Recording a Debrief
Summary
Log a debrief after a training event by voice recording or typed notes. FlightSense processes your debrief and generates an AI summary that appears in your log and can be shared with your instructor for feedback. Voice recording is available to both students and instructors. Typed notes are an instructor-only path accessed from a student's profile, not from within the voice recording view.
Who this is for
- Instructors recording post-lesson debriefs with students, or entering typed debrief notes directly
- Students self-debriefing after solo or dual training events (voice only)
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 a voice recording automatically.
Voice debrief
1. Start a new voice debrief
Open the Log tab and tap the microphone icon in the top-right toolbar.
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
The recording screen opens and starts immediately. You'll see "Listening to Your Debrief" with animated audio bars showing input levels. If you pause, the title changes to "Recording Paused".
Speak clearly and describe the flight: what went well, areas for improvement, and any notable events.
| 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 |
4. Wait for processing
After tapping Complete, the screen shows "Debrief Processing" with a spinner. FlightSense transcribes the audio and generates an AI summary. When finished, the view closes automatically.
Text Debrief (instructors only)
Instructors can enter a typed debrief directly on a student's profile instead of recording audio. This is a separate path — it is not accessible from the voice recording view.
Open the Instruct tab, tap a student to open their profile, and switch to the Logs sub-tab. Tap the ellipsis (•••) overflow menu in the top-right corner and select Text Debrief.
The Text Debrief screen opens with a text field (placeholder: "Add your debrief notes..."). Type your notes and tap Submit (top-right) when done. Tap Cancel to discard.
Text debriefs produce the same AI-processed log record as voice debriefs. Longer, more specific notes produce better summaries.
What happens next
- The new debrief appears in the Log with an AI-generated summary
- The debrief is visible to you and, if an instructor was selected, to them
- ACS tasks mentioned in the debrief may be tagged for progress tracking
- Notes can be viewed from the flight detail screen
Common issues
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "You must select an ACS standard" error | No ACS standard in profile | Go to User 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 entry 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
Voice recording format: Audio is captured as MPEG4 AAC at 22kHz mono. The screen stays awake during recording to prevent interruption.
Processing: FlightSense transcribes voice audio or parses typed notes, then runs AI summarization. Processing time depends on debrief length and network speed.
Failed uploads: If the upload fails, FlightSense saves the voice recording locally. Failed uploads appear in your Log with a Retry Processing button. Tapping it 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 log and provide feedback. 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. Start a new debrief. If you're somewhere prone to interruptions, use the Text Debrief path instead (instructors only).