Questions and answers

Where does the data come from?

At the airports: current measurements (METAR) and official airport forecasts (TAF) from NOAA’s Aviation Weather Center (aviationweather.gov).

At cruising altitude: the Open-Meteo weather model (api.open-meteo.com). Calm Flight looks at how much the wind changes with height (wind shear), the most common cause of turbulence in clear air.

Official warnings for aviation (SIGMET) and reports from crews (pilot reports), also from NOAA. Europe has very few public pilot reports.

The live position of a flight, only when you follow it: adsb.lol, a network of volunteer receivers. Not every flight is covered.

Why does it sometimes say “unknown”?

Calm Flight only says “calm” when the data is complete: weather model values for at least half of the cruise, weather at both airports and warnings that could be loaded.

If something is missing, for example because there is no connection or a weather service does not answer, it says “No honest answer yet”. We would rather say nothing than something wrong. Please try again later.

How far ahead does it work?

You can choose a departure from now up to 14 days ahead. Airport forecasts (TAF) only exist for roughly the next 30 hours, official warnings only for the next 6 hours. Further ahead, the estimate relies on the weather model. The closer the departure, the more sources it uses.

Does the app work without internet?

Knowledge and exercises work completely offline. The reports you loaded last stay on your phone, so you can read them in flight mode too. A new estimate needs a connection.

Is the estimate a guarantee?

No. It is an estimate from public data. A little shake is always possible, and the crew always decides for itself. Calm Flight does not replace information from your airline or the treatment of anxiety disorders.

What does Calm Flight cost, and what data do you collect?

The app is free, with no ads, no subscription and no purchases. It collects no data about you: no account, no tracking, no server of our own. The details are in the privacy policy.

Which devices and languages?

iPhone, iPad and Android, in English, German and Albanian.