For pilots, weather isn’t just a topic of small talk—it’s a decisive factor in flight planning and safety. Whether you’re a VFR flyer looking for clear skies or an IFR veteran navigating through clouds, having the right weather tools at your fingertips is essential. Fortunately, a range of mobile applications today offers pilots powerful, real-time access to the skies ahead. Below, we explore ten of the best apps for aviation weather planning, each offering a unique blend of data, visuals, and decision-making support.
ForeFlight
Platform: iOS
Since 2013, ForeFlight has been the industry leader when it comes to aviation EFBs because it offers much more than just navigation and charting features, including a sophisticated weather planning system. A pilot can view radar and satellite imagery in real time, have graphical briefings, view METARs, TAFs, and even winds aloft alongside turbulence and icing forecasts for their routes. And as if that wasn’t enough, ForeFlight also has a 3D view of the globe and a vertical weather profile so that pilots can visualize possible conflicts with weather long ahead of the time.
Garmin
Platform: iOS, Android
Garmin has made a name for itself as being a competitor against ForeFlight, especially among Android users and those flying Garmin equipped airplanes. Like ForeFlight, the Pilot’s app also gives its users a full suite of weather tools including NEXRAD radar, METARs, TAFs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, and winds aloft. However, its vertical weather profile is superior to those offered by competitors as it shows the flight path in relation to the weather obstacles, which is perfect for avoiding storms and icing layers. In contrast to other pilots, those using Garmin avionics have a smooth experience sync weather and navigational controls.
FlyGo’s Air Navigation
Platform: iOS
FlyGo Air Navigation is a user-friendly flight planning and moving map app ideal for VFR pilots and students. It offers global offline charts, real-time GPS tracking, and terrain awareness for safer navigation. The app includes tools for route planning, ETE, ETA, and weather overlays. Its clean interface makes it easy to create and manage flight plans. A great all-in-one tool for preflight prep and in-flight backup.
WeatherSpork
Platform: iOS, Android
Another standout is WeatherSpork, which takes a unique approach to pilot weather planning. Rather than presenting data in its raw form, WeatherSpork interprets the data and generates a “go/no-go” timeline depending on forecasted conditions along the intended route. Its strategic outlook tool features flight viability illustrations that are provided hour by hour, taking into consideration VFR and IFR minimums, winds, and precipitation. It effectively provides decision support for novice pilots who are easier, actionable, and straightforward insights.
MyRadar
Platform: iOS, Android
Even though MyRadar may not have been tailored to aviators, its lightning-quick radar animations and weather overlays have made it a favorite among pilots. The app offers aviation layers such as TFRs, AIRMETs, and SIGMETs alongside tracking of storm cells and real-time detection of lightning. It is often used in conjunction with other aviation-specific apps to provide a quick, visually rich, and colorful look at what is expected in the sky.
SkyDemon
Platform: iOS, Android, Windows
SkyDemon integrates European NOTAM databases into its mobile and desktop applications, which is quite helpful for users in Europe. SkyDemon is adored by European VFR pilots because of its easy-to-use interface, which offers extensive route-based weather forecasting, allowing pilots to dynamically change routing according to weather conditions. Additionally, the application overlays real-time weather information, METARs TAFs, wind charts, and offers graphical briefings.
Avia Weather
Platform: Android
MAC and iOS users can benefit from the minimalist app design of Avia Weather. This app is friendly for users who do not have much time for briefings as it utilizes airport-based weather search. The app allows easy interpretation of flight categories (VFR, IFR, etc.) by color coding as well as easy access to weather data without internet connection, an ideal feature for those who are traveling cross-country.
Windy.com
Platform: iOS, Android, Web
Windy.com is a top-rated app amongst pilots and meteorologists due to its high-quality wind animations, global forecast models (ECMWF, GFS), and various aviation-focused layers. The app is great for planning long-range weather and is particularly beneficial for ferry pilots, glider pilots, and other international fliers who need a visual representation of pressure systems, jet streams, and frontal movements days in advance.
AeroWeather
Platform: iOS, Android
AeroWeather is a pilot-specific app that provides METAR and TAF information in decoded and raw forms. It covers thousands of airports around the world and offers weather trend visualization, such as changes in pressure and wind direction. For students and instructor pilots, it helps to easily monitor airport congestion.
WeatherBug Elite
Platform: iOS, Android
Last but not least, WeatherBug Elite is not aviation-focused but delivers valuable supplementary weather data, including real-time Doppler radar, lightning alerts, and hyperlocal forecasts from a vast network of sensors. While it lacks aviation charting, it’s often used by pilots as a secondary source to track fast-developing weather threats, like thunderstorms or unexpected wind shifts, especially on the ground or during approach planning.
Conclusion
In conclusion, having the right weather tools can transform your preflight planning from a chore into a streamlined, confident routine. Whether you prioritize radar imagery, flight path visualizations, or simple METAR decoding, these apps provide the crucial data pilots need to make informed, safety-first decisions. Choose the one—or combination—that fits your flying style, region, and platform. Fly safe, and always check the weather.
