Comparison

iBal Rotary vs Recency

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

Head to head
About

iBal Rotary

This app helps helicopter pilots quickly calculate weight and balance for their aircraft. It supports numerous helicopter models and allows users to add custom aircraft configurations. The app provides graphical displays and can email mission manifests, aiding in compliance with aviation regulations.

Highlights
  • Supports numerous helicopter types
  • Add custom aircraft configurations
  • Graphical CG displays
  • Email mission manifests
  • Detects weight and CG problems
  • Predefined load lists
Features
Read full description

iBal Rotary is a dedicated Helicopter weight and balance app for iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac. Designed from the ground up for professional and private helicopter pilots, it provides for quick and easy entry of loads and checks against type-specific weight, lateral and longitudinal CG limits, load station limits etc. Graphical displays, mission and manifest sent by email and much more. Online information, help and discussion at http://groups.google.com/group/ibal-help http://www.airspayce.com/airspayce/ibal Quick Reference Sheet http://www.airspayce.com/iBal/ReferenceSheet.pdf Features: Many types supported: See http://www.airspayce.com/airspayce/ibal/ibal-types-supported for detailed list of supported types and configurations. Robinson R22 Beta, BetaII, Alpha, HP, R44, R44 II, R66 Agusta A109AII, A109E, A119 and AW119 MK II Agusta Bell AB212 IFR Pax Agusta-Westland AW109SP, AW139 Bell 205A-1 and 205A-1 with STC SH5977NM, 204B, 206B3 Jet Ranger, 206L Long Ranger (L, L1, L3, and L4 models), 210, 222U, 230, 212, 407, 412, 427, 429, 430 Schweizer/Hughes 269C/300C, 333, 333M Hughes OH-6A Eurocopter AS350 B, BA, BA+, B1, B2, B3, D Squirrel, AS332, AS355 N, NP, F1 and F2 twin Squirrel AS365 N1, N2, N3 Dauphin, BK117 A-3, A-4, B, C-1, C+, EC120B Colibri, EC130 B4, EC135 P2+, EC130/H130 EC155 B,B1, EC225 LP Enstrom 280FX, 480B Boeing CH-47 Chinook Cabri G2 MD500D (369D), MD530F-Plus (369FF), MD600N, MD902 MBB105 LS A3 Sikorsky S-76A,A+,A++, S-76B, C, S-76C++, S-92A, UH-61A,L Blackhawk Add any number of your own aircraft, including preconfigured loads and photos of your own aircraft. Send completed CG Solutions (including manifest) and CG graphs to any email address (internet connection required) Configurable Name, BEW, longitudinal and lateral arms and photo for your own aircraft (from camera or photo roll where supported). Easy entry and adjustment of passengers, fuel, cargo and suspended loads. Displays CG for loaded and empty fuel, critical fuel loads with and without any suspended load. Detects and displays weight, longitudinal and lateral CG problems. Displays available load until limits will be exceeded. Displays weights, arms and CG solutions in graphical and tabular formats, with problem alerts. Support for optional Passenger names and Flight Details which appear on the CG solution spreadsheet and are transmitted when Send tapped. This supports new FAA rules requiring FAR Part 135 (Air Taxi) Operators to manifest every flight stage and for it to be transmitted back to base. Support for Predefined Loads: user definable list of commonly carried loads and their weights. Useful for EMS staff lists, oil rig personnel lists, common cargo items etc. List of predefined loads can be accessed from the load edit page to automatically enter the weight and description. The list can be customised to include any number of your own personnel names or freight descriptions plus the weight of each. Predefined loads can be added or removed from your list at any time, and will not be lost when you update iBal. Loads can be entered in your choice of suitable unit: kg, lbs, USGals, litres, stones (also fuel % in applicable types). Supports iPhone gestures: Drag passengers and cargo between stations Flick cargo and passengers off Zoom and scroll floorplans, graphs and load sheets Aircraft-specific Custom Load Stations, allowing you to add new or non-standard loading positions to your own aircraft. Displays helpful loading data, limits and hints. Optional Alert sounds and vibration for bad solutions for easy in-flight use. Configurable fuel SGs Supports Apple AirPrint, Retina, iOS 5 and later on iPhone, iPad, etc. Works with Aeronet http://www.aeronet.co.nz/ a world class maintenance, flight and duty tracking system. Allows operators to automatically update their Aeronet records with the flight details emailed by iBal. Reduces the time and cost of records compliance.

About

Recency

Read full description

Recency keeps your flight recency front and centre so you never get caught short before a flight. Define your recency requirements, log your events, and see at a glance what's current, what's expiring, and what needs attention. WHY RECENCY Whether it's three takeoffs and landings in 90 days, a 2D instrument approach in the last 90 days, medical certificate or flight review expiries, or any other rule you fly to, Recency gives you a single clear view of where you stand. The home screen shows every recency item colour coded by how close it is to expiry, sorted with the most urgent at the top, so the first thing you see is the thing you need to act on. KEY FEATURES • Custom recency definitions - set any rolling quantity over any period in days, months, or years, also set expiries as well for items with expiry dates • Calendar-accurate periods - "six months" means six calendar months, not 180 fixed days. • Colour coded list - red when expired, orange and yellow when approaching, green when comfortably current. Tap any item to see its history. • Configurable thresholds - choose when the orange and yellow warnings kick in. • Bulk logging - log every event from a single day in one go. • Per-item history - your last 100 entries for any requirement, with the same colour cues so you can see at a glance which still count. • iCloud sync - your data flows between every device signed in to the same iCloud account. Sign in on a second iPhone or iPad and it's already there. • Home screen widgets - small, medium, and large. • Works offline - sync is a bonus, not a requirement. Everything is fully functional without an internet connection. YOUR DATA Your data lives on your devices and in your own private iCloud database. Nothing is sent to a server we operate. Nothing is shared, analysed, or sold.

Screenshots

iBal Rotary4 screens
Recency4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Recency at Free against iBal Rotary's $17.99. Recency also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Recency is free to download; iBal Rotary costs $17.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iBal Rotary ships an update every 2 months, Recency every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
iBal Rotary versus Recency: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriBal RotaryRecency
Price$17.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (23 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews82.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings23 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB4 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperAirSpayceLuke Cashion-Lozell

Bugs and requests

iBal Rotary

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on iPhone 4 since latest update
  • Choose photo function does not work on iPad Mini Retina
  • Math is sometimes wrong
  • Rounding of aircraft values is annoying

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add B3E aircraft
  • Ability to modify aircraft data
  • Add BK-117 D2/D3 (H145) to aircraft list
  • Add Bell 505 to aircraft library
  • Input fuel burn to calculate flight duration estimate
Show 5 more
  • Adjustable minimum fuel
  • Add AS 350 B3 to list
  • Simplify PDF/printed page to one page
  • Remove sound features
  • Allow building own configuration with lateral c of g

Recency

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iBal Rotary

No in-app purchases

None

Recency

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iBal Rotary free?
iBal Rotary costs $17.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Recency free?
Recency is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do iBal Rotary or Recency have ads?
Neither iBal Rotary nor Recency shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iBal Rotary or Recency?
iBal Rotary ships an update every 2 months, and Recency every 5 days. Most recently, iBal Rotary was updated on October 14, 2026 and Recency on September 30, 2026.

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