the_paragliding_app

The Paragliding App User Manual

Getting Started (5 minutes)

What You’ll Learn

Import your first flight and understand the main screen in under 5 minutes.

Your First Import

  1. Open the app and tap the menu button (⋮) in the top-right corner
  2. Select Import IGC from the dropdown menu
  3. Tap Select IGC Files and browse to your IGC file from your vario, XCTrack, or cloud storage
  4. Select your files and the button will change to show Import X Flight(s). You can select as many files as you like and they will all be imported.
  5. Tap the import button and wait for processing - for each flight the app automatically
    1. Detects the local timezone.
    2. Apply the name of the launch site if the take off is withing 500m of a known site.
  6. Review the import results and tap Done to complete the import and return to your flight list

Understanding the App Navigation

The app has four main sections accessible via the bottom navigation bar:

  1. Flight Log - Your complete flight history and logbook
  2. Nearby Sites - Interactive map showing flying sites, airspace, and weather
  3. Forecast - Multi-site weather forecast comparison
  4. Statistics - Flight summaries by year, wing, and site

The app remembers which tab you last viewed and returns to it when you reopen the app.

Understanding the Flight Log Screen

The Flight Log screen shows all your flights with:

Filter Flights by Date Range

Use the date range filter at the top to view specific time periods:

  1. Tap the date range dropdown (defaults to “All Time”)
  2. Select from preset ranges:
    • All Time - Shows every flight in your logbook
    • This Year - Current calendar year only
    • Last 12 Months - Rolling 12-month period
    • Last 6 Months - Rolling 6-month period
    • Last 3 Months - Rolling 3-month period
    • Last 30 Days - Last month of flights
    • Custom Range - Pick specific start and end dates
  3. The flight list and statistics update immediately

Uses:

Search and Sort Flights

To search by launch site:

  1. Type in the search bar at the top
  2. Results filter in real-time as you type
  3. Clear the search to see all flights again

To sort the table:

  1. Tap any column header (Date, Site, Duration, Distance, etc.)
  2. First tap sorts ascending, second tap sorts descending
  3. A sort indicator appears on the active column
  4. Sorting persists until you change it

The menu button (⋮) in the top-right corner provides access to:

Daily Use

Manually Log a Flight

If you don’t have an IGC file (e.g., forgot your vario, battery died, or recreational flight), you can manually enter flight details.

Steps

  1. Tap the floating (+) button at the bottom-right of the Flight Log screen
  2. Or tap menu (⋮) → Add Flight
  3. Fill in the flight details form:
    • Date (required) - Tap to open date picker
    • Launch Time (required) - Enter time in HH:MM format
    • Landing Time (optional) - Auto-calculates duration
    • Launch Site (required) - Select from dropdown or create new
    • Landing Site (optional) - Select if different from launch
    • Wing (required) - Select equipment used
    • Duration - Auto-calculated from times, or enter manually
    • Max Altitude (optional) - Highest point in meters
    • Distance (optional) - Flight distance in km
    • Notes (optional) - Flight description, conditions, etc.
  4. Tap Save to add the flight to your logbook

When to Use Manual Entry

✓ Vario battery died mid-flight ✓ Forgot GPS device ✓ Recreational flight without tracking ✓ Training flight from known site ✓ Quick logbook entry for insurance/currency records

Tips

Import Flights from Your Vario

How to import IGC files from any source and handle duplicates efficiently.

Steps

Before you start check that your vario or cloud storage is connected to your device and can be accessed in the file manager. These will usually show up as a device or volume.

  1. Tap menu (⋮) → Import IGC
  2. Tap Select IGC Files and browse to your IGC files
  3. Select multiple files if needed (shows “and X more files…” for batches)
  4. Tap Import X Flights to start processing
  5. Monitor progress as each file is processed

What the App Does Automatically

✓ Detects timezone from GPS coordinates
✓ Names launch sites using ParaglidingEarth database
✓ Calculates comprehensive flight statistics (distance, duration, climb rates)
✓ Prevents duplicate imports with the same start date ✓ Shows processing status for each file

Handling Duplicates

When the app detects a duplicate flight:

Duplicate Flight Found dialog appears with options:

The dialog shows comparison details between your existing flight and the new IGC file to help you decide.

