CAI File

What are CAI files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CAI file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your CAI files.

What is a CAI file?

A .CAI file is a SeeYou Flight Data file.

SeeYou Flight Data files store detailed flight log information originally produced by Cambridge Aero Instruments' GPS-NAV flight recorders, and later imported by SeeYou for analysis and competition scoring. These binary files hold raw and interpolated GPS fixes, altitude, time stamps, and device identification, enabling conversion into the IGC standard when full textual traceability and compliance are required. Research in SeeYou materials shows that CAI files are among the flight recorder formats used in contest scoring alongside LXN, ZAN, FIL, etc.

Files of this kind are generated by the CAI-series recorders from Cambridge, which capture flights in their proprietary format. SeeYou software is able to open CAI files, extract flight paths and statistics, and when needed convert them into IGC format using Cambridge's conversion tools such as CONV-CAM.

Technical identifiers include the binary signature: files start with the byte 0x43 at offset 0, with a byte 0x2C at offset 4. Data contained within a file often includes familiar waypoint and airfield name strings such as "FLYINGGATORS", "ORLANDOCO", "TURF", "BROOKSVILL" among others, which help in format detection and validation.

How to open CAI files

Important: Different programs may use files with the CAI file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your CAI file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the app ourselves yet, our users have suggested a single CAI opener which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 25, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of CAI files. Remember, different programs may use CAI files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

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File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about CAI file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.