New-pilot path

Get started with horiznlab

A new-pilot path from importing an IGC logbook to finding sites and connecting with a local flying crew.

7 minReviewed 2026-07-09

horiznlab becomes useful when it reflects your flying: a real track, sites you can research, and people who understand the same local conditions. This path gets those foundations in place without asking you to configure every feature.

Before you begin

You need an account and, ideally, an IGC file exported from your flight instrument or logger. An IGC file contains the recorded track; it is not proof that every point is exact. Keep the original file and check the import before treating derived statistics as fact.

  1. Import one representative flight. Open flight import, choose an IGC file, and review the detected date, duration, and track. Start with a normal local flight you remember well: it is easier to notice a wrong timezone, impossible altitude, or recording gap.
  2. Read the analysis as evidence, not a grade. Open the imported flight and compare its map and statistics with what you remember. Automated thermal and glide labels simplify a continuous flight. They can help you ask better questions, but they do not replace instructor debriefing or instrument software.
  3. Build local site context. Browse flying spots and open places you already know before exploring somewhere new. Check whether the description, access notes, hazards, and launch location agree with current club or site information. Report stale safety-critical content through Report.
  4. Connect with local pilots. Browse crews for a relevant local group. A crew can add retrieval and planning context, but membership is not supervision and a group plan does not transfer responsibility for your own decision.

Step 1: make the first import useful

Import quality matters more than import quantity. Confirm the trace begins and ends where expected. Look for straight jumps, long stationary sections, or altitude changes that do not match the terrain. If the recording is poor, retain it for your own records but avoid drawing conclusions from detailed segment statistics.

Once one flight looks right, add a few contrasting flights: a short ridge flight, a thermal day, and a flight from another site. This gives your logbook enough range to make later comparisons meaningful. The flight list is the canonical place to revisit them.

Step 2: research a known spot first

A familiar site is a calibration check for the platform. Compare the mapped launch and landing area with the official site guide and your own knowledge. Read recent community notes, but pay attention to their date and author context. Access agreements, vegetation, landing restrictions, and hazards change faster than general descriptions.

Then open the planning map to understand how the spot sits among terrain and surrounding airspace. Never infer permission or clearance merely because a layer is absent. Consult the current aeronautical publication, NOTAM source, and local site operator before flight.

Step 3: add the human layer

Local pilots can explain valley winds, seasonal access, retrieve realities, and which forecast models tend to fail at a site. Ask specific questions and state your experience honestly. “What usually invalidates this forecast here?” is more useful than “Is it flyable?”

If no suitable group exists, you can still use public site and learning surfaces without creating one immediately. A small crew is valuable when it represents a real coordination group, not when it is an empty profile.

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