Hot Air vs GA Flight Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hot Air
This app serves as a comprehensive flight companion for hot air balloon pilots. It offers features like live tracking, flight recording, navigation, and wind profiling, all tailored for ballooning. It supports pilots from students to commercial operators for planning, execution, and post-flight analysis.
- Live tracking on maps
- Wind profiling by altitude
- Waypoint navigation
- Automatic flight recording
- Custom map overlays
- Offline map caching
- Real-time flight sharing
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Hot Air is a complete balloon flight companion, built by balloon pilots for balloon pilots. From preflight planning to postflight review, it delivers live tracking, flight recording, waypoint navigation, wind profiling, and more — all designed specifically for the unique needs of hot air ballooning. Whether you’re a student pilot, a commercial operator, or flying for fun, Hot Air helps you stay organized, informed, and connected. Features include: • Live tracking on street or satellite maps • Wind profiling by altitude during climb and descent • Waypoint navigation with bearing, distance, and estimated time • Automatic flight recording with 3D export support • Custom map overlays (KML/KMZ) • Offline-capable with map caching • Real-time flight sharing with crew or friends • Detailed flight logs for crew, passengers, propane, and temperature • Flight summaries and totals for logs or checkrides • Interactive map history of takeoffs and landings • Export to HTML, KML, or GPX • Payload calculator for accurate weight and balance • Integrated weather data and forecasts • Improved UTM 4x4 waypoint format support Additional features: • Real-time heading projection • Built-in data backup and restore • Localized in English, French, Czech, and Slovak • Fully optimized for iPhone and iPad (portrait and landscape) Note: Continued use of GPS can reduce battery life. Use an external battery for longer flights.
GA Flight Tracker
This aviation app provides pilots and enthusiasts with essential navigation, safety, and planning tools. It offers offline VFR charts, obstacle alerts, and real-time weather updates to enhance flight safety and efficiency. The app also includes flight recording and an interactive note board for in-flight information.
- Inline flight planning
- Offline VFR charts
- Obstacle alerts
- Real-time weather updates
- Flight recording
- Interactive note board
- Aircraft traffic tracking
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The Ultimate Pilot Navigation & Safety Companion Take to the skies with General Aviation Flight Tracker, the all-in-one app designed to make every flight safer, more efficient, and stress-free. Whether you're a seasoned pilot or a passionate aviation enthusiast, this app brings cutting-edge tools to your fingertips, even when you're offline. Key Features to Elevate Your Flying Experience: Inline Flight Planning Plan your journey seamlessly with tools designed for precision and simplicity. Flight Plan Navigation Log Track your route and progress with a detailed navigation log that includes expected airport conditions and anticipated runways in use. Flight Recording Record and review your flights, complete with Altitude and Speed graphing for a quick visual reference of performance during the flight. Offline VFR Charts & Airport Information Access essential navigation charts and airport details, even when you're out of signal range. Offline Obstacle Alerts Fly with confidence, knowing obstacle warnings are just a tap away—no internet required. Interactive Note Board Jot down squawk codes, taxi instructions, IFR details, and more while in-flight. Aircraft Traffic Tracking & Audible Alerts Stay informed with real-time aircraft traffic and obstacle notifications to ensure safer skies. Up-to-Date Obstacle Data & Weather Insights - Obstacle database refreshed daily. - Real-time METAR and TAF updates to help you stay ahead of weather changes. - Dynamic weather map overlays for an at-a-glance understanding of conditions. Plane Tracking & Enhanced Safety Tools Track your aircraft and others in the area with pinpoint accuracy. Why Pilots Love General Aviation Flight Tracker - Offline First: Built for reliability even when you're off the grid. - Daily Updates: Always stay current with the latest obstacle and weather data. - Simple & Intuitive: Tools that enhance safety without adding complexity. - Whether you’re navigating complex routes, tracking weather conditions, or jotting down critical in-flight notes, General Aviation Flight Tracker is your trusted co-pilot in the cockpit. Download Today! Fly safer, plan smarter, and enjoy the freedom of the skies with General Aviation Flight Tracker—your indispensable aviation tool. Ready to take off? Download now and experience the future of flight navigation!
Screenshots
Verdict
Hot Air and GA Flight Tracker both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Hot Air's written reviews are positive against 25% of GA Flight Tracker's. Hot Air also leads on ratings volume (578 vs 4) and chart position (#102 vs unranked). GA Flight Tracker's advantage is price (Free vs $9.99). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
GA Flight Tracker is free to download; Hot Air costs $9.99 up front. Hot Air sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year and GA Flight Tracker sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Hot Air against 5.0 for GA Flight Tracker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hot Air has 578 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Hot Air's written reviews are positive against 25% of GA Flight Tracker's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hot Air | GA Flight Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (578 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 578 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #102 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | 14 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 129 MB | 149 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cato Technologies LLC | Gorkem Yuksel |
Customer experience
Hot Air
GA Flight Tracker
Bugs and requests
Hot Air
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashing after latest update
- Freezing when switching to camera
- Flight tracking not syncing to logbook
Requested features
5 requests- Option to disable Glympse sharing
- Ability to switch between mph and knots
- More customization options for overlays and pins
- Flight data sync between iPhone and iPad
- Playback capability for past flights
GA Flight Tracker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Hot Air
- Offline Maps$2.991 Year
- Pro$3.991 Month
- Pro$24.991 Year
- Offline Map Subscription$2.99
GA Flight Tracker
- GAFT Monthly1 Month trial$9.991 Month
- Flight Review Subscription1 Month trial$14.991 Month
- VFR Map for Seward$19.99
- VFR Map for St Louis$19.99
- VFR Map for Twin Cities$19.99
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- VFR Map for Washington$19.99
- VFR Map for W Aleutian Is E2 variants$19.99
- VFR Map for W Aleutian Is W$19.99
- VFR Map for Whitehorse$19.99
- VFR Map for Witchita$19.99