Fix Unknown Launch Sites

When you load a flight the app will assign it to the nearest known lanuch site withing a 500m radius. It first checks sites already in your log book and if nothing matches it checks Paragliding Earth. If there are no matches, it creates a new launch site in your log and gives it a unique name, i.e., “Unknown 9”

Scenario 1: New Site

This happens when the launch is not from a site allready in the log book or PGE

Problem: Your launch site appears as “Unknown N”

Solution:

  1. Open Manage Sites from the home screen menu
  2. Tap the launch site, e.g, “Unknown 9”
  3. View the flight (red dot) on the map.
  4. If this is the correct location for the launch
    1. enter the Site Name and Country
    2. Tap Save
  5. Otherwise click on the correct location in the map a dialogue will appear
    1. Enter the Site Name and Country
    2. Tap Save

Result: Future flights from nearby GPS coordinates (within 500m) will automatically be assigned to this site.

Scenario 2: GPS Started After Launch

If you start the GPS after takeoff you flight will have the wrong launch site

Problem: Your launch site appears as “Unknown N”

Solution:

  1. Open Manage Sites from the home screen menu
  2. Tap the launch site, e.g., “Unknown 9”
  3. The app will show nearby launch sites.
  4. Zoom in or out to see more sites.
  5. Select the correct launch site.
  6. Tap Save to confirm

Result: The flight is reassigned to the selected site.

Edit Flight Details

If you need to correct flight information (wrong date, site, wing, etc.), you can edit any flight.

Steps

  1. Tap the flight in your Flight Log to open Flight Details
  2. Tap the Edit button (usually in top-right or as a menu option)
  3. The Edit Flight screen opens with a form showing current flight data
  4. Modify any field:
    • Date - Tap to open date picker
    • Launch Time - Enter or adjust launch time
    • Landing Time - Enter or adjust landing time (duration auto-updates)
    • Launch Site - Select different site from dropdown
    • Landing Site - Select different landing site
    • Wing - Change equipment used
    • Duration - Manually adjust if time calculation is incorrect
    • Max Altitude - Correct altitude value
    • Distance - Adjust distance if needed
    • Notes - Add or modify flight notes
  5. Tap Save to apply changes
  6. Tap Cancel to discard changes

Common Edits

Wrong launch site:

Incorrect time/date:

Wrong wing:

Missing notes:

What You Can’t Edit

Track Your Equipment

Edit Wing Names

Why: Standardise equipment names for accurate statistics and easier searching

Steps:

  1. Tap menu (⋮) → Manage Wings
  2. Find your wing and tap the popup menu (⋮) next to it
  3. Select Edit from the menu
  4. Update the Manufacturer, Model, Size, or Notes
  5. Tap Save

Example: Change “omega” to “Advance Omega X-Alps 2” for clearer identification.

Merge Duplicate Wings

Why: Combine statistics when you have multiple entries for the same wing

Steps:

  1. Tap menu (⋮) → Manage Wings
  2. Tap Select Wings to Merge in the top bar
  3. Select the wings you want to combine using the checkboxes
  4. Tap Merge Wings at the top
  5. Choose which wing name to keep as the primary
  6. Tap Merge to confirm

Result: All flights transfer to the kept wing, and the duplicate entries are removed.

Nearby Sites and Weather

Explore Flying Sites on the Map

What You’ll Learn

Use the interactive map to discover flying sites, check airspace restrictions, view weather forecasts, and find nearby weather stations.

Opening Nearby Sites

  1. Tap the Nearby Sites tab in the bottom navigation bar
  2. The map loads showing your current location (if location permission granted)
  3. Flying sites appear as markers on the map
  4. Pan and zoom to explore different regions

Understanding Site Markers

Site markers use different colours and icons:

Tap any site marker to open a detailed popup with:

Managing Favorite Sites

Mark sites you fly regularly as favorites for quick access:

  1. Tap a site marker to open its details
  2. Tap the star icon in the top-right to add to favorites
  3. The star turns solid when the site is a favorite
  4. Access your favorites in the Forecast tab

Benefits:

View Weather and Airspace

Enabling Map Overlays

The map supports multiple overlay types. Tap the filter icon (funnel) in the top-right to open the filter dialog with checkboxes:

Filter Behavior:

Sites Overlay (checkbox, on by default)

Airspace Overlay (checkbox, off by default)

Forecast Overlay (checkbox, off by default)

Weather Stations Overlay (checkbox, off by default)

Tips:

Changing Map Providers

  1. Tap the map settings icon (three layers) in the top-right
  2. Select from available map providers:
    • OpenStreetMap - Free topographic maps
    • Google Satellite - Aerial imagery
    • Google Hybrid - Satellite with labels
    • Other providers as configured
  3. The map reloads with your selected provider
  4. Your choice is saved for future sessions

Understanding Flyability Status

The app calculates flyability based on wind conditions:

Green (Good):

Orange (Caution):

Red (Unsafe):

⚠️ Important: Flyability thresholds can be customized in Preferences → Wind Thresholds. Always use your judgment and check local conditions before flying.

