FAQ
How does Vela Air protect my data?
Your flight data is stored on your device first, and only what is needed leaves it. Sensitive information, such as your licence and medical details and your GPS tracks, is encrypted at rest. Vela Air is operated in the UK under UK GDPR.
Where does Vela Air’s data come from?
Vela Air uses official aeronautical data where it is published, and refreshes airspace every 28-day AIRAC cycle. Terrain comes from global elevation models with a resolution of about 30 metres. Weather comes from established meteorological sources.
Is Vela Air approved by the CAA or EASA?
No. Vela Air is a supplementary planning and situational awareness tool, not certified avionics, and it is not approved by the UK CAA or EASA as a primary source of navigation or aeronautical information. Always check official sources, such as the UK AIP, NOTAMs and an official weather briefing, before you fly. The pilot in […]
Does Vela Air work for flying clubs and flight schools?
Yes. The Club plan gives clubs, syndicates and flight schools member aircraft booking with reminders, no-show handling and a waiting list. It also covers fleet maintenance scheduling and airframe hours, competition management, a live fleet radar kiosk and accounting integrations. Club pricing is set per club; contact us for a quote.
Can I import my logbook into Vela Air?
Yes. Vela Air imports logbooks from SkyDemon, Logbook Pro and CSV files, and you can export and back up your data at any time. Logbook import is included from the Free Flight plan upwards.
Does Vela Air have a pilot logbook?
Yes. Vela Air includes a digital logbook and a pilot currency tracker, from the Free Flight plan upwards. Flight tracks are recorded automatically, and every pilot can review and replay their flights for free.
Does Vela Air work for paramotor, paraglider and hang glider pilots?
Yes. The Free Flight plan is made for paramotor, paraglider, hang glider, microlight and ultralight pilots. It adds winds aloft, a low-altitude wind profile from the surface to 3,000 ft AGL, a variometer with thermal centring, soaring condition forecasts, ridge soaring probability and a launch site finder.
Is Vela Air good for glider pilots?
Yes. The Soaring plan is built for cross-country glider pilots, with an engine-off glide range cone, the nearest emergency airfield, final glide, McCready speed-to-fly and wind estimation. It includes a glider polar library, task declaration with IGC export, an AAT and MAT task editor, BGA Ladder upload, and outlanding field pre-selection and crew notification.
Does Vela Air work with smart glasses?
This is in development as of 2026. On the Pro plan, Vela Air can show key flight information as a head-up display on Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, so you can keep your eyes outside.
Does Vela Air have an emergency feature?
Yes. The Mayday alert sends your location to your chosen emergency contacts by email and SMS. It is free on every plan. It supports, and never replaces, a Mayday call on your frequency or 121.5 MHz and squawking 7700.
Can Vela Air show other traffic?
Yes. Vela Air can show traffic from your own electronic conspicuity device, receiving ADS-B, FLARM and OGN targets, and from our online traffic sources, combined into one air picture. Both are included in the free Fly Safe plan.
Does Vela Air have terrain awareness?
Yes. Vela Air’s forward-looking terrain alert (FLTA) warns you about rising ground ahead of your aircraft, and synthetic vision shows a 3D view of the terrain around you. Both are free on every plan. Like all terrain features in a consumer app, they support your situational awareness and do not replace your own lookout and […]
What weather does Vela Air provide?
Every pilot gets a weather briefing with current surface wind, sunrise and sunset at each briefed aerodrome, SIGMETs and D-ATIS. Paid plans add winds aloft and rain radar on the map. The Powered, XC, Pro and Club plans add TAFs, the full METAR and TAF card, and a VFR check for your route.
Does Vela Air include NOTAMs?
Yes, NOTAMs are free on every plan. Vela Air finds the NOTAMs along your planned route and groups them by impact: impacting, nearby, or not yet active. In flight, NOTAMs are cached ahead of your track, so you still have them if you lose signal.
Does Vela Air show airspace and warn me before I infringe?
Yes. Vela Air draws airspace on the moving map with its class and upper and lower limits, and gives class alerts as you fly. A live altitude filter hides airspace you are well above or below, so the map shows what matters at your level. Airspace warnings are part of the free Fly Safe plan.
