ARGUS rates it. FileFlo keeps it ready.
This isn't FileFlo versus ARGUS. ARGUS audits and rates Part 135 operators (ARG/US Gold, Gold Plus, Platinum) plus CHEQ/TripCHEQ vetting. FileFlo computes each pilot's currency, keeps the maintenance documents and SMS materials the ARGUS audit examines on file, and prepares an export tagged to the ARGUS audit categories. Keep the rating. Add the document layer.
Includes 30 days of FileFlo. After 30 days, FileFlo continues at $150 per aircraft per month on this card unless you cancel. We remind you 7 days and 1 day before. Each reminder email has a one-click cancel link. Cancel before day 30 and nothing further is charged. The plan covers 1 to 15 aircraft.
Rating + vetting service vs document software.
ARGUS's products (Gold/Platinum ratings, CHEQ, TripCHEQ) and FileFlo's products (document management, expiration tracking, audit binders) solve different problems. Most Part 135 operators benefit from both.
You need ARGUS when you...
- ·Want an ARG/US Gold or Platinum rating for charter business
- ·Compete in markets where brokers require rated operators
- ·Need CHEQ / TripCHEQ vetting workflows (as broker or buyer)
- ·Want independent third-party safety validation
- ·Carry passengers / customers who require rated providers
You need FileFlo when you...
- ·Want organized pilot records day-to-day (135.293/.297/.299)
- ·Need aircraft maintenance + airworthiness document tracking
- ·Want automatic currency alerts (90/60/30/7-day)
- ·Are prepping for an ARGUS audit and want one source of truth
- ·Have multi-regulation exposure (Part 135 + ground OSHA + EPA)
Eleven capabilities, side by side.
Rows 1-2 (rating + vetting service) are ARGUS's product. Rows 3-9 (document management) are FileFlo's. Rows 10-11 are structural product differences: multi-regulation and pricing.
| Capability | FileFlo | ARGUS |
|---|---|---|
Independent third-party audit + rating (Gold / Platinum) | No (software, not rater) | Yes (core product) |
CHEQ / TripCHEQ aircraft + pilot vetting service | No | Yes |
Pilot records + currency tracking (135.293/.297/.299) | Yes (automated) | Partial (verified at audit, not ongoing) |
Aircraft maintenance + airworthiness (Part 43 / 91.409) | Yes | Partial |
SMS (Safety Management System) documentation | Yes | Yes (evaluated against ARGUS standard) |
AI document classification (auto-tag to the governing rule) | Yes | No |
Automated expiration / currency items | Yes (item opens 45 days before a check, medical or annual) | No |
Audit prep: self-assessment + binder export | Yes (records as of one date, tagged to Wyvern Wingman clauses and ARGUS audit categories) | Yes (ARGUS audit prep tools) |
Drug + alcohol program documentation | Yes | Partial |
Multi-regulation (aviation + ground transportation + OSHA + EPA) | Yes | No (aviation only) |
Pricing model | Yes (Setup, then per aircraft unless you cancel; 16 or more by quote) | No (membership + audit fees) |
Platform definition.
FileFlo is the compliance department for small trucking carriers and Part 135 operators. For a Part 135 certificate holder it operates as a read-only system of record over pilot files, aircraft maintenance documents, training certifications, drug-and-alcohol program records, and Safety Management System materials, classifying each document against its governing section of FAA 14 CFR Part 135, extracting expiration and currency dates, and producing an inspector-format audit binder on demand. It does not perform audits, issue certifications, or assign safety ratings.
ARGUS International is a different category: an independent third-party aviation safety auditor and rating body. ARGUS evaluates a Part 135 operator on-site and issues an ARG/US Gold, Gold Plus, or Platinum rating that brokers and charter clients use to vet operators, and runs the CHEQ and TripCHEQ database services for aircraft, operator, and pilot vetting. The distinction matters because a rating is an external attestation produced by an independent party, while document management is an internal capability the operator runs continuously. FileFlo maintains the §135.293, §135.297, and §135.299 currency records and files the §135.21 manuals that an ARGUS audit examines, but the audit and rating issuance remain ARGUS's separate engagement.
Why a rating doesn't track your currency.
A safety rating is a point-in-time attestation; the underlying FAA recordkeeping obligation is continuous. Under 14 CFR Part 135, a certificate holder must keep each required pilot current across several distinct cycles: the §135.293 written and competency check (every 12 calendar months), the §135.297 instrument proficiency check (every 6 calendar months for crewmembers in IFR operations), and the §135.299 line check (every 12 calendar months). Each runs on its own calendar-month clock, and a lapse in any one removes the crewmember from the operation regardless of how recently the operator was rated. An ARGUS evaluation verifies these records on the day of the audit; it does not monitor them in the months between.
The same continuity gap applies to manuals and maintenance. Under §135.21, a certificate holder must prepare and keep current a manual for the use and guidance of flight, ground, and maintenance personnel, and ensure each affected employee has the current portions. On the maintenance side, the airworthiness records the operator must hold (the §43.9 maintenance record entries, the §91.417 owner/operator retention file, and the Part 39 Airworthiness Directive compliance documentation) are document evidence an FAA inspector or an ARGUS auditor can ask to see at any time. Storing them is not the same as knowing which are current, which are expiring, and which are missing.
