A new tool for judging cloud distances: MYCloudBase
Matt Herron
Hi all,
I've been exploring the world of AI vibe coding and came up with a little iPhone app that might be useful for pilots getting into cross-country flying, or for CFIGs looking for a teaching aid.
The idea is simple: point your phone at a cloud base, and it tells you how far away it is and how much altitude you'll lose getting there at your glide ratio. It uses simple trig; you tell it what the expected cloudbase is, it knows your current altitude. It measures the angle to the cloudbase (as you point the phone at it), and then calculates the Horizontal distance to that cloud.
When I was learning XC, one of the hardest things was developing a sense for distance. Clouds that looked close were sometimes 10+ miles away. This app gives you actual numbers so you can start calibrating your eyes over time.
It also shows a "reachable terrain" overlay based on your L/D, so you can estimate at a glance what's within gliding range.
A few notes:
- It's not a flight computer or final glide calculator - just a single-purpose tool for cloud-to-cloud decisions
- Works offline (no cell signal needed)
- You set your own glide ratio -- as conservative or aggressive as you like
Might be useful for:
- New XC pilots building distance judgment skills
- Pre-solo students understanding glide angles visually
- CFIGs demonstrating reachable terrain concepts
It's $2.99 on the App Store (iPhone only). My audacious goal is to make the $100 back I spent on the Apple Developer Account :-)
Here is the link to the app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mycloudbase/id6755936994
Here is the link to the website that describes things in more detail:
Happy to answer any questions or hear feedback.
Fly safe!!