What charts and maps are included in Vela Air?
Vela Air draws its own aeronautical chart from current data, styled on ICAO 1:500,000 chart conventions, with terrain shading and contour lines. Airspace is shown with its class and vertical limits, and updates automatically every AIRAC cycle. Tap an aerodrome for its runways, frequencies and associated airspace, including ATZ, MATZ and TMA heights.
Does Vela Air work offline?
Yes. Vela Air is built offline-first: the moving map, airspace, terrain alerts and your flight data all work without a mobile signal. Flight data is stored on your device first, which keeps it private and the app fast. Live information, such as rain radar and online traffic, needs a connection to update, so download your […]
Can I use Vela Air on more than one device?
Yes. With a verified account, Fly Safe and Free Flight work on two devices, Powered and XC on three, Pro on four and Club on five. Syncing your data across devices is included from the Powered plan upwards.
What devices does Vela Air run on?
Vela Air runs on iPhone and iPad, downloaded from the App Store. Vela Air is not yet available for Android.
Can I cancel my Vela Air subscription?
Yes. You can cancel at any time in the app under Settings, Subscription. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period, and you keep your paid features until then.
What is a seasonal plan?
A seasonal plan covers a seven-month flying season for a single payment, so you are not paying through the winter months you don’t fly. Free Flight Seasonal runs April to October and XC Seasonal runs March to September; out of season you keep the free Fly Safe plan. Pro Seasonal runs March to September and […]
Which Vela Air plan is right for me?
Choose the plan that matches how you fly: – **Fly Safe (free):** every pilot. The safety essentials, forever. – **Fly Lite:** paramotor, hang glider, paraglider, microlight and ultralight pilots. Adds winds aloft, rain radar, a variometer, soaring forecasts, the logbook and currency tracking. – **Soaring:** cross-country glider pilots. Adds TAFs, final glide, McCready speed-to-fly, task […]
What is included free in Vela Air?
The free Fly Safe plan includes: – Moving map with offline tiles and GPS tracking – Airspace overlay with class alerts and a live altitude filter – Route planning and leg calculations – Weight and balance, fuel planning and density altitude – Weather briefing with surface wind, sunrise and sunset, and SIGMETs – NOTAMs and […]
How much does Vela Air cost?
Vela Air is free to download, and the Fly Safe plan is free forever. Paid plans start at £1.99 a month. Prices at the time of writing (October 2026) are: | Plan | Monthly | Annual | Seasonal (7 months) | |—|—|—|—| | Fly Safe | Free | Free | Free | | Free Flight […]
Is Vela Air a good EFB for student pilots?
Yes. The free Fly Safe plan gives student pilots route planning, leg calculations, weight and balance, fuel planning, density altitude, NOTAMs and the moving map at no cost. The Powered plan adds instructor and student mode, so an instructor can work alongside a student’s flying in the app.
Is Vela Air a modern alternative to other EFB apps?
Yes. Vela Air is a modern EFB for VFR pilots in the UK and Europe, built offline-first so the whole app works without a signal. Three things set it apart: safety-critical features are free forever, plans are priced for each type of flying rather than one size for everyone, and seasonal plans mean you only […]
Who makes Vela Air?
Vela Air is developed in the UK, and the app is designed around UK flying first: UK aeronautical data, CAA regulations and the 28-day AIRAC cycle.
Who is Vela Air for?
Vela Air is built for private, sport and club pilots flying VFR, and for the instructors who teach them. It supports fixed-wing aeroplanes, gliders, microlights, hang gliders, paragliders, paramotors, helicopters and ultralights. Flying clubs, syndicates and flight schools can use the Club plan to manage members and aircraft.
What is Vela Air?
Vela Air (also written VelaAir) is an electronic flight bag (EFB) for VFR pilots in the UK and Europe. It brings route planning, weather, NOTAMs, airspace and a moving map together in one app for iPhone and iPad. Safety-critical features, including terrain alerts, airspace warnings and NOTAMs, are free and will always remain free.