Paragliding with Apple Watch Ultra
Paragliding with the Apple Watch Ultra
On March 23, 2023, we conducted a test flight at the Stella launch site in Bassano – with the Apple Watch Ultra and Vario One. Conditions were excellent: solid thermals, good visibility, and the flight lasted around 2 hours.
The Apple Watch Ultra is the best device Apple has ever built for paraglider pilots – even though they probably don’t know it.
The largest Apple Watch display
The Apple Watch Ultra has the largest display of all Apple Watch models. When paragliding, this makes a noticeable difference:
- Variometer display – large, clear numbers
- Altitude and speed – readable at a glance
- Even in direct sunlight – thanks to high display brightness
The instruments are significantly easier to read than on the standard Apple Watch. Especially in thermals, when you have to make quick decisions, every millisecond counts.
Double the battery life
The Apple Watch Ultra offers double the battery life compared to the standard Apple Watch:
- Two hours of flight barely made a dent in the battery
- All-day use – even with intensive GPS tracking
- Multi-hour flights are easily possible
For long cross-country flights, this is a decisive advantage.
Standalone without iPhone
Vario One runs on the Apple Watch Ultra completely independently – without iPhone:
- Variometer with real-time climb/sink rate display
- Acoustic tones directly on your wrist
- Flight recording fully automatic
- Wind display with direction and speed
You only need the Watch on your wrist – your iPhone can stay in the car.
Acoustic thermal centering
The acoustic feedback works excellently on the Apple Watch Ultra:
- Clear tones for climb and sink
- Clearly audible even in airspeed wind
- Precise centering possible without looking at the display
Wind and speed at a glance
Wind speed and wind direction are displayed directly on the display. This keeps you informed about current conditions at all times – without needing to take your iPhone out of your pocket.
GPS track recording directly on the Watch
Vario One records the GPS track directly on the Apple Watch – completely without iPhone. The flight is automatically added to the digital logbook and can be exported as an IGC file.
Try for free
Vario One offers a free trial period. Install the app, start the Watch app and see for yourself. No subscription needed, no credit card – just try it.