SurfaceOps by uAvionix vs MachCrit Pilot Logbook
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
SurfaceOps by uAvionix
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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.
MachCrit Pilot Logbook
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MachCrit is a private pilot logbook for recording flights, bringing your existing history with you, and keeping an eye on currency. Log your first 45 hours free. No MachCrit account is required. LOG FLIGHTS YOUR WAY β’ Record a flight with GPS, even without a cell signal. After landing, review detected times and route before adding the flight to your logbook. β’ Enter flights manually, including aircraft, crew, approaches, landings, and remarks. β’ Import previous records from a spreadsheet, another logbook export, or photographed paper pages. Review the proposed entries before saving. KNOW WHERE YOU STAND β’ See your logged hours and track supported night, instrument, medical, and other currency items. β’ Choose from FAA, SACAA, UK CAA, EASA, CASA, Transport Canada, or custom rules. Currency is an estimate based on your records, not an official determination. YOUR RECORDS STAY YOURS β’ Keep data on your device, with optional iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. β’ Export reports and make backups when you need them. β’ No ads or third-party analytics SDKs. MachCrit Pro is an optional auto-renewable subscription that adds unlimited logging, invoicing, Smart Import, ADS-B enrichment, and other advanced assistance where available. Subscription duration, price, renewal terms, Restore Purchases, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Use are shown before purchase. Important: MachCrit is a personal record-keeping tool. It is not certified, approved, or endorsed by an aviation authority and is not intended for navigation, flight planning, or operational flight safety. Verify every record and follow applicable regulations before relying on currency information. Privacy Policy: https://machcrit.com/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://machcrit.com/terms/ Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SurfaceOps by uAvionix at none against MachCrit Pilot Logbook's 2. SurfaceOps by uAvionix also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.1). MachCrit Pilot Logbook's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads 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. MachCrit Pilot Logbook sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SurfaceOps by uAvionix asks for nothing beyond the download.
SurfaceOps by uAvionix ships an update every 2 weeks, MachCrit Pilot Logbook every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.
| Parameter | SurfaceOps by uAvionix | MachCrit Pilot Logbook |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 β better | 18.1 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 179 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CAVU Consulting LLC | Chad Clarke |
In-app purchases
SurfaceOps by uAvionix
No in-app purchases
MachCrit Pilot Logbook
- MachCrit Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- MachCrit Pro Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year
Questions
Is SurfaceOps by uAvionix free?
Is MachCrit Pilot Logbook free?
Do SurfaceOps by uAvionix or MachCrit Pilot Logbook have ads?
Which is updated more often, SurfaceOps by uAvionix or MachCrit Pilot Logbook?
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