5 Apps for the DZ Professional
Do you have a favorite iPhone / iPad app to help you manage your DZ? Here's my Top 5 that I cannot do without:
1. Sunrise - Sunrise and Sunset Calendar. Price: $.99 Why It's Awesome: Sunrise and Sunset times at your finger tips in seconds.
Practical DZ Application:
a). Creating Your Reservations Schedule at the beginning of the year.
Visualize sitting at your desk in November and planning out your reservations schedule for the upcoming year...ummmmm..... HEADACHE. You need a guideline to see when that sun is up and when she's going down....easily scroll to the day you're curious about and bam - you're there. No more farmer's almanacs for you! It's at your fingertips and it's easy! Schedule your sunrise tandems with ease!
Tip: Have your early morning Early Bird Special tandems arrive an hour before sunrise. Once they've finished with paperwork and training, the sun will be just rising and you're now working with every available piece of sunlight there is during the day. Cha-Ching! Thanks Sunrise app!
b). Enduring a Weather Delays and figuring out exactly how many loads you can get up before sunset.
So picture this: you have a full student schedule on the books...tandems and AFF students like crazy.....only you've had a three hour weather delay.....AND one of your instructors has called in sick (ie. he's at home watching cartoons and looking at the low clouds with zero desire to wait it out at the DZ).Your tandem students have hunkered down for the day determined to wait it out until the skies clear......but what if you have students who have waited all day and then you run out of daylight? Ooopppsss....ANGRY CUSTOMERS! The sunrise app shows you how much sunlight you have down to the minute allowing you to do some quick math to figure how many loads you can get up before darkness sets in (while asking that instructor who took the day off to team train if he can hop into the rotation to help you out........hate doing that). Ummm....tanks Sunrise App!
2. iThoughtsHD - Mind Mapping Application Price: $9.99 Why It's Awesome: The ultimate, visual, organizational tool to stay organized at a quick glance. I use this for every event from boogie planning to Safety Day info. Truly an invaluable app - I'd pay three times more for this app because it's that good!
Practical DZ Application:
This maybe one of my favorite apps of all time! If you like all things visual, then this is the app for you! It's a mind map (don't let the complicated name intimidate you, it's super easy) that allows you to stay organized especially with your event planning. I never plan a boogie without putting all of my details down on my map. No seriously....don't disregard this one. It's too valuable not to have!
Wait...I'm serious. Don't disregard this app. It's truly awesome and will make you a better event planner.
3. ScannerPro - Transforms your iphone or ipad into a portable scanner. Price: $6.99 Why It's Awesome: Forget the fax machine and forget having a scanner! This app is incredible by replacing both. Practical DZ Application:
Think for a moment how many documents we fax to the USPA: Introductory Membership Forms, A license forms, USPA Group Member forms, Incident Reports.....you get the idea...a ton of forms. All forms eliminated without having to store the copies in a filing cabinet! (insert an awesome adjective here). Scenario: A new jumper comes to you upset because they've not received their A license in the mail. USPA says they have not received the application from the DZ. The manifester swears it was faxed in. No one can find the A license form as it was misfiled after it was faxed. As a DZ manager this is a headache!! Not with the ScannerPro app. Simply open up the app, and find the scanned document and send to the USPA AND carbon copy the student via e-mail within the app. BAM!!! Everyone is happy!
As a side note, it's a great app for scanning receipts while on the road! This app has proven to be invaluable!
4. 2Do: Tasks Done in Style Price: $9.99 Why It's Awesome: Keeps me completely organized with both a tasks list, calendar (which syncs with ical) and a voice recorder to make notes while on the go (driving).
Practical DZ Application: If you're like every DZO / DZM then you have a ton to get done and not enough time to do it all! I've used at least five different apps to try and keep me organized (this is the best one! Better than Evernote in my humble opinion). This app keeps me on task and allows me to literally cross out an item on my to do list once it's complete (who doesn't like to see a crossed out to do item?). But don't take my word for it! Out of 17,382 reviews this app has averaged 4.5 out of 5 stars....Wanna know how to spell awesome? It's: 2Do. Get it!
5. AeroWeather - DZ Weather Price: $0.00 (That's FREE NINETY-NINE Y'all!) Why It's Awesome: To begin with, it's free and it gives great weather info! Besides, what kind of DZ list would this be without a weather app? Practical DZ Application:
Every pilot and DZO has their favorite weather app. We've used a ton of them, but you can't beat this app for the price and for the info you get right away. Do you have a favorite weather app, worthy of mention? Then let us know! Developer Video: YouTube
