Controller vs Take Flight Ops
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Controller
Find and sell new and used aircraft, including jets, helicopters, and drones. Browse detailed listings, contact sellers directly, and manage your inventory. Connect with buyers and sellers in the aviation industry.
- Thousands of aircraft listings
- Personalized search filters
- Detailed photos and videos
- Direct seller contact
- Watch List for favorites
- Consign inventory for sale
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Discover the ultimate platform to find and sell new and used aircraft, including jets, helicopters, turboprops, piston planes, military and ag aircraft, floatplanes, drones, avionics, and components. Whether you’re a buyer, private seller, or an aircraft dealer, Controller makes connecting with buyers and sellers in the aviation industry fast, easy, and secure. EXPLORE THOUSANDS OF AIRCRAFT LISTINGS WITH PERSONALIZED SEARCH Browse thousands of listings for new and used jets, helicopters, turboprops, and other aircraft. Plus, find avionics, components, and parts to keep your aircraft in top condition. Once you’ve narrowed your search, dive into detailed photos and videos of your desired aircraft and its specifications. Contact sellers directly to secure the best price and explore financing options through CurrencyAir, Controller’s trusted aircraft financing partner. The Controller app features advanced search tools, allowing you to filter listings by type, make, model, location, condition, and specifications like range, engine type, and year of manufacture. Save time and find exactly what you need. EASILY TRACK AIRCRAFT, AVIONICS, AND PARTS YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING Create a private Watch List to save your favorite aircraft, or post a “Want-to-Buy” ad to let sellers know what you’re seeking. Stay updated with new listings and personalized alerts via email, and monitor category pages updated daily with fresh inventory. CONSIGN YOUR INVENTORY FAST If you’re a dealer or an independent seller, Controller connects you with thousands of qualified buyers actively searching for aircraft and aviation equipment. Consign your inventory with Controller to reach a global audience. Click the "My Inventory" button in your Controller app and get transferred to the Sandhills Inventory Management app, your trusted, easy, and cost-effective way to track and manage inventory. Add listings, set prices, upload photos and videos, edit descriptions, and update your listings on the go-right from your iOS device. CHOOSE THE CONTROLLER APP FOR ALL YOUR AIRCRAFT NEEDS Whether you’re upgrading your fleet or selling aircraft, Controller connects you to a vast inventory of jets, helicopters, other aircraft, avionics, and components, and a large buyer audience. As part of Sandhills Global, Controller links you to a network that includes TractorHouse, Truck Paper, Machinery Trader, RVUniverse, MotorSportsUniverse, AuctionTime, and other trusted platforms. Access listings from top manufacturers such as Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft, Bombardier, Gulfstream, Robinson, Airbus, and more. GET THE CONTROLLER APP NOW Thousands of aviation enthusiasts, commercial pilots, aircraft dealers, operators, and individual sellers trust Controller to manage their operations. Download the app today to find your next aircraft or sell with confidence!
Take Flight Ops
This app streamlines aircraft operations for flight schools, maintenance shops, and charter operators. It manages scheduling, maintenance tracking, defect reporting, billing, and recordkeeping across multiple devices.
- Defect reporting with photos
- Maintenance tracking (inspections, ADs, parts)
- Aircraft and instructor scheduling
- Billing and recordkeeping
- Parts inventory management
- Audit log and document tracking
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Take Flight Ops is aircraft operations software for flight schools, maintenance shops, charter operators, and aircraft owners. It covers scheduling, maintenance tracking, defect reporting, billing, and recordkeeping. The same information is available on iPhone, iPad, and in a browser. SQUAWKS Report a defect from anywhere, with a photo if it helps. Marking a squawk as airworthiness-affecting takes the aircraft off the schedule until it is signed back into service, and notifies the people who need to know. A squawk filed in error can be withdrawn with a recorded reason rather than deleted. MAINTENANCE Track inspections, airworthiness directives, and life-limited parts by hours, cycles, or calendar date. Hobbs and tach readings update at check-in. Work orders open from a squawk, parts are ordered against them, and return to service is recorded with the certificate number of the person who approved it. Items eligible for deferral can be deferred and placarded. SCHEDULING Aircraft, instructors, and students on a single day view, with instructor availability, blackout periods, maintenance blocks, and a waitlist. Flights are checked out and back in, with times and billing recorded in the same step. RECORDS Changes are written to an append-only audit log. Certificates, medicals, and other documents are tracked with their expiration dates. Part 61 and Part 141 enrollments, stage checks, and instructor endorsements are kept with the flights they relate to. ALSO INCLUDED Parts inventory with reorder points, instructor pay and student billing, a front desk sign-up kiosk, support for multiple bases, and data export. An account is provided by an organization with a subscription.
Screenshots
Verdict
Controller and Take Flight Ops both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Take Flight Ops's written reviews are positive against 36% of Controller's. Take Flight Ops also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Controller's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Take Flight Ops holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Controller has 10K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Controller's written reviews are positive against 100% of Take Flight Ops's.
Controller ships an update every 2 months, Take Flight Ops every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Controller | Take Flight Ops |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (10K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 35.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sandhills Global, Inc. | Take Flight Design LLC |
Customer experience
Controller
Take Flight Ops
Bugs and requests
Controller
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes after iOS updates
- Broken search and filtering
- Inconsistent user experience across updates
- Compatibility issues with older devices
Requested features
5 requests- Separate single engine turbine category
- Landscape mode support
- Customizable search preferences
- Ability to save notes on watchlist
- Dark mode option
Take Flight Ops
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Controller
No in-app purchases
Take Flight Ops
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Controller free?
Is Take Flight Ops free?
Which has better reviews, Controller or Take Flight Ops?
Do Controller or Take Flight Ops have ads?
Which is updated more often, Controller or Take Flight Ops?
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