ATCA Events vs SurfaceOps by uAvionix
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
ATCA Events
Read full descriptionHide full description
The event app for the ATCA Tech Symposium. The app includes the symposium agenda, speaker bios and photos, exhibit hall map, exhibitor descriptions, and more.
SurfaceOps by uAvionix
Read full descriptionHide full description
Surface Ops is a free situational-awareness tool for anyone interested in airport surface operations β pilots, students, ramp staff, plane spotters, and the general public β with optional licensed features for professional airport ground-operations teams. Free for everyone, at every US airport: β’ Airport diagrams (runways, taxiways, aprons, hotspots) β’ GPS-based ownship position on the airport surface β’ METAR, TAF, and D-ATIS weather β’ Live ADS-B traffic from a uAvionix skyAlert receiver (a separately-purchased consumer accessory) β’ Runway-incursion alerts: CHECK RUNWAY, TRAFFIC RUNWAY, CHECK FINAL, TRAFFIC FINAL and Aircraft Emergency Alerts β’ Visual highlighting of the runway under alert β’ Offline operation once an airport diagram is cached (weather requires internet) Optional licensed feature, at participating airports: Airports that contract with uAvionix for the professional toolset can issue a one-time activation code to their authorized vehicle operators, which adds the FlightLine ADS-B network traffic feed from the airport's ground-based receivers, no per-vehicle hardware required. No in-app purchase. The app and all consumer-facing features are free. Licensed airports pay uAvionix directly; the end-user operator never pays anything inside the app. What Surface Ops is NOT: β’ Not a certified safety system β’ Not a substitute for ATC instructions or established ground-movement procedures β’ Not a primary means of collision avoidance β visual scanning and radio communication remain primary Privacy Surface Ops collects only what's needed to operate: your activation code, a per-device licensing identifier, andβwith your permissionβyour GPS location to display your position on the airport map. Location data stays on the device; we do not transmit it to our servers. No analytics, no advertising SDKs, no tracking. Terms Use of this app is subject to the Apple Standard End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeveula/ Published by CAVU Consulting LLC on behalf of uAvionix Corporation.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: SurfaceOps by uAvionix at every 2 weeks against ATCA Events's every 7 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ATCA Events ships an update every 7 months, SurfaceOps by uAvionix every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ATCA Events | SurfaceOps by uAvionix |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 2 weeks β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Air Traffic Control Association, Inc. | CAVU Consulting LLC |
In-app purchases
ATCA Events
No in-app purchases
SurfaceOps by uAvionix
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ATCA Events free?
Is SurfaceOps by uAvionix free?
Do ATCA Events or SurfaceOps by uAvionix have ads?
Which is updated more often, ATCA Events or SurfaceOps by uAvionix?
Other comparisons