Weather Forecasts

Compare Multi-Site Forecasts

What You’ll Learn

View week-long weather forecasts for multiple flying sites simultaneously to plan your flying week.

Opening the Forecast Screen

  1. Tap the Forecast tab in the bottom navigation bar
  2. The screen shows a week summary table with multiple sites
  3. Each row represents one flying site
  4. Each column represents one day of the week

Understanding the Forecast Table

The week summary table uses colour coding for flyability:

Table Layout:

Tap any cell to see detailed hourly forecast for that site and day.

Selecting Sites for Forecast

The app offers three modes for site selection (use the tabs at the top):

Favorites Mode:

  1. Shows only sites you’ve marked as favorites
  2. Quick access to your regular flying sites
  3. Empty if you haven’t favorited any sites yet
  4. Add favorites by tapping stars on site markers in the Nearby Sites screen

Near Here Mode:

  1. Shows sites near your current GPS location
  2. Requires location permission
  3. Adjust distance filter: 10km, 50km, or 100km radius
  4. Adjust site limit: 10, 20, or 50 sites
  5. Sorted by distance from your location

Near Site Mode:

  1. Shows sites near a selected reference site
  2. Tap the search box and type a site name
  3. Select the reference site from search results
  4. Adjust distance and site limit filters
  5. Useful for planning trips to flying regions

Adjusting Forecast Filters

Distance Filter:

  1. Tap the distance dropdown (10 km / 50 km / 100 km)
  2. Select your desired radius
  3. The forecast table refreshes with sites within that distance

Site Limit Filter:

  1. Tap the site count dropdown (10 sites / 20 sites / 50 sites)
  2. Select how many sites to display
  3. More sites = more scrolling, but better overview of region

Settings are saved and persist across app restarts.

Understanding Multi-Model Forecasts

The app can fetch forecasts from multiple weather models:

When multiple models are available:

Refreshing Forecast Data

Forecasts are automatically loaded when you open the screen.

To manually refresh:

  1. Pull down on the forecast table (pull-to-refresh gesture)
  2. The app fetches the latest forecast data
  3. Loading indicators show which data sources are being queried

⚠️ Note: Forecast data requires internet connection. The app caches forecasts briefly to minimize API calls.

View Flight Statistics

What You’ll Learn

Access comprehensive statistics about your flying including yearly totals, wing usage, and site summaries.

Steps

  1. Tap menu (⋮) → Statistics
  2. Or tap the Statistics tab in the bottom navigation bar
  3. Select a date range filter at the top (same options as Flight Log):
    • All Time / This Year / Last 12 Months / Last 6 Months / Last 3 Months / Last 30 Days / Custom Range
  4. Review the three main sections:
    • Flights by Year: Annual flight counts and total hours
    • Flights by Wing: Usage statistics for each piece of equipment
    • Flights by Site: Launch locations grouped by country
  5. Tap any site name (underlined) to edit location details
  6. View totals at the bottom of each section

Understanding the Statistics

View Flight Details

What You’ll Learn

Access comprehensive information about a specific flight including statistics, track visualization, and notes.

Opening Flight Details

  1. Tap any flight row in the Flight Log screen
  2. The Flight Detail screen opens showing multiple information sections
  3. Scroll to explore different sections (each can be expanded/collapsed)

Flight Information Sections

Basic Flight Info (always visible at top):

Flight Statistics (expandable card):

2D Map View (expandable card):

3D Track Visualization (expandable card):

Notes Section (expandable card):

Available Actions

From the flight detail screen, you can:

Card Expansion States

Each section (Statistics, 2D Map, 3D Track, Notes) can be:

Replay Flights in 3D

What You’ll Learn

Use the interactive 3D viewer to analyse flight performance and relive your flying experiences.

