Comparison

FlyBy E6B vs Holding Pattern Trainer

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

Head to head
About

FlyBy E6B

This aviation tool provides pilots with over 70 essential flight calculations, including airspeed, wind, navigation, and altitude computations. It offers advanced features for both aspiring and experienced aviators, with a long history of user feedback and development.

Highlights
  • Airspeed calculations
  • Wind direction and speed
  • Heading and ground speed
  • Time-speed-distance calculations
  • Altitude calculations
  • Vertical navigation
  • Navigation calculations
  • Unit conversions
Features
Read full description

FlyBy E6B is an essential application for all pilots. Designed by a professional airline pilot it includes many features not found in the "other" E6B programs. If you are considering a career in aviation FlyBy E6B has functions that you can use in every aircraft you will fly. FlyBy E6B was one of the very first applications of its kind published for the Palm Pilot. Used by thousands of pilots the world over, it has evolved from the suggestions and feedback we have received. Please visit our web site for more detail and screen shots. FlyBy E6B Features (70+): Airspeed Calculations: - True Airspeed using Calibrated Airspeed - True Airspeed using Mach# - Calibrated Airspeed using TAS - IAS Using MACH# - Equivalent Airspeed using CAS - Mach# Using TAS - Mach Crossover Altitude - Planned MACH# - Planned TAS - Vref CAS Wind Calculation: - Find Wind Direction and Speed - Find Wind Component (headwind and crosswind) Heading and Ground Speed: - Find Heading, Ground Speed, ETE and Fuel Burned Time-Speed-Distance: - Find Estimated Time Enroute - Find Ground Speed - Find Distance - Find Fuel Time - Find Fuel Flow - Find Fuel Burned - Find Estimated Time of Arrival - Journey Log Time - Time Adder - Fixed GroundSpeed (Find a True Airspeed given a track, wind and required groundspeed) - Crew Rest Altitude Calculations: - Density Altitude - Pressure Altitude - True Altitude - Cold Temperature Altitude Correction - China RVSM Airspace - Device Altitude (If device has pressure sensor) Vertical Navigation Calculations: - Distance and Time using Altitude Change, Ground Speed, Vertical Speed - Rate of Descent using Altitude Change, Ground Speed, Distance - Rate of Descent using Altitude Change, Ground Speed, Descent Angle - Feet/Nm using Vertical Speed, Ground Speed - Feet/Nm (%) using Gradient %, Ground Speed - Rate of Climb using Required Climb Gradient and Ground Speed - SCDA (Constant Descent Angle) - VDP (Visual Descent Point) - VPA Deviation (Vertical Path Angle Deviation) Navigation Calculations: - Critical Point - Equal Time Point - Point of No Return - Time to Minimum Descent Altitude - Track and Distance between two points with map plotting of the great circle track. Map plotting includes movable pin locations with instant trip information: Distance, Track and time enroute. - Map GPS mode. Displays device Speed, True Course, Altitude, Distance Remaining, Track to Destination, cross track error, estimated time remaining and estimated time of arrival. - Map closest airport feature will display airports close to your current GPS location or a dropped pin location. - Fix. Calculate a map point based on a Fix, Radial and Distance. - Rate One Turn - Radius of Turn - Turning Stall Speed - DME Arc distance and time - VOR Nav Conversions: - Distance: Nautical Miles/ Knots Statute Miles/ Mph Kilometers/ Kph Feet Meters Meters/Second Feet/Second Feet/Minute - Volume: US Gallons Imperial Gallons Liters - Temperature: Celsius Fahrenheit Kelvin - Weight: Pounds Kilograms - Altimeter: Inches Hg Millibars/Hectopascals mmHg - Fuel, Temperature Corrected, JetA, JetB, AvGas: US Gallons Imperial Gallons Liters Pounds Kilograms - QFE/QNH airfield altitude conversion - DMS/DM.m/DM.m and D.d coordinate conversion - VNAV Gradient% Feet per NM Angle Weather: - Relative Humidity, Heat Index, Cumulus cloud base, Wind Chill - NOAA METAR/TAF and D-ATIS access - ISA Temperature Deviation Other Functions: - Linear Interpolation - Minimum Floor Load Limit (Cargo) - Maximum Cargo Weight - Runway Slope - PAX Weight - C.G. Change - Weight to Shift - Distance to Shift - Sunrise/Sunset: Civil Day/Night, Azimuth, Apex, Elevation, for any location and time/date. Includes a unique sunset ETA function that calculates your current flights sunset time.

About

Holding Pattern Trainer

Master IFR holding pattern entries on your mobile device to save time and money on instrument flight training. Practice at your convenience to make choosing the correct entry a breeze.

