Student pilots & IR students
Master VOR, ADF, and the HSI before you start the engine. Reposition on the map and watch the needles respond.
The story behind fDeck
fDeck
A flight deck for your pocket
Accurate simulations of real aircraft instruments on your phone — build the panel you want, fly it for real, train at home, or drive it from your simulator.
Why / When
A broken ankle, a sofa, and a flight deck
The origins of fDeck go back to 2011. As a professional software developer working in aerospace and defence — and a private pilot — I was knocked off my bike and broke my ankle badly. I was non-weight-bearing and off work for six weeks. Sofa-bound.
I decided to teach myself Android programming, and I did it by building a simple compass app. Then I built VOR, ADF, and artificial horizon apps as well, and published them as small individual apps on Android.
Over time I got many asks to combine those instruments into one single app. I began building what became fDeck around 2014, using React Native so I could make it cross-platform. It was a long but rewarding journey, done alongside my 'real' job and bringing up my three kids.
I released the first version of fDeck in April 2020, and I've evolved and maintained it since then. I work on it when I can. I enjoy working on fDeck.
“I enjoy hearing from users — especially when they send photos of fDeck in their aircraft or sim rig.”
Timeline
A broken ankle, a sofa, and a compass
Knocked off my bike and non-weight-bearing for six weeks, I taught myself Android by building a simple compass app — then a VOR, an ADF, and an artificial horizon. Each went live as its own little app.
One app to rule the panel
Users kept asking me to combine those instruments. I started building what became fDeck in React Native so it could run on both iOS and Android — evenings and weekends, alongside my aerospace & defence day job and bringing up three kids.
fDeck ships
The first version of fDeck launched in April 2020. I've been evolving and maintaining it ever since, working on it whenever I can.
v3 and still solo
Synthetic Vision, a fully ad-free experience, Microsoft Flight Simulator support alongside X-Plane, and a rebuilt architecture — still designed, built, and supported by one person in a garden office.
What it is
A glass cockpit you build yourself
fDeck is a 100% accurate simulation of real aircraft instruments on your phone or tablet. You can practice VOR tracking from your house!
- Mix and match instruments into the panel you actually want
- Fly with backup instruments, live weather, and ADS-B traffic
- Train radio navigation before you ever start the engine
- Drive the same instruments from X-Plane or Microsoft Flight Simulator
Something different
fDeck does not pretend to be ForeFlight, SkyDemon, or Garmin Pilot. Those are excellent EFBs and navigation suites. fDeck is a customisable instrument deck — for the cockpit, the kneeboard, the classroom, and the sim rig.
fDeck is not a certified EFIS and is not a replacement for primary certified instruments. Use it as a training aid, backup reference, and sim panel — always fly with approved equipment.
Who it's for
Whatever you fly, fDeck flies with you
GA & recreational pilots
Beautiful backup instrumentation in the cockpit, plus live weather and ADS-B traffic for extra situational awareness.
Ultralight & experimental
Modern instruments and traffic awareness for a minimal panel — no extra weight, no wiring, just grab your device and go.
Flight sim enthusiasts
Build a home-cockpit instrument panel that runs alongside X-Plane and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Who builds it
Just me, in the garden office
I'm Darren Yeates. I got my PPL in 2001 and have picked up and put down flying over the years — cost, family, life. I'm now back flying from Goodwood Airfield, U.K.
There is no team behind fDeck. Sensorworks is just the company name on the door. It's me, in my garden office in Worthing, with my Mac Studio — designing, building, and supporting the app myself.
What's next
AI, Kalman filters, and a quiet wink
With the advent of AI, I've been leveraging it — and it has been a revelation. As a solo developer I can now do things with fDeck that I simply couldn't have done without it.
For example, I'm no mathematician, but I am now able to build custom Extended Kalman Filters — the kind of sensor-fusion maths that helps turn noisy phone sensors into a steadier sense of attitude and motion. Oh, did I just let a secret out of the bag?
By the numbers
Tens of thousands of pilots later
6+ years in the stores — and still shipping.
50K+
Downloads worldwide
4.8★
App Store rating
4.6★
Google Play rating
2020
First release