SkyTrackPro App – Pilot Manual (iOS & Android)

This guide explains how to install, configure, and fly with the SkyTrackPro app on iOS and Android. It is written for pilots and covers recording flights, navigation, live tracking, offline maps, alerts, and connecting the app with the SkyTrackPro website.

Pilot Guide

SkyTrackPro is designed for real flying: cross-country, hike & fly and competitions. Most pilots will feel at home quickly – this manual fills in all the details and explains how things work behind the scenes.

1. Introduction

SkyTrackPro is a modern flight assistant for paraglider and hang glider pilots. It combines a powerful flight computer, live tracking, competition task support and detailed flight analysis in one app, tightly connected to the SkyTrackPro website.

You can fly with SkyTrackPro in three main ways:

Free flights: start recording and just fly.
Task flying: follow a predefined task with SSS, TPs, ESS and goal line/cylinder.
Live tracking: share your position in real time with friends, clubs or competitions.

This manual walks through the app step by step. You can read it in order or jump directly to the section you need using the navigation pills above.

2. Installation & first setup

2.1 Install the app

iOS: Open the App Store and search for “SkyTrackPro”.
Android: Open Google Play and search for “SkyTrackPro”.

Permissions: On first launch the app asks for GPS location and notifications. Allow precise location – without it, the app cannot record your flight properly.

2.2 Connect with your SkyTrackPro account

Open the app.
Go to the Account or Profile area.
Log in with your SkyTrackPro website account.
Once logged in, flights and settings can sync with the website.

The login area also lets you reset your password or create a new account directly from the app.

Forgot password

3. Main Screen – Flight Page (Your Cockpit)

The Flight Page is your main cockpit view. It shows all important values during the flight and is the screen you will use most of the time.

3.1 Layout and tiles

Data tiles: show speed, altitude, vario, glide ratio, distance, time, and more.
Compass / heading: shows your current track and heading relative to north and the task.
Map view: shows your position, track and task geometry (turnpoints, cylinders, goal line).

You can customize which tiles are visible and where they appear using the Flight Layout Editor in the app (see Settings section).

Note: The app does not record anything until you press Start Flight. You can safely play with the layout on the ground without filling your logbook in the template editor.

Screenshot placeholder: Flight Page with typical tiles and map

4. Recording a flight

4.1 Basic recording flow

On launch site, open the Flight Page.
The app will check your GPS status – wait until it shows a green button with Start.
Press Start.
Fly your flight.
After landing, press End.

After stopping the flight, the app saves the track locally and if you want you can sync it to the SkyTrackPro website for further analysis.

4.2 Pausing, resuming and aborted flights

Aborted flight on launch: If you pressed Start but did not really fly, you can simply discard the short track afterwards.
Battery or app restart: The app tries to protect your recording and will usually resume from the last recorded state. Check after landing that the track is complete.

Tip: For hike & fly or long XC, consider enabling airplane mode and using downloaded offline maps to reduce battery usage.

5. Task navigation

SkyTrackPro supports full task navigation including SSS (start), turnpoints, ESS (end of speed section) and goal (line or cylinder). Tasks are usually created on the website or provided by organizers and then loaded in the app.

5.1 Loading a task

Open the Task / Navigation area in the app.
Select a task from your list, from the public list or upload scan the QR code.
Review the turnpoints, radii and start/ESS/goal definitions.
Review the times.
Load the task to your device.
On the flight page select the task and load the flight page.

Once a task is active, the map and navigation tiles will show the optimized route and distances to the current turnpoint.

5.2 SSS, turnpoints, ESS and goal

SSS (Start cylinder / sector): the app detects when you enter the correct start area after the start time.
Turnpoints: each cylinder/sector is checked; once you “tag” it, the app moves on to the next leg automatically.
ESS: end of speed section for race tasks. When you enter the ESS area, your racing time stops.
Goal: can be a cylinder or a line. For goal lines the entire line is valid.

SkyTrackPro continually compares your current position with the task geometry and shows distance to the active turnpoint, bearing, estimated time and other useful metrics.

Goal line logic: The app recognises goal line crossings when you cross any point along the line within a 5m margin the correct orientation, not only directly through the middle.

Screenshot placeholder: Task navigation screen with SSS / ESS / goal line

6. Airspace & obstacle alerts

SkyTrackPro can warn you about nearby airspace and obstacles (such as masts, powerlines or other critical objects), depending on the data available for your region and if loaded.

6.1 How alerts behave

Instant alert: As soon as you are within your configured warning distance, the app triggers an alert.
Sticky warning card: A warning card remains visible while you are inside the configured range.
Live distance: The card continuously shows the current horizontal or vertical distance, whichever is more critical.
Sound: A warning sound is played once when you enter the range. If you exit and later re-enter, the sound plays again.
Auto clear: When you are back outside the warning distance, the alert disappears automatically.
Disable: You can disable the alert by tap the alert. The alert for this airspace/obstacle is disabled for 1 hour.

Important: Electronic warnings are an aid, not a guarantee. You remain fully responsible for airspace compliance, terrain clearance and safe flying.

Screenshot placeholder: Airspace / obstacle warning card

7. Live tracking

Live tracking broadcasts your position to the SkyTrackPro servers so that friends, family or competition organizers can follow you in real time.

