Flyby vs. UAV Forecast

Flyby and UAV Forecast both answer the question every pilot asks before a flight: is now a good time to fly? They answer it differently, and the right one depends on how you fly.

A note up front: we make Flyby, so we're not neutral. Everything here about UAV Forecast comes from its App Store listing as of October 2026. If something has changed, let us know and we'll fix it.

The short version

• UAV Forecast suits pilots who want to look days ahead, see GPS satellite data, or check conditions on an iPad. It's well established, with thousands of App Store ratings.
• Flyby suits iPhone pilots who want a score that explains itself, help planning around the light, and planned flights and a logbook that stay on their own device.

Plenty of pilots check more than one source before they launch, and these two work well side by side.

The go/no-go call

UAV Forecast marks each hour Good To Fly or Not Good To Fly, color-coded, based on thresholds you can configure.

Flyby gives each hour a Fly Score from 0 to 100, from Excellent down to Grounded, and lists how many points each condition cost. You set your limits, starting from a Careful, Standard, or Flexible profile, and they can only lower the score, never raise it. What shapes your Fly Score walks through how it works.

If you want a quick yes or no, UAV Forecast's verdict is easy to read at a glance. If you want to know why an hour falls short, Flyby shows its work.

Wind at altitude

Both apps look past the wind on the ground.

• UAV Forecast shows wind and gust speeds at ground level and at altitude.
• Flyby forecasts wind at 33, 262, and 394 feet, and checks your wind limit against whichever is stronger: the wind on the ground or the wind at the height you usually fly. Its gust reading is for the surface.

Space weather and GPS

• Both show the Kp index, a measure of geomagnetic activity that can disturb satellite positioning. Flyby also factors it into the Fly Score.
• UAV Forecast also shows GPS satellite data, including Galileo and GLONASS. Flyby doesn't estimate satellites.

How far ahead

• UAV Forecast offers hourly forecasts up to 15 days out. Its listing says subscribers get 24-hour, 7-day, or 15-day hourly forecasts.
• Flyby charts the next 24 hours for free, and up to 72 hours with Flyby Pass.

If you plan trips a week or more ahead, UAV Forecast looks further out.

Airspace

• UAV Forecast shows no-fly zones and flight restrictions.
• Flyby shows FAA UAS Facility Map cells in the US, with ceiling details, airspace class, and LAANC availability guidance. Its airspace layer covers the US only, and it's advisory, so always confirm with official FAA sources.

Light

Flyby's Sun tab shows sunrise, sunset, golden hour, and blue hour, and Light Direction maps where the sun rises and sets over your spot, so you know which way to face. UAV Forecast's listing doesn't mention golden-hour or light planning.

Planning and logging

Flyby saves planned flights and watches their forecast for meaningful changes. It also keeps a logbook with your notes, routes, GPX tracks, and the conditions you flew in, and turns a flight into a shareable Postcard or Flight Record. UAV Forecast's listing focuses on conditions, with location search and favorite locations.

Price

• UAV Forecast is free to download, with Hobbyist, Value, Professional, and Elite subscriptions. In the US App Store they run from $2.99 a week to $17.49 a month, with annual plans from $39.99.
• Flyby is free to use. Flyby Pass is $3.99 a month, $29.99 a year, or $79.99 once for lifetime access.

Devices

• UAV Forecast runs on iPhone and iPad.
• Flyby is built for iPhone, with Home Screen widgets. Flyby Pass adds Live Activities for planned flights.

Privacy

According to their App Store privacy labels, neither app tracks you across other companies' apps and websites.

• UAV Forecast links a device ID and crash data to you.
• Flyby links no data to you. There's no account and no ads, and your places, plans, and logs stay on your device.

Which should you choose?

• Choose UAV Forecast if you want forecasts more than three days out, GPS satellite data, gusts at altitude, or an iPad app.
• Choose Flyby if you fly with an iPhone and want a score that explains itself, golden-hour and light planning, planned flights that watch the forecast, and a logbook that stays private.

Or keep both. A second opinion never hurts before you launch.