Comparison

IFR Holding Pattern Trainer vs Piper PA

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

Head to head
About

IFR Holding Pattern Trainer

This aviation trainer helps IFR pilots and students master complex holding procedures through clear explanations, visual aids, and interactive practice. It covers all entry types and includes quizzes for timing, intercept, and tracking, plus a gamified mode for real-world scenario practice.

Highlights
  • Interactive learning system for holding entries
  • Step-by-step explanations and visual illustrations
  • Practice quizzes for timing, intercept, and tracking
  • Real-time visualization of holding patterns
  • Gamified map-based practice mode
  • Tested by real pilots and instructors
Features
Read full description

Holding Pattern (IFR) Instructor is specially designed for IFR pilots and students to better understand how to manage holdings, one of the most complex IFR procedures. This app provides significant insights into holding procedures as an educational method, combining clear explanations, visual illustrations, and interactive practice tools. ALREADY TESTED BY REAL PILOTS AND INSTRUCTORS Holding Pattern (IFR) Instructor has been developed and tested by real pilots and trainers, covering the full range of holding scenarios, including situations that frequently cause difficulties in real operations. This ensures a learning experience that goes beyond any other app available in this area. CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVED AT FLIGHT SCHOOLS The teaching method implemented in Holding Pattern (IFR) Instructor is used at flight schools all around the world, contributing to a higher proportion of successful exams. This achievement makes our app so popular among students and instructors alike. INTERACTIVE LEARNING SYSTEM The built-in interactive learning system guides users through all three holding entry types - direct, parallel, and teardrop - with step-by-step explanations and visual illustrations. The exclusive FlyGo Trick provides a simple six-step method to always select the correct entry type with confidence. TEST MODULE The test module lets users practise identifying the correct entry procedure for any combination of aircraft heading and inbound course, with immediate visual feedback to reinforce learning. TIMING QUIZ A dedicated quiz module to master outbound leg timing. Users practise calculating the required outbound flight time based on observed inbound duration and altitude, and learn to apply the EASA wind correction rule for precise heading corrections. INTERCEPT AND TRACK QUIZ Sharpen your intercept and tracking skills with practical quiz questions: determine the correct intercept angle based on CDI deviation and inbound course, and calculate wind-corrected headings for accurate track following. QUICK FINDER Quick Finder provides an interactive compass and heading control where all critical paths and directions of the holding pattern are visualised in real time. Students can instantly see the correct entry type, standard and non-standard pattern variants, and experiment with any combination of heading and inbound course - with an optional help overlay for guided learning. GAME MODE Put your knowledge to the ultimate test with the gamified map-based practice mode. Compete for the best score and challenge others via Game Center integration. ----- FOR STUDENTS If you are a student, then we wish good luck for the preparation and good luck for the examination! FOR INSTRUCTORS If you are a flight trainer, then we hope you will find useful our app and it helps your students better understand holding patterns! Enjoy our app and FLY SAFE! The FlyGo-Aviation team

About

Piper PA

Study aircraft systems and limitations with interactive diagrams and detailed descriptions. Practice normal and emergency operations, and explore a detailed cockpit illustration. This app serves as a reference for aviation training.

Highlights
  • Interactive system diagrams
  • Normal and emergency operation practice
  • Detailed cockpit illustration
  • POH information organization
  • System limitations noted
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Piper PA-44 Training is an innovative new way to study aircraft systems and limitations. System description sections take the main information from the POH and organizes in easy to navigate chapters. Interactive diagrams for the major systems allow the user to tap on various switches, levers, circuit breakers, and buttons and watch how those inputs change the diagram. Users can practice normal and emergency operations, correlating practical knowledge with the POH descriptions. Descriptions and limitations are also noted for various parts of each system throughout the diagram. The interactive cockpit poster allows you to view the entire cockpit with a highly detailed illustration. If you tap on a part of the cockpit you will see an in-depth description of that part of the cockpit. DISCLAIMER: The Piper PA-44 Training App is to be used as a reference only and cannot be used for flight or to replace formal training.

Screenshots

IFR Holding Pattern Trainer4 screens
Piper PA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Piper PA at 4.8 against IFR Holding Pattern Trainer's 2.0. Piper PA also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 40%) and ratings volume (389 vs 2). IFR Holding Pattern Trainer's advantage is price ($5.99 vs $9.99). On update cadence, 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

IFR Holding Pattern Trainer costs $5.99 and Piper PA $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Piper PA holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Piper PA has 389 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of IFR Holding Pattern Trainer's written reviews are positive against 78% of Piper PA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IFR Holding Pattern Trainer ships an update every 3 months, Piper PA every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
IFR Holding Pattern Trainer versus Piper PA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIFR Holding Pattern TrainerPiper PA
Price$5.99 — better$9.99
Rating2.0 (2 ratings)4.8 (389 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews77.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2389 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank—#122 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.614.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size151 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlygo-Aviation LtdAircraft Training Aids, LLC

Customer experience

IFR Holding Pattern Trainer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

Piper PA

All ratings384 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral0.8%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

IFR Holding Pattern Trainer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Piper PA

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Works very poorly on the iPhone
  • Landing gear system is wrong
  • Nose gear in wrong position
  • Typos and spelling errors (e.g., 'cabin hear', 'string loaded')
  • Information on up limit switches for gear system may be incorrect

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add G1000 functionality
  • Include poster of G1000 and fuel injected models
  • Add prop governor system
  • Update app with more information and diagrams
  • Fix typos and spelling errors

In-app purchases

None

IFR Holding Pattern Trainer

No in-app purchases

None

Piper PA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is IFR Holding Pattern Trainer free?
IFR Holding Pattern Trainer costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Piper PA free?
Piper PA costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, IFR Holding Pattern Trainer or Piper PA?
Piper PA is rated higher. IFR Holding Pattern Trainer averages 2.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Piper PA averages 4.8 from 389 ratings.
Do IFR Holding Pattern Trainer or Piper PA have ads?
Neither IFR Holding Pattern Trainer nor Piper PA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IFR Holding Pattern Trainer or Piper PA?
IFR Holding Pattern Trainer ships an update every 3 months, and Piper PA every 4 months. Most recently, IFR Holding Pattern Trainer was updated on November 6, 2026 and Piper PA on November 6, 2026.

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