7.1 Starting live tracking

On the Settings Page - Tracking, enable Live tracking.
Start your flight as usual with Start Flight.

The app periodically sends your position, altitude, speed and climb rate to the SkyTrackPro live tracking backend. If the network is temporarily unavailable, points are buffered and sent later where possible.

7.2 Live tracking on the website

Visitors can open the SkyTrackPro live tracking page.
Groups, clubs or competitions can have their own live pages.
Tracks can be coloured by climb/sink, show tasks and rankings.

Battery tip: Live tracking uses mobile data and GPS. For long flights, consider a power bank and make sure your phone and connection are reliable.

8. Offline maps

SkyTrackPro supports offline vector maps so you can navigate even without mobile coverage. Offline maps typically include base map, contour lines and hillshade.

8.1 Downloading regions

Open the Offline maps section in the app settings.
Select a square or multiple squares on the map.
Start the download (select the quality you want) and wait until the status shows Complete.

Downloads are stored locally on the device. You can remove regions later to free up space.

8.2 Using offline maps in flight

When you are offline, the app automatically falls back to offline tiles.
You can still see your position, track, tasks and airspaces (if included).
Zoom levels depend on the downloaded region and its level of detail.

Tip: Before a trip, download your main flying areas over Wi-Fi. This avoids slow downloads in the field and saves mobile data.

Screenshot placeholder: Offline maps region list / download progress

9. Flight replay

Flight replay lets you review previous flights and see exactly what happened: line, speed, climb, thermals and more.

9.1 Opening a replay

Open the Logbook section.
Select a flight from the list.
Tap Replay.

9.2 Map behaviour during replay

The pilot icon moves along the recorded track over time.
The map only recentres when the pilot approaches the edge of the visible area.
This keeps the camera movement smooth and avoids nervous map jumps.

Some versions show colour-coded segments (for example different colours for thermalling and gliding) and highlight the best climbs.

Screenshot placeholder: Flight replay with track and player controls

10. Settings overview

The settings area controls units, audio behaviour, map style, alerts, and your layout presets. Here are the most important options.

10.1 Units & display

Altitude: metres or feet.
Speed: km/h, m/s, knots depending on your preference.
Distance: kilometres or miles.

10.2 Audio vario

Enable or disable audio vario.
Adjust sink and climb thresholds.
Control volume and tone behaviour to match your style.

10.3 Map & layout

Map style: choose between none / flat / light / dark / outdoor styles.
Flight layout: open the layout editor to move and resize tiles.
Presets: store different layouts for thermalling, XC, competition etc. (where available).
Save: a copy of your layout on the server, for easy recovery.

10.4 Alerts & safety

Configure airspace / obstacle warning distances.
Enable or disable sound for different alert types.
Download airspace or obstacle areas from the SkyTrackPro website.
Upload your custom airspace or obstacle files.

Recommendation: Set your units once so they match your instruments and club conventions. Consistent units avoid confusion in the air.

11. Tips for better flights

Before launch: Check GPS status, battery level, map coverage and active task (if any).
Use a harness mount: Keep the phone where you can see it easily without twisting.
Protect your battery: Lower screen brightness, use offline maps and consider airplane mode if you do not need data.
Review after flight: Use replay and analysis on the website to learn from your climbs and transitions.
Task familiarisation: Before a competition task, study the task on the map and check all radii and turn directions if defined by the rules.

Safety first: SkyTrackPro is a tool. Your eyes outside the cockpit and your judgement always come first.

12. Troubleshooting

Problem	Possible cause	What you can try
No GPS or very bad position	Location permission denied, GPS disabled, or phone inside a bag or pocket.	Check app permissions, enable location, move the phone where it has clear sky view, and wait for a full fix before launch.
Battery drops too fast	Screen brightness high, mobile data + GPS + live tracking all on.	Use offline maps, reduce brightness, close other apps and consider a power bank for very long flights. When using a power bank, set your battery settings on the phone to 80% battery charge only!
Task did not finish at goal	Wrong task active, wrong goal type or you did not fully cross the line/cylinder. Your flight might be still valid, check first.	Check task details, goal definition and replay the flight to see the exact track relative to the goal line or cylinder.
No live tracking on the website	No mobile coverage, or live tracking disabled in the app.	Verify you are logged in, enable live tracking, and check if the area has data coverage; buffered points may upload once signal returns.
Map appears grey / missing tiles	No network and no offline region downloaded for this area.	Download offline maps for your flying area in advance over Wi-Fi, or ensure mobile data is available and map are allowed to download via mobile data.

If a problem repeats and you cannot solve it, note your device model, operating system and a short description and contact the SkyTrackPro support team via the website or within the app in the debug section.

13. Privacy & data

SkyTrackPro stores and processes data in order to provide flight logs, live tracking and analysis. We try to keep things simple and transparent.

13.1 What the app stores

Your flights and track logs (on the device and, if you choose, on the server).
Live tracking positions when you enable live tracking.
Basic account data such as name, email and pilot profile.
Your configuration: units, layout, map settings, alert preferences.

13.2 Control and deletion

You can delete flights from your logbook.
You can disable live tracking at any time.
You can request deletion of your account and associated data via the SkyTrackPro website according to our privacy policy.

For full legal details, please refer to the official SkyTrackPro privacy policy.