SkyDreamSoft is the story of two developers passionate about aviation, Thomas Jacquin and Laurent Jardillier, who met through flight simulation before creating, almost as a game, an application that became familiar to many VFR pilots.
At the beginning, there was no business plan, no marketing strategy, and no oversized ambition. There was Flight Simulator, maps, real weather injected into the simulator, tools developed in the evenings and on weekends, and above all the desire to understand how to better prepare and follow a navigation.
When Laurent moved from simulation to real flying and began his PPL training in Châtellerault, the idea took shape: to create a mobile application for preparing and following VFR navigation. Together with Thomas, they then discovered mobile development through a subject they were passionate about: aviation.
In 2014, SkyDreamSoft was born and launched SDVFR on iPad, before the iPhone and then Android versions. What was meant to be a technical and playful project gradually became a navigation companion for thousands of pilots.
For eleven years, SDVFR V1 was maintained, enriched and updated during its founders' free time. The application remained free, with one simple idea: to offer a useful, clear and reliable tool, without seeking to complicate what must remain readable in flight.
SDVFR V1: eleven years of use and field experience
SDVFR V1 was built progressively, in contact with its users. Navigation preparation, GPS tracking, aeronautical charts, regulated areas, NOTAM, tracks, profiles, weather, documents: the application evolved according to the needs expressed by pilots and the constraints of the field.
Over the years, SDVFR has supported private pilots, microlight pilots, flying clubs, as well as professional and institutional users. This diversity of uses strengthened our requirements: when a tool is used in an aeronautical context, even as a navigation aid, its reliability, clarity and long-term continuity become essential.
V1 was never designed as a marketing product. It was first and foremost software made by enthusiasts, tested, corrected, improved, sometimes behind the scenes, often late in the evening, with one priority: to make something that works, that does not get in the pilot's way and that remains understandable in flight.
But after eleven years, one thing became clear: the historical application had reached the limits of its architecture. Mobile standards had changed, mapping engines had evolved, and so had user practices. To continue seriously, it was not enough to simply add a few features: it had to be rebuilt.
SDVFR Next: starting again on modern foundations
SDVFR Next is not just an update to SDVFR V1. It is a new application, developed to meet today's technical constraints and prepare for the years ahead.
This new generation brings a new mapping engine, a modernized architecture, better synchronization between devices and the ability to manage multiple regions, notably in Europe. It also makes it possible to go much further in the use of data, maps and customized layers.
At the heart of SDVFR Next is SDOACI, our in-house aeronautical chart. It was designed to provide a clear and consistent representation of airspace, with the information useful for preparing and following a VFR flight: airspaces, areas, airfields, reporting points, frequencies, obstacles, radio aids and the data required for navigation.
SDVFR Next also includes many features expected by pilots: navigation preparation, GPS tracking, day and night maps, online maps, personal maps, georeferenced VAC charts, custom points, tracks, replay, flight profile, navigation log, aeronautical weather, WINTEM, TEMSI, weather radar, weight and balance, fuel estimate, flight folder, personal documents, simulator compatibility and possible integration of traffic feeds.
The goal is not to pile up features to impress. The goal is to offer a coherent, useful and manageable set of tools that every pilot can gradually make their own. This is also why we have developed a series of tutorials, to support the transition and avoid discovering the tool in flight.
An accepted change of model
The move to a paid model for SDVFR Next marked an important step. After eleven years of free use, we knew this change would be sensitive for some users. But it had become necessary to ensure maintenance, servers, data, support, technical developments and the long-term continuity of the service.
SkyDreamSoft remains a small organization. Behind the application, there is no large marketing team and no fundraising round. There are developers who respond to users, fix issues, maintain the data, follow iOS and Android developments, and continue to move the tool forward seriously.
We move forward without big slogans. We do not promise the impossible. We simply try to do our job properly.
France Air Expo: meeting users
In 2025, the presentation of SDVFR Next at France Air Expo marked a special moment for SkyDreamSoft. After years of exchanges by email, on forums or through support, we were able to meet directly with pilots who use SDVFR in their daily aeronautical life.
These exchanges remind us why this project matters so much to us. Behind the lines of code, there are prepared navigations, trips, diversions, weather margins, flight memories, sometimes families passing on a passion. A navigation application is never just a screen: it is a tool that accompanies very real journeys.
This contact with users directly feeds our work. Field feedback, criticism, misunderstandings, requests and flight stories all contribute to the evolution of SDVFR.
Our philosophy
We do not claim to reinvent light aviation. We simply try to build, with seriousness and passion, tools that help pilots better prepare their flights, better understand their environment and fly with greater peace of mind.
The team
Thomas Jacquin
Co-founder of SkyDreamSoft
Laurent Jardillier
Co-founder of SkyDreamSoft