Flight Instruments vs WatchVario
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Flight Instruments
Simulates essential flight instruments like attitude indicators and primary flight displays on your mobile device. It uses your device's sensors to show speed, altitude, heading, and more, offering a configurable reference for pilots. This tool is for informational purposes only and is not FAA approved.
- Attitude Indicator with extreme attitude chevrons
- Primary Flight Display with digital tapes
- Position relative to nearest airport
- Configurable display with aviation or metric units
- Continuous auto-calibration
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Attitude Indicator and other key flight instruments on your iPhone or iPad, using built-in gyros and GPS. Key features: -Attitude Indicator using solid state gyros in your iPhone with extreme attitude chevrons to guide you back to a safety if you find yourself in an unusual attitude -"Glass cockpit" Primary Flight Display using digital tapes for Speed, Altitude, Heading, Vertical Speed, Rate of Turn and slip indicator -Position relative to nearest airport in plain English (convenient for ATC position reports), with communication frequency where available -Fully configurable display, with landscape mode and choice of aviation or metric units -Continuous auto-calibration feature adapts to different airplane environments and flying conditions This app is not FAA approved and should not be used for navigation. All information is presented for reference only, and BBFlight is not responsible for any damage, injury or death resulting from the use of this application: you assume total responsibility and risk associated with this application
WatchVario
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WatchVario can be used by glider pilots of all skill levels. Like other portable cockpit devices, the app is intended to be an backup source of altitude and vertical speed. It is not a replacement for cockpit panel instrumentation. Human factors was an important consideration during development. The app has a simple layout with both analog and digital information. This intuitive and familiar design minimizes the time needed for the pilot to acquire information. The app uses internal sensors to calculate altitude and rate of climb. The altitude is displayed in feet above mean sea level. The watch fuses GPS altitude and pressure sensor data to determine altitude. There is no need for the user to enter an altimeter setting. The variometer is uncompensated and displays actual rate of climb or descent in knots. The app uses Kalman filtering to smooth variometer readings. The app has a "demo mode" for use on the ground. When selected, the demo mode is clearly marked on the display and shows a moving altitude and variometer. This is handy for familiarization and demonstration.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Flight Instruments at every 3 months against WatchVario's every 23 months. Flight Instruments also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.6). WatchVario's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On ads, in-app purchases 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
Flight Instruments costs $1.99 and WatchVario $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Flight Instruments ships an update every 3 months, WatchVario every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Flight Instruments | WatchVario |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $0.99 — better |
| Rating | 2.6 (5 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 23 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Candidus LLC | Robert Walker |
In-app purchases
Flight Instruments
No in-app purchases
WatchVario
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Flight Instruments free?
Is WatchVario free?
Do Flight Instruments or WatchVario have ads?
Which is updated more often, Flight Instruments or WatchVario?
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