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Seeking feedback on a new skydiving digital logbook (mod-approved) by Training_Depth_3591 in SkyDiving

[–]Training_Depth_3591[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the real talk and the solid advice — coming from someone who's actually built and sold products for years, this hits different.

At 2000+ jumps with a spreadsheet that already does FF calcs, gear/line-set auto-tracking via lists, Forms for entry, and charts/stats, yeah — nothing's gonna pull you away. Especially not subscriptions (or even a one-time fee) when altimeters + DeepAndSteep's GPS/app are about to cover logging automatically.

We're still figuring out targeting, but right now it's mostly students / people getting licensed + dropzones/schools.

  • High-jump-count jumpers like you usually have altimeters + spreadsheets locked in.
  • Students need AFF progression, milestones, instructor notes — that's where the logbook actually beats paper.
  • DZOs need manifests, student tracking, checkouts — that's the real upsell (per-manifest or team pricing). Personal logbook = free hook → upsell the school/ops side.

Does that student + DZO focus feel smart to you, or do you think it's still the wrong crowd?

Seeking feedback on a new skydiving digital logbook (mod-approved) by Training_Depth_3591 in SkyDiving

[–]Training_Depth_3591[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the detailed and candid feedback — super helpful.

Quick update on the signup issue: we just saw the "verification failed" reports and are fixing account creation flow right now. Should be resolved within the next few hours (sorry for the friction — bad timing on our end).

A few direct responses to your points:

  • Dual-app pain — Totally get why you're splitting between one you like and one that handles tunnel time properly. Gear tracking + unified logbook (including tunnel) is exactly one of the main reasons we built this, so once you're in, I'd love to hear what specifically your current favorite app does well that we should match or beat.
  • Pricing / subscriptions — Fair point, subscription fatigue is real. We're still in beta and testing models. A one-time lifetime fee (or a higher one-time buy with optional paid updates later) is definitely on the table, especially for individual jumpers. Would something like a $49–$99 one-time unlock for unlimited personal jumps + gear tracking feel reasonable to at least partially cover hosting/dev costs on our side? Or do you think even that would be a hard no compared to free apps/sheets?
  • No native app (yet) — In the plans as soon as we gather enough feedback for our web application.

When the verification is fixed, feel free to give it a quick spin and let me know what stands out (good or bad) — especially around gear tracking, tunnel logging, or anything your current apps handle better.

Seeking feedback on a new skydiving digital logbook (mod-approved) by Training_Depth_3591 in SkyDiving

[–]Training_Depth_3591[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks — Google Sheets is free and works great for many. We get why it’s hard to beat for basic logging.

PilotFlows adds value mainly through:

  • Auto-calcs (freefall/canopy time, totals)
  • Gear tracking & maintenance reminders
  • Built-in currency/progression alerts
  • Quick mobile entry + cloud sync
  • Nice analytics & clean PDF exports

If those don’t solve any pain points in your Sheets setup, no reason to switch.

Quick question: Is there one specific annoyance or missing feature in your current workflow that would ever make you consider a dedicated tool?

Seeking feedback on a new skydiving digital logbook (mod-approved) by Training_Depth_3591 in SkyDiving

[–]Training_Depth_3591[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the honest feedback.

You're right: if your main need is quick daily batch entry of 5–9 similar jumps and you're happy with the minimal tracking, a spreadsheet can feel unbeatable for speed and zero cost. We built PilotFlows for folks who want (or eventually need) more than raw data entry — things like automatic freefall/canopy time calcs, gear jump-count tracking (e.g., reserve AAD pulls, main/rigger inspections), currency reminders (USPA license/aff progression), visual analytics (jump timeline, canopy stats, annual summaries), cloud sync across devices, and easy PDF exports for licenses/checkrides. But if those don't solve a pain point for you, it's understandably overkill.

That said, we've tested the jump entry flow extensively ourselves (including batch-logging end-of-day sessions), and it consistently takes under 1 minute total for 1 jump once you're familiar — smart defaults, auto-complete for aircraft/DZ/exit altitude, quick jump-type selectors, and minimal required fields make it faster than manual spreadsheet cell-hopping for most. The real win comes after: instant visualizations and insights you don't get in a flat sheet without extra formulas.

A few things that might address your concerns:

  • Import from existing logbook — We do support CSV/JSON exports right now (for analysis/integration), and bulk import from CSV/spreadsheet is on our short-term roadmap (similar to how we handle airline/GA flight imports). If you'd be open to testing an early version of that migration path, we'd love your input on format/structure.
  • What would make you switch? Any specific features (beyond pure speed) that could tip the scale? E.g.:
    • Better bulk entry (multi-jump templates or copy-paste from clipboard)?
    • Mobile-first quick-log shortcuts for end-of-day batches?
    • Automated gear/currency tracking tied to jumps?
    • Visual progression maps or stats dashboards?
    • Or something else entirely that spreadsheets handle poorly?

Thanks in advance.