Opening 3D View

  1. Tap any flight from your main flight list to open Flight Details
  2. Scroll down to the 3D Track section
  3. Tap the section header to expand (if collapsed)
  4. The interactive 3D map loads automatically showing terrain and flight track
  5. Or tap View Full Screen to open in immersive mode

3D Navigation

Flight Replay Controls

Map and Scene Options

Change Map Provider:

Understanding Track Colours:

Managing Your Data

Organise Site Information

View All Sites

  1. Tap menu (⋮) → Manage Sites
  2. The screen shows site statistics at the top:
    • Total sites count
    • Sites with flights vs without flights
    • Total flights from all sites
  3. Use the search bar to find specific sites: “Search sites by name or country…”
  4. Change sorting with the sorting dropdown menu:
    • Group by Country - Shows country section headers with sites grouped underneath
    • Sort by Name - Alphabetical order (A-Z)
    • Sort by Date Added - Newest sites first
  5. Each site row displays:
    • Site name
    • Coordinates (latitude, longitude)
    • Altitude in meters
    • Country
    • Flight count badge - Number of flights from this site
    • Favorite star indicator (if marked as favorite)

Country Grouping View

When using Group by Country sorting:

Edit Site Details

  1. Find the site in Manage Sites list
  2. Tap the popup menu (⋮) next to the site
  3. Select Edit from the menu
  4. The Edit Site screen opens with an interactive map showing:
    • Current site location with draggable marker
    • Launch radius circle (visualizes 500m detection radius)
    • Map controls (zoom in/out)
  5. Adjust location precisely:
    • Drag the marker to the exact launch point
    • Or tap anywhere on the map to place the marker
    • Coordinates update automatically
  6. Modify site fields:
    • Site Name (required)
    • Country (required)
    • Altitude (metres) - Launch elevation
    • Notes - Access info, directions, or special considerations
    • Coordinates auto-update from map marker position
  7. Change map provider if needed (satellite view helps identify exact launch)
  8. Tap Save to apply changes

⚠️ Important:

Configure App Preferences

What You’ll Learn

Customize app behavior for 3D visualization, flight detection, and weather thresholds.

Opening Preferences

  1. Tap menu (⋮) → Preferences
  2. The preferences screen shows three expandable sections
  3. Tap any section header to expand or collapse it

3D Visualization Settings

Configure how flight replays appear in 3D view:

Scene Mode:

Base Map:

Terrain:

Trail Duration:

Quality:

Takeoff/Landing Detection Settings

Fine-tune how the app detects the start and end of flights:

⚠️ Advanced users only - These settings affect how IGC files are processed during import.

Speed Threshold:

Climb Rate Threshold:

Triangle Closing Distance:

Triangle Sampling Interval:

Wind Threshold Settings

Set your personal limits for flyability assessment:

Wind Speed Thresholds (km/h):

Adjusting Thresholds:

  1. Drag the left slider to set caution threshold
  2. Drag the right slider to set unsafe threshold
  3. The values update immediately
  4. Changes affect all weather displays and forecasts

⚠️ Important: These are personal limits. Consider your experience level, wing type, site characteristics, and local conditions. Conservative thresholds (lower values) are safer, especially for newer pilots.

Saving Changes:

Data Management & Advanced Features

Understanding Data Storage

The app stores multiple types of data on your device:

All data is stored locally on your device. The app does not sync to cloud storage automatically.

Manage Database and Backups

What You’ll Learn

Backup your flight data, manage database integrity, and understand storage usage.

Access Data Management

  1. Tap menu (⋮) → Data Management
  2. The screen shows multiple expandable sections for different data types

Database Management Section

Database Statistics:

Available Operations:

Export Database:

  1. Tap Export Database button
  2. Choose export location (Downloads, cloud storage, etc.)
  3. A complete SQLite database file is saved
  4. File includes all flights, sites, wings, and preferences
  5. Use for backups or transferring to another device

Database Integrity Check:

  1. Tap Check Database Integrity
  2. App verifies database structure and data consistency
  3. Reports any corruption or issues found
  4. Recommended before major operations or if experiencing errors

Reset Database (⚠️ Destructive):

  1. Tap Reset Database
  2. Confirmation dialog appears with severe warning
  3. Type confirmation phrase if required
  4. All flight data, sites, and wings are permanently deleted
  5. ⚠️ This cannot be undone - only use if starting fresh or restoring from backup

Manage IGC Files

What You’ll Learn

Understand IGC file storage and clean up orphaned files to free device space.

IGC File Management Section

IGC Backup Statistics:

Available Operations:

Clean Up Orphaned IGC Files:

  1. Tap Clean Up Orphaned Files
  2. App scans for IGC files that don’t match any flight record
  3. Review list of files to be removed
  4. Confirm cleanup
  5. Storage is freed and cleanup history is recorded

Why orphaned files exist:

Benefits of cleanup:

Configure Premium Maps (Cesium ION Token)

What You’ll Learn

Enable premium map providers including Bing Maps satellite imagery for 3D flight visualization.

