How I score Aviator apps with a flare method
A flare on this desk is a single concentrated pass: open the App Store card, capture public fields, refuse invented installs, then place the title by stars and sample size. I wrote this guide so the ranking is auditable.
What works in the method
- Stars first — the public US rating band sets the first cut.
- Sample size second — equal bands lose to the larger rating count.
- Explicit absences — if the App Store hides downloads, I say so on the card.
- Best-for tags after play shape — not as a second star score.
Where the method stops
- It does not forecast future patch quality.
- It does not rank by my personal nostalgia for a franchise name.
- It cannot invent privacy categories the live App Privacy panel does not show.
Who it suits
Readers who want an Aviator shortlist they can re-check against the store. If you need a scored formula with weighted downloads, this flare method will feel too spare — and that is intentional.
Facts feeding the current shortlist were checked on 13 November 2026. Related reading: the ranking, editorial policy, and each per-app review in the library.