VIRONLABS

VIRON Horizon, in development in Slovenia

More flying.Less fiddling.

Horizon is a calm paragliding instrument: its own vario voice, a screen you can read at a glance and physical buttons instead of menus. We are building it now, and we are looking for pilots to help test it.

Apply to test Horizon See where it stands

Prototype in development. Not certified, not for sale and not available to pre-order.

Concept render of VIRON Horizon: a handheld instrument with a portrait screen showing altitude and climb rate, and four buttons on its side.
Horizon concept render. The screen is illustrative; final hardware, interface and features may change.

An instrument should make the flight simpler.

Many varios ask for attention: menus, pairing, settings, a phone that has to stay awake. Horizon starts from the pilot’s day instead, and keeps each part of it as quiet as it can be.

  1. Before launch

    Ready, not fiddled with.

    Choose your sound and settings on the ground in the VIRON Air app, then put the phone away. Horizon is designed to show on its own screen whether it is ready.

  2. In the air

    Hear the climb, glance for the rest.

    Horizon makes its own vario sound, so it never depends on your phone. The screen is being laid out for a quick look, and physical buttons replace fiddly menus.

  3. After landing

    Look back at the flight.

    VIRON Air is being built to keep your flights on your phone and play them back, so you can see where the climbs were and how the day went.

Horizon

A standalone vario with a 3.5-inch portrait display and physical side buttons. It is meant to work on its own; VIRON Air adds setup and flight review when you want them.

Prototype hardware, in development

The instrument

What has been checked so far.

  • Boards: the first engineering boards passed initial bring-up in August 2026. They power up, take firmware and drive the display.
  • Display: the 3.5-inch screen runs on real Horizon hardware.
  • Flight screens: a new interface for the display is being designed. It has been checked in software only; it has not yet run on Horizon hardware or in flight.
  • Look: the product appearance was chosen in August 2026. Internal details may still change.

In development

Horizon XC

Horizon with a traffic module that supports FANET, FLARM and ADS-L.

  • Today: Horizon talks to the XC module over a wired link on the bench.
  • Not yet: receiving traffic over the air has not been demonstrated.
  • Not yet: Horizon does not use the module’s ADS-L function yet.

VIRON Air, the companion app

Set up Horizon on the ground, follow live data while you prepare, and look back after landing. VIRON Air is being developed for Android and iPhone.

Flight Lab is the test bench inside VIRON Air

Flight Lab plays simulated flights through the same data path the real instrument uses, so screens and alerts can be tested safely on the ground. Simulated data is always labelled as simulated.

  • Bluetooth connection and live dataWorks in testingChecked on Android and iPhone, including manual reconnect.
  • Voice announcementsWorks in testingChecked on Android and iPhone.
  • Flight Lab simulationWorks in testingUsed to test the app’s flight screens on the ground.
  • Flight review and replayIn developmentKeep flights on your phone and play them back.
  • ReleaseNot yetOutdoor use, background behaviour and release readiness still need testing.

Where Horizon stands

Read it like a task: from what already works, through what is being built, to what comes later. Each point says what has been checked, not what is finished.

Works today

  • Boards and displayEngineering boards boot and drive the 3.5-inch screen.
  • Link to the XC moduleThe wired link works on the bench.
  • VIRON Air connectionLive data and voice on Android and iPhone in testing.

Being built

  • Firmware and flight screensThe flight display, buttons and preflight checks.
  • Flight review in VIRON AirSaving and replaying flights.
  • True airspeed measurementTechnology under development. It is not validated and not available in any instrument.

Next

  • Hardware checksCharging, sensors, GNSS, sound, storage, Bluetooth, buttons and battery life.
  • Ground testing with pilotsSelected testers try development units on the ground.
  • Controlled flight testingOnly once the ground checks allow it, always with a backup instrument.

Later

  • Over-the-air trafficNot demonstrated yet with the XC module.
  • ADS-L in HorizonThe traffic module supports ADS-L. Horizon does not use it yet.
  • ReleaseNo date, price or availability has been announced.

Status as of 21 October 2026. Dated details, with their limits, are in the development journal.

An early Horizon prototype on a dark workbench: a bare circuit board wired to a battery and a small screen showing a climb reading.
Early Horizon prototype on the workbench, photographed in August 2026. Not a finished product.

It starts on the workbench.

VIRON Labs is a small paragliding instrument project in Slovenia. It began with one question: could a flight instrument tell us what matters with less to manage?

Hardware, sound and software are built together. Build a prototype, check one behaviour, improve it. Feedback from pilots decides what deserves the next round of work, which is why testers matter.

Help test Horizon

We are building a small group of pilots to test development units. Ground testing comes first; flights only when the ground checks allow it.

  1. Who we are looking for

    Pilots who fly regularly, already own an instrument they trust, and can describe what happened in a way that lets us repeat it. Every experience level is welcome; tell us yours in the form.

  2. How testing works

    You check a development unit on the ground first. Flights come later, only when the ground checks allow it, and always with your own independent instrument as backup.

  3. What you give back

    Short, specific reports: the situation, what Horizon did and what you expected. Logs help too. You can stop at any time.

Applying does not reserve a device or guarantee a place. Before anything happens, selected testers get a written description of the device, the scope of the test and the conditions, so they can decide. Development hardware is not certified and never replaces your own proven equipment.

Questions pilots ask

Can I buy Horizon?

Not yet. This site is not a shop and takes no pre-orders. Price, availability and delivery dates have not been announced.

What does applying to test mean?

We read every application and contact pilots when development units are ready for the next round of testing. Applying does not reserve a device or guarantee a place, and you can withdraw at any time. You also get occasional development updates by email.

Do I need my phone while flying?

No. Horizon is designed to make its own vario sound and has its own screen and buttons. VIRON Air is for setup on the ground and for looking back after landing.

Will Horizon measure true airspeed?

True airspeed measurement is technology we are developing. It is not validated, not flight-tested and not available in any instrument. We will share more when it is ready to be tested.

Will Horizon show traffic?

Horizon XC carries a traffic module that supports FANET, FLARM and ADS-L. Horizon already talks to it over a wired link on the bench. Receiving traffic over the air has not been demonstrated, and Horizon does not use ADS-L yet.

Is it certified?

No. Horizon is in development and is not certified. Development hardware is never a replacement for your own proven equipment.

Is Horizon the only VIRON instrument?

For now, Horizon is the focus. Core, a smaller instrument that uses your phone as its screen, exists as a working prototype; its own circuit board is not designed yet.

Apply to test Horizon

Tell us a little about how you fly. We will contact pilots when development units are ready, and send occasional updates in the meantime.

  • Ground testing first, flights only when the checks allow it.
  • Always with your own instrument as backup.
  • No place is reserved by applying.

A question? Write to hello@vironlabs.eu.

Tell us how you fly (optional, helps us choose testers)

We use these details only to choose testers and to send VIRON development updates and beta invitations. They are stored in VIRON Labs’ sign-up sheet, which runs on Google Apps Script. Read the privacy notice or ask for removal at hello@vironlabs.eu. Your form details are never sent to Google Analytics.