Getting started

2Install and first run

Installing the app, working through the permission screens, creating an account or signing in, and what the app asks for later.

Needs internet

Installing the app#

iPhone and iPad
SkyTrackPro on the App Store, or search for SkyTrackPro in the App Store.
Android
SkyTrackPro on Google Play, or search for SkyTrackPro in Google Play.

Note

The app needs an internet connection for the first run, because signing in and loading your profile both talk to the server. After that it starts and records flights with no connection at all.

The permission screen#

The first launch opens SkyTrackPro setup. It explains the permissions the app needs and lets you grant them straight away. It appears once, not on every start.

Both platforms open with the same two parts: Important for flight logging, which holds the location card, and Other permissions below it. What sits in that second part is where iOS and Android differ, because the two systems ask for permissions at different moments.

Fig. 2.1iOS. Location is the only permission granted here. The rest is a note explaining that the system will ask later.
Fig. 2.2Android. Camera, Bluetooth and Notifications each get their own card and can be granted right away.
Permission What it is for iOS Android
Location Recording your GPS track, speeds and altitudes, and showing your position on the map. On this screen On this screen
Camera Photos and video from inside the app, and scanning task and layout QR codes. Asked on first use On this screen
Bluetooth and nearby devices External varios such as Stodeus, XCTracer, Skytraxx and Flymaster, plus ActiveLook glasses and remote controls. Asked on first use On this screen
Notifications Lets Android keep the recording service alive in the background. Not applicable On this screen
Photos and Motion Attaching images to a flight, and sensor input for the flight computer. Asked on first use Asked on first use
  1. Press Enable location and choose the option that allows location while using the app.
  2. If you plan to use always active live tracking, choose the always option instead. You can change this later in the system settings.
  3. On Android, grant Camera, Bluetooth and nearby devices and Notifications as well if you intend to use those features.
  4. Press Continue to finish setup.

Caution

You can press Continue anyway without granting location, and the app confirms with Continue without location?. You will still be able to browse the logbook and settings, but recording a new flight and live navigation will not work until you grant it.

Note

On iOS the other permissions are not requested here at all. The section reads On iOS, SkyTrackPro will ask for Camera, Photos, Motion and other permissions later, the first time you use features that need them. That is normal, and nothing is missing.

Tip

On Android, grant notifications even if you dislike them. Without it the system is free to stop the recording service while the screen is off, which is exactly when you are flying.

If you declined a permission earlier#

Once a permission has been declined, the app is no longer allowed to ask for it. It then shows a blocked message, for example Location access blocked, instead of a request.

  1. Open your device settings and find SkyTrackPro in the app list.
  2. Turn the permission on there.
  3. Return to SkyTrackPro. The screen picks up the change.

Caution

A separate message, Location services are off, means location is disabled for the whole device rather than for this app. Turn it on in the device settings first.

Creating an account#

A SkyTrackPro account connects the app to the website. It is what lets you upload flights, load competitions and public tasks, publish live positions and back up your settings.

  1. On the sign in screen press Create a new account.
  2. Fill in your first name, last name and email.
  3. Choose a password of at least 8 characters and confirm it.
  4. Press Create account. The app confirms with Registration successful. Please sign in.
  5. Sign in with the account you just created.
Fig. 2.3Creating an account. Registration and sign in both need a connection.

Signing in#

The sign in screen is titled Welcome back. Enter your email and password and sign in. You stay signed in afterwards, including across app restarts and when the phone has no connection.

Fig. 2.4The sign in screen. The session is kept, so this is usually a one time step.

Good to know

A failed connection does not sign you out. The app tells the difference between the server rejecting your session and the server simply being unreachable, so a flight in a valley never logs you out.

Resetting your password#

  1. Press Forgot password? on the sign in screen.
  2. Enter your email and press Send reset link.
  3. Open the email and follow the link to set a new password.
  4. Return to the app and sign in with the new password.

What to do next#

The Flight tab carries a help icon with a red count on it. That is the quick start checklist, and the count is the number of setup steps still open.

Where Flight › Quick start guide
  • Complete your pilot profile so other pilots and competition organizers can identify you.
  • Add the glider you fly, with its glide ratio and speeds, so the glide and speed to fly numbers are real.
  • Download an offline map region for your flying area.
  • Install airspace data for the country you fly in.
  • Build or adjust a screen layout so the flight screen shows what you want.

Tip

Do the airspace and offline map steps at home on Wi-Fi. They are the two that cannot be fixed on launch without a signal.

First setup in one minuteWatch on YouTube