www.flightready.net

Screenshots

Airplane Flying Handbook4 screens
FAR AIM by Flightready4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: FAR AIM by Flightready at Free against Airplane Flying Handbook's $2.99. FAR AIM by Flightready also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (569 vs 107). Airplane Flying Handbook's advantage is review sentiment (82% vs 44%) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

FAR AIM by Flightready is free to download; Airplane Flying Handbook costs $2.99 up front. FAR AIM by Flightready sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Airplane Flying Handbook asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Airplane Flying Handbook against 4.7 for FAR AIM by Flightready. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FAR AIM by Flightready has 569 ratings behind it against 107, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Airplane Flying Handbook's written reviews are positive against 44% of FAR AIM by Flightready's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Airplane Flying Handbook ships an update every 5 months, FAR AIM by Flightready fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Airplane Flying Handbook versus FAR AIM by Flightready: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAirplane Flying HandbookFAR AIM by Flightready
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (107 ratings) — better4.7 (569 ratings)
Positive reviews82.1% of reviews — better44.0% of reviews
Number of ratings107569 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank#83 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.3 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB159 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCalculated IndustriesAeroapps Technology

Customer experience

Airplane Flying Handbook

All ratings106 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral0.9%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive82.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.9%

FAR AIM by Flightready

All ratings567 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral1.9%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive44.0%
Neutral16.0%
Negative40.0%

Bugs and requests

Airplane Flying Handbook

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

FAR AIM by Flightready

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Lifetime option not working after purchase
  • App not loading after 'updating content'
  • Highlights disappeared after update
  • App crashes when clicking on annotations
  • Unable to link between iPhone and iPad for notes/highlights

Requested features

7 requests
  • Include all parts of the FAR (e.g., 119, Part 135)
  • Improve FAR layout for easier navigation (e.g., all Part 91 in one tab/scroll)
  • Add other FAA publications (e.g., PHAK, AFH)
  • Make app available for offline mode
  • Include date of last update prominently
Show 2 more
  • Add support documentation for sync issues
  • Add support for linking notes/highlights between devices

In-app purchases

None

Airplane Flying Handbook

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

FAR AIM by Flightready

Subscriptions2
  • One-Month Premium Access1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • One-Year Premium Access1 Month trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • FAR/AIM Lifetime Access$59.99

Questions

Is Airplane Flying Handbook free?
Airplane Flying Handbook costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FAR AIM by Flightready free?
FAR AIM by Flightready is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Airplane Flying Handbook or FAR AIM by Flightready?
Airplane Flying Handbook is rated higher. Airplane Flying Handbook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 107 ratings, while FAR AIM by Flightready averages 4.7 from 569 ratings.
Do Airplane Flying Handbook or FAR AIM by Flightready have ads?
Neither Airplane Flying Handbook nor FAR AIM by Flightready shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Airplane Flying Handbook or FAR AIM by Flightready?
Airplane Flying Handbook ships an update every 5 months, and FAR AIM by Flightready fortnightly. Most recently, Airplane Flying Handbook was updated on November 10, 2026 and FAR AIM by Flightready on November 3, 2026.

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