One of the most useful things a product can do is be honest about its scope. SoloTrack is a small, focused iOS flight logbook. This post is a plain-English description of what it is, and what it deliberately is not, so you can decide quickly whether it fits your training.
What SoloTrack is
SoloTrack is a native iOS flight logbook designed for student pilots from pre-solo through checkride preparation. It combines fast flight logging with real-time tracking against the FAA's Part 61 private-pilot requirements.
Core capabilities
- Flight logging with date, route, Hobbs and Tach times, day and night landings, category toggles (Solo, Dual Received, Cross-Country, Simulated Instrument), and advanced training fields like instrument approaches, holding procedures, and course tracking.
- Reusable templates for repeated routes and lesson types — Pattern Work, Local Lesson, Cross-Country, and any custom templates you save.
- Currency tracking for FAR 61.57(a) day, FAR 61.57(b) night, and FAR 61.57(c) instrument currency, plus the FAR 61.56 flight-review window.
- Progress tracking across the six FAR 61.109 aeronautical-experience categories required for the private pilot certificate.
- Live Activity timer for in-progress flights, visible on your lock screen and Dynamic Island, plus Home Screen widgets for currency, last flight, and progress.
- App Shortcuts and App Intents for quick logging, status queries, and timer control.
- Digital CFI endorsements with a PencilKit signature canvas, signature locking, and signature voiding.
- CSV and PDF import & export with duplicate detection and presets for SoloTrack, ForeFlight-style, LogTen-style, MyFlightBook-style, and generic CSVs.
- Offline-first storage in a local SwiftData container, with optional iCloud (CloudKit) sync for flights and templates.
Who it's for
SoloTrack is built primarily for student pilots working through Part 61 training, with stage-aware defaults for Pre-Solo, Post-Solo, and Checkride Prep. It is also useful for CFIs during instructor interactions (signature capture) and for newly certificated pilots tracking ongoing currency.
What SoloTrack is not
SoloTrack stays focused on logging and training tracking. It is intentionally not:
- Not an EFB (Electronic Flight Bag). It does not provide charts, weather briefings, route planning, or in-flight navigation.
- Not a regulator. Currency and requirement calculations are convenience features based on the data you enter. Always confirm your status with your CFI and the current Federal Aviation Regulations.
- Not a replacement for instructor judgement. Endorsement decisions, solo readiness, and checkride readiness are calls for you and your CFI to make together.
- Not multi-platform. SoloTrack is iOS only. There is no watchOS or macOS companion app.
- Not a server-backed account system. SoloTrack does not require a sign-up, does not run its own backend, and does not have access to your data. Optional sync uses your own iCloud account via CloudKit.
- Not a multi-student instructor dashboard at this time. CFI interactions live inside the student's app.
- Not connected to ForeFlight, Garmin, or FAA systems as of this writing. Data movement happens through CSV import and CSV/PDF export.
Design choices
A few decisions shape how the App feels in daily use:
- Local-first. The default mode keeps your logbook on the device. iCloud sync is opt-in.
- One active timer. The Live Activity is intentionally singular — you should not have two flights "running" at the same time.
- Endorsed flights are locked. Once a CFI endorsement is captured, the flight record is locked to preserve integrity. You can void an endorsement to reopen the record if needed.
- Apple frameworks plus RevenueCat for subscriptions. SoloTrack uses SwiftData, CloudKit, WidgetKit, ActivityKit, App Intents, PencilKit, and similar Apple-provided pieces for the logbook experience. RevenueCat handles App Store subscription status and purchase restoration. There are no third-party advertising or cross-app tracking SDKs.
Where to go next
- Want the FAR 61.109 breakdown? See FAR 61.109 explained.
- Curious about data handling? See A privacy-first flight logbook.
- Looking for hands-on guides? Browse the documentation.
- Ready to try it? Get SoloTrack on the App Store.