This is the layer FileFlo fills. It computes each pilot's checks and medical from the records you already hold and cites the rule, in a per-pilot currency matrix; it watches the §91.409 annual for each aircraft; an item opens 45 days before a check, medical or annual comes due; and it prepares an export of crew currency, training and aircraft records as of one date, tagged to the ARGUS audit categories. The result is that an operator walks into the ARGUS audit, and the FAA surveillance event, already current, rather than reconstructing the record set under deadline.
Built by an operator, against the rules themselves.
The FileFlo compliance team built FileFlo's rule packs against the actual surveyor, inspector, and safety-investigator protocols, not against a generic "compliance" abstraction. Each regulator's taxonomy maps documents to the exact CFR section that demands them, which is why FileFlo can sit underneath a rating body like ARGUS and still speak the language an auditor uses. ARGUS's ARG/US Gold and Platinum ratings have set the safety bar for on-demand Part 135 operations for decades; FileFlo doesn't compete with that audit; it removes the manual overhead from the day-to-day document discipline that makes an operator ratable in the first place.
Quick answers.
Last reviewed June 4, 2026.
Is FileFlo an ARGUS alternative?
No, they're different categories. ARGUS International is an independent aviation safety auditing company. ARGUS evaluates Part 135 charter operators on-site and issues ARG/US Gold, Gold Plus, or Platinum ratings that brokers and clients use to vet operators. ARGUS also runs CHEQ and TripCHEQ services for pilot and trip-level vetting. FileFlo is documents-first compliance management software: we don't audit, certify, or rate. We help you organize the pilot records, aircraft maintenance documents, training certifications, and SMS materials that an ARGUS audit examines. An operator can use both: ARGUS for the rating, FileFlo for the document lifecycle.
Will using FileFlo help me pass an ARGUS audit?
Indirectly, by making the documentation portion of the audit faster and cleaner. ARGUS auditors verify pilot recency, aircraft airworthiness, training currency, drug/alcohol program records, and SMS documentation. Operators who walk in with disorganized records get findings. FileFlo's expiration tracking surfaces gaps before the auditor finds them; the audit binder export produces a complete record package on demand. The decision about Gold/Platinum is ARGUS's based on the totality of their evaluation, but a clean document layer materially improves the experience and outcome.
Does FileFlo issue safety ratings like ARG/US Gold or Platinum?
No. Ratings require independent third-party evaluation; a software vendor can't rate itself. ARGUS, Wyvern, and IS-BAO are the recognized rating frameworks for Part 135 charter. FileFlo helps you maintain the underlying compliance foundation that makes you ratable, but the audit and rating issuance are separate engagements with the rating body.
What does FileFlo cost vs ARGUS membership + audit fees?
Different products and cost structures. ARGUS programs typically involve an annual membership fee plus per-audit fees that scale with operator size and audit scope (Gold vs Platinum, single vs multiple aircraft). FileFlo is a software subscription, not certification. Aviation starts with the Audit-Ready Pilot Records Setup; 16 or more aircraft, air medical and fractional operations are priced by written quote. They're complementary line items: ARGUS for the rating + brand differentiation; FileFlo for the day-to-day document management that makes you audit-ready in the first place.
How does FileFlo compare to ARGUS CHEQ / TripCHEQ?
Different products entirely. ARGUS CHEQ is a database service that vetts aircraft, operators, and pilots, typically used by charter brokers, fractional operators, and Part 91 corporate flight departments before booking a trip. FileFlo doesn't provide third-party vetting; we provide internal document management for the operator. If you're a charter broker who needs to vet operators you're booking, CHEQ is the right product. If you're an operator who wants your internal pilot files, maintenance records, and training documents organized, FileFlo is the right product.
Can FileFlo handle both Part 135 and our adjacent compliance (ground transport, hangar EPA)?
Yes. The same FileFlo tenant handles Part 135 + Part 43/91.409 maintenance + FAA drug/alcohol program documents on file + ground transportation FMCSA (for shuttle services, charter buses, fuel trucks) + hangar OSHA (1910.151 emergency response, 1910.157 fire extinguishers) + EPA (used oil, hazwaste, SDS). Many small to mid-size Part 135 operators run multi-regulation footprints; consolidating into one platform saves significant operational overhead. ARGUS is aviation-only by design.
Make your next ARGUS audit a binder export.
FileFlo's Part 135 rule pack computes each pilot's checks, training and medical, watches each aircraft's annual, and keeps SMS documents on file, so you walk into the ARGUS audit ready, not scrambling. Start with your crew records. 30 days, every dollar back: if you are not happy with the Pilot Records Setup within 30 days of purchase, FileFlo refunds the full Setup price.
Includes 30 days of FileFlo. After 30 days, FileFlo continues at $150 per aircraft per month on this card unless you cancel. We remind you 7 days and 1 day before. Each reminder email has a one-click cancel link. Cancel before day 30 and nothing further is charged. The plan covers 1 to 15 aircraft. 16 or more aircraft, air medical and fractional operations: by written quote. Request an aviation quote.
ARGUS (ARG/US) is an independent, privately operated program and a registered mark of ARGUS International; Wyvern Wingman and IS-BAO (IBAC) are likewise independent programs and registered marks of their respective organizations. FileFlo is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a substitute for any of them, and does not perform audits or issue ratings. References here are descriptive only.