Why Use Premium Maps

Free Maps (Default):

Premium Maps (with Cesium ION token):

Getting a Cesium ION Token

  1. Visit Cesium ION (free account available)
  2. Create a free account
  3. Navigate to Access Tokens in your account dashboard
  4. Create a new token or use the default token
  5. Copy the token string (starts with “eyJ…”)

Configure Token in App

  1. Tap menu (⋮) → Data Management
  2. Scroll to Premium Maps section
  3. Tap Configure Cesium Token
  4. Paste your token in the input field
  5. Tap Validate Token
  6. If valid, a success message appears and premium maps are enabled
  7. Tap Save

Using Premium Maps

Once configured:

Free Tier Limits:

Sync Paragliding Earth Sites Database

What You’ll Learn

Download and update the global database of flying sites from ParaglidingEarth.

PGE Sites Database Section

Database Information:

Available Operations:

Sync Now:

  1. Tap Sync PGE Sites Database
  2. App connects to ParaglidingEarth API
  3. Downloads latest site data (name, coordinates, country, altitude)
  4. Incremental sync - only downloads new or changed sites
  5. Progress indicator shows download status
  6. Sync completes and shows updated site count

Force Full Re-sync:

  1. Tap Force Full Re-sync
  2. Deletes local PGE cache
  3. Downloads complete fresh database
  4. Use if experiencing sync issues or missing sites
  5. Takes longer than incremental sync

When to Sync:

Benefits:

Manage Airspace Data

What You’ll Learn

Download and configure airspace overlays for flight planning and safety.

Airspace Data Section

Available Operations:

Select Airspace Regions:

  1. Tap Manage Airspace Data
  2. Choose countries or regions to download:
    • Select by country (e.g., Australia, USA, Europe)
    • Choose airspace types (CTR, TMA, CTA, Restricted, Danger, etc.)
  3. Tap Download Selected
  4. Airspace polygons download and cache locally
  5. Data becomes available in map overlay immediately

Airspace Type Filters:

Refresh Airspace Data:

  1. Tap Refresh Airspace
  2. Re-downloads selected regions with latest data
  3. Use when airspace changes are announced (NOTAMs, etc.)

Clear Airspace Cache:

  1. Tap Clear Airspace Cache
  2. Frees storage by removing downloaded airspace data
  3. Re-download when needed

Data Source:

Understanding Storage and Backups

Storage Breakdown

What uses storage:

Total for 1000 flights: Approximately 200-500 MB

Backup Best Practices

Regular Backups:

What to backup:

Restore Process:

  1. Install app on new device
  2. Import database export
  3. Re-import IGC files if needed
  4. Sync PGE sites database
  5. Reconfigure preferences

⚠️ Critical Warning: The Reset Database operation permanently deletes ALL flight data. This action cannot be undone. Always export a backup before using this function.

Troubleshooting

Common Import Issues

Problem: Import takes too long or times out

Problem: Wrong timezone in flight details

Problem: Flights marked as duplicates incorrectly

Site and Location Issues

Problem: Wrong site assigned to flight

Weather and Forecast Issues

Problem: No weather forecast showing

Problem: Forecast shows all grey/no data

Problem: Flyability colors don’t match my expectations

Problem: Favorites not showing in Forecast tab

Map and Airspace Issues

Problem: Map not loading or showing blank tiles

Problem: Airspace overlay not showing

Problem: Weather stations not appearing

Problem: Site markers showing wrong wind data

Problem: Map performance is slow

Quick Reference

File Formats Supported

Automatic Features Summary

✓ Timezone detection from GPS coordinates ✓ Launch site naming from ParaglidingEarth database ✓ Duplicate flight prevention using multiple criteria ✓ Comprehensive flight statistics calculation ✓ Wing and site name standardisation ✓ Interactive map caching (12-month duration) ✓ Weather forecast integration with flyability assessment ✓ Airspace overlay from OpenAIP database ✓ Multi-site weather comparison ✓ ParaglidingEarth database sync on app load

App Information and Credits

To view app version, build information, and credits:

  1. Tap menu (⋮) → About
  2. The About screen shows:
    • App name and version number
    • Build information (Git commit, branch, build date)
    • Feature highlights with icons
    • Credits and acknowledgments
    • External links:
      • GitHub repository (tap to open in browser)
      • Project documentation
      • License information
    • Contact and support information

Uses:

Data Locations and Limits

Glossary

Summary

This manual covers all aspects of using The Paragliding App effectively, from basic flight import through weather forecasting, airspace awareness, and advanced data analysis. The app combines comprehensive logbook functionality with real-time weather data and interactive maps to help you plan flights, maintain records, and fly safely. All features are designed to minimise manual work while providing powerful tools for pilots at every experience level.