Highlights
  • Entry Trainer for holding pattern drills
  • Holding calculator for scenario visualization
  • Holding tutorial for quick learning
  • Practice at your own pace
  • Save on flight and ground lessons
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Save time and money on your instrument flight training by mastering IFR holding pattern entries at the comfort of your own mobile device. Make IFR flight training easier! Is the following scenario familiar? You receive a holding clearance from ATC, and only have a couple of minutes, sometimes only a few seconds, to choose the correct entry. By the time you've figured out what's going on, you've already passed the holding fix and don't know what to do next. If this sounds familiar, then you need not to worry. Confusion during holding entries happens to practically almost every new instrument student. Even instrument-rated pilots occasionally have the same problem — when they don't get enough practice. Holding Trainer solves this problem and as a result, cuts the time you have to spend on expensive flight and ground lessons. With Holding Trainer, you can practice on your own time and convenience, so that choosing the best holding entry in the air becomes a breeze. Features: -Entry Trainer - Drills you on choosing the best holding entry. Practice until choosing holding entries becomes second nature and impress your flight instructor with your skills. -Holding calculator. Solve and visualize any holding scenario by entering your current bearing to the fix and a outbound or inbound holding radial. -Holding tutorial - learn how to choose the best holding entry quickly and easily. Holding Trainer for iOS is a complete rewrite based on my popular Flash-based desktop Holding Trainer app available on pilotscafe.com. ***Don't get "stuck" next time you receive a holding pattern clearance!*** ---------------------------------- For only a fraction of the cost of one ground lesson with your flight instructor, you can practice this important instrument skill at your own pace and save hundreds of Dollars on figuring out holding entries in the air. This is a great tool for anyone training towards their instrument checkride, CFII, proficiency check, or simply trying to improve their holding patterns. ----------------------------------

Screenshots

FlyBy E6B4 screens
Holding Pattern Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: FlyBy E6B at 4.7 against Holding Pattern Trainer's 4.1. FlyBy E6B also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 77%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). Holding Pattern Trainer's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $9.99) and chart position (#50 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

FlyBy E6B costs $9.99 and Holding Pattern Trainer $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FlyBy E6B holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Holding Pattern Trainer has 114 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of FlyBy E6B's written reviews are positive against 77% of Holding Pattern Trainer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FlyBy E6B ships an update every 2 months, Holding Pattern Trainer every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
FlyBy E6B versus Holding Pattern Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlyBy E6BHolding Pattern Trainer
Price$9.99$4.99 — better
Rating4.7 (17 ratings) — better4.1 (114 ratings)
Positive reviews94.6% of reviews — better76.9% of reviews
Number of ratings17114 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#50 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.611.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLonnie GanzFLEMINGER MEDIA LLC

Customer experience

FlyBy E6B

All ratings17 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral5.9%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.2%

Holding Pattern Trainer

All ratings114 ratings
Positive78.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative15.8%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive76.9%
Neutral4.4%
Negative18.7%

Bugs and requests

FlyBy E6B

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Holding Pattern Trainer

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • Entries are wrong for turns
  • Plan view is incorrect
  • App drawing entries in wrong directions
  • Slicing the fix completely wrong
  • Bearing questions are wrong
Show 10 more
  • App does not apply reciprocal track to 'pod'
  • Giving wrong answers
  • Visualizer is mirrored to map plan view (user confusion)
  • Practice screen plan view incorrect
  • App craps out and goes to a black screen
  • Guide lines separating direct, parallel, and teardrop incorrectly in practice mode visualization
  • Not updated for iOS 11
  • App loads upside down
  • Button sensitivity could be better
  • Cannot change values on hold computer

Requested features

11 requests
  • Include more methods in tutorial
  • Add teardrop heading to fly
  • Allow practice with bearings on/off
  • Show outbound teardrop/inbound parallel correction headings
  • Work in portrait mode
Show 6 more
  • Add voice ATC instructions
  • More variety in questions
  • Larger text for older users
  • More tips for newbies
  • Ability to fly the hold like a nav trainer
  • Use real-life ATC phrases in exercises

In-app purchases

None

FlyBy E6B

No in-app purchases

None

Holding Pattern Trainer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FlyBy E6B free?
FlyBy E6B costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Holding Pattern Trainer free?
Holding Pattern Trainer costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FlyBy E6B or Holding Pattern Trainer?
FlyBy E6B is rated higher. FlyBy E6B averages 4.7 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Holding Pattern Trainer averages 4.1 from 114 ratings.
Do FlyBy E6B or Holding Pattern Trainer have ads?
Neither FlyBy E6B nor Holding Pattern Trainer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FlyBy E6B or Holding Pattern Trainer?
FlyBy E6B ships an update every 2 months, and Holding Pattern Trainer every 5 months. Most recently, FlyBy E6B was updated on October 17, 2026 and Holding Pattern Trainer on October 14, 2026.

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