Recording a Debrief
Summary
Record a voice debrief after a flight to capture training notes. FlightSense transcribes your audio and generates an AI summary, which appears in your log and can be shared with your instructor for feedback.
Who this is for
- Instructors recording post-flight debriefs with students
- Students self-debriefing after solo or dual flights
Before you begin
- ACS standard selected: You must have an ACS standard set in your User Profile. If not configured, the app blocks the debrief with: "You must select an ACS standard in your User Profile to start a debrief."
- Microphone permission: Grant microphone access when prompted. If denied, enable it in iOS Settings > FlightSense > Microphone.
- Quiet environment: Background noise affects transcription quality. Phone calls or system alerts will cancel the recording automatically.
Steps
1. Start a new debrief
Open the Log tab and tap the more options button (•••) in the navigation bar. Select Log Debrief from the menu.
2. Select an instructor (optional)
If you have instructors linked to your account, the Select Instructor screen appears:
| Option | Result |
|---|---|
| Tap an instructor | Associates the debrief with them for feedback |
| Tap Skip | Proceeds without instructor association |
| Tap Cancel | Exits the workflow |
3. Record your debrief
Recording starts automatically when the screen appears. You'll see "Listening to Your Debrief" with animated audio bars showing input levels.
Speak clearly and describe the flight: what went well, areas for improvement, and any notable events.
4. Use recording controls
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Pause | Temporarily stops recording without losing audio |
| Resume | Continues recording from where you paused |
| Cancel | Discards the recording and exits |
| Complete | Finishes recording and submits for processing |
5. Wait for processing
After tapping Complete, the screen shows "Debrief Processing" with a spinner. The audio uploads and AI generates your transcript and summary. When finished, the view closes automatically.
What happens next
- Your new flight appears in the Log with the AI-generated summary and full transcript
- The debrief is visible to you and, if selected, your instructor
- ACS tasks mentioned in your debrief may be tagged for progress tracking
- You can view and edit flight notes from the flight detail screen
Common issues
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "You must select an ACS standard" error | No ACS standard in profile | Go to Profile and select your ACS standard |
| "Microphone access is required to record debriefs. Please enable it in Settings." | Microphone permission denied | iOS Settings > FlightSense > enable Microphone |
| Recording cancelled unexpectedly | Phone call or system alert interrupted audio | Restart the debrief in a quieter environment |
| "Unable to generate debrief log. Please try again later." | Upload or processing failed | Tap Retry Processing on the failed flight in your Log |
| "Failed to fetch instructors. Please try again later." | Network issue loading instructor list | Check your connection and try again |
How this works
Recording format: Audio is captured as MPEG4 AAC at 22kHz mono. The screen stays awake during recording to prevent interruption.
Processing: When you complete the recording, the audio uploads to FlightSense servers. The backend transcribes the audio and runs AI summarization. Processing time depends on recording length and network speed.
Failed uploads: If the upload fails, FlightSense saves the recording locally. Failed flights appear in your Log with a Retry Processing button. Tapping retry re-uploads the original audio file. The local copy is deleted only after successful processing.
Instructor association: Selecting an instructor links the debrief to them, allowing them to view your flight and provide feedback. This is optional—skipping still creates a complete debrief record visible only to you.
Audio interruptions: If a phone call or system alert occurs during recording, the recording is automatically cancelled and the audio file is deleted. You'll need to start a new debrief.