Interesting to read the latest Daily Mail scare story today regarding the tracking of an Air Ambulance that happens to be piloted by the heir to the UK throne.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3174593/Spy-sky-terror-threat-William-Security-alert-app-lets-track-pilot-Prince-s-air-ambulance-helicopter.html

The Daily Mail have some history here – back in 2010 they were doing the same thing when Plane Finder released augmented reality aircraft tracking to the world.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1317320/iPhone-app-tracks-planes-aid-terrorists-armed-missiles.html

It is pretty obvious that there aren’t too many surface to air missiles in the UK being carried around by would be terrorists. And even if they had one they wouldn’t use an iPhone to target the thing!

However the Daily Mail article does raise some interesting points.

Plane Finder were the first to release an aircraft tracking app back in 2009. We use data broadcast directly from the aircraft. This data is used throughout the aviation industry to increase efficiency and enhance safety. This technology benefits passengers, the environment and the economy.

The diagram below shows just how simple the technology is:

Since 2009 we have continued to develop and enhance our technical capabilities. This means that in theory we could track aircraft that operate outside of the sphere of normal commercial airspace – for example private aircraft, military planes and air ambulances.

Whilst in theory we could do this – the question is should we?

The short answer is no – we should not show everything that we can track and/or could potentially show.

At Plane Finder we realise that we have a responsibility to do the right thing. We aim to deliver the benefits of live flight tracking whilst working hard to ensure that our live feeds do not include data that could compromise national or regional security.

Whilst we won’t list here the flights that are blocked from our tracking system we actively review the aircraft that we are tracking and consider all requests to block aircraft from our systems.

At Plane Finder we work closely with the aviation industry and continue to evolve and adapt our technologies as the world changes. For example passengers can now use their mobile phone via WiFi on many flights. It is not just the aircraft that is broadcasting its location.

Turning the clock back to 2010 when the Daily Mail said of Plane Finder AR that “Security experts have slammed a £2 phone app which gives specific details about in-flight aircraft”. The answer is again no – they did not. It was a hyped media story designed to sell newspapers and advertising. Responsible aircraft tracking has an important role to play in the global economy and the safety and security of passengers worldwide.

At Plane Finder we will continue to deliver a quality, informative and yes – responsible, service to the millions of aviation professionals and passengers that use our apps and websites.

Plane Finder for iOS is now a Universal app! This means that a single purchase now works on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad!

We’ve also added some great new iOS 9 features such as the split screen multitasking view. This means you can run Plane Finder along side your other favourite apps, (which is Ship Finder isn’t it?).

So how do you get it?

If you already run Plane Finder on your iPhone simply visit this link on your iPad. The download will be free and you’ll get to enjoy Plane Finder at full size on your iPad.

If you already have Plane Finder HD installed on your iPad the we also have a way for you to get Plane Finder at a discounted price (for most this will be free!). Simply visit this link on your iPad which will present the upgrade view below:

All future development will continue on the new Plane Finder Universal application – but we have done one last update for Plane Finder HD users

Thousands of people use Plane Finder on a daily basis to monitor worldwide air traffic, but many are still unaware that it’s also possible to replay that same data for historical flights. In fact, Plane Finder has been recording ADS-B data for use in playback since April 2011. Not only that, but we also provide free and unlimited access to it via our website!

Making the most of Plane Finder playback

You can access planefinder.net‘s playback feature by selecting the “Playback” button at the top right-hand side of our website. After that it’s as simple as selecting a date and time and hitting play. Playback works just like a video player – allowing you to pause and adjust playback speed at any time you’d like.

There are also a number of alternate ways to access playback data:

• If you’re looking to playback a specific flight you can search for the flight number on planefinder.net and we’ll provide you with a list of its most recent flights for quick and easy playback.
• Or you can search for a specific aircraft in our extensive Aviation Database.

Playback on-the-go

In September 2014 Plane Finder’s mobile application became the first iOS application to offer unlimited playback of air traffic data. Just like playback on our website the feature is free and offers unlimited playback of data all the way back to April 2011. We worked hard to ensure the experience was intuitive on mobile devices, allowing users to speed up or slowdown playback with the swipe of a finger. Why not download our iOS application and give it a try?

Playback of noteable events

When we receive reports of a notable event, or if we detect that an aircraft is squawking 7700, we will endeavour to capture playback data and present it for our users as part of our Event Report system.

• An Airbus A350 performs display practice for the Singapore Air Show
• Iron Maiden depart from Cardiff aboard EdForceOne
• Nurse Cafferkey’s medical transport flight

The Event Report system provides a full and transparent picture of the data our systems collect. We highlight areas of lost coverage as well as speed and altitude changes over time, and provide all of the information as a .csv download completely free of charge.

To keep an eye out for new reports we recommend you follow us on Twitter.

Plane Finder has received reports that EgyptAir flight MS181 was hijacked by a man “strapped with explosives” and diverted to Larnaca, Cyprus.

The flight was due to fly from Alexandria to Cairo and had departed a couple of minutes early as part of a scheduled flight between the two airports.

Flight tracking shows the flight made it most of the way to Cairo before diverting north towards Cyprus. The flight was eventually given permission to land at Larnaca at 08:50 am, several hours after its intended arrival at Cairo.

The aircraft involved is SU-GCB an Airbus A320 that was delivered in 2003 to EgyptAir new from Airbus.

Update (12:10 UTC)

We’re happy to report that both Reuters and EgyptAir are reporting that the situation has been resolved peacefully, with all hostages released and the hijacker in custody.

Additional coverage

• Our Event Report on the EgyptAir MS181 hijacking, including playback and detailed flight information
• Our data site includes more information on the aircraft involved

You may have recently heard about our all new Plane Finder Radar ADS-B receiver. We are currently shipping these to far flung places around the globe as we continue to build and enhance our high quality ABS-B data network. The receiver includes a very accurate GPS system which also means that our MLAT performance is excellent.

With so many aircraft already tracked it is sometimes difficult to notice improvements in our live flight tracking. The screenshot below shows Live Flight Tracking at Turin-Caselle Airport TRN/LIMF which, along with Genoa Sestri GAO/LIMJ, have recently both benefited from the installation of a Plane Finder Radar.

If you think that you can help us to improve our coverage then why not apply for a free Plane Finder Radar ADS-B receiver

High priority areas for us right now include Rome, Iceland, Qatar, Bahrain, Japan and The Maldives.

This week we told our manufacturers to make a new batch of our amazing Plane Finder Radar receivers.  We have been blown away by the performance of the first batch that is now out in the field.  They have exceeded even our test sites here in the UK!

Can you help?

We are looking for homes for the next batch and are prioritising the following countries:

• Saint Helena
• Iceland
• Greenland
• Cuba
• Bahrain
• Maldives
• China
• Turkey
• Syria
• Iraq
• Iran
• Azerbaijan

If you can help with any of these then please apply using our form which will gather all the information we need.

If you aren’t in one of these countries but see a gap in coverage, get in touch anyway, we are always looking to fill those holes!

Plane Finder relies on a global network of sharers to help maintain ADS-B clients all over the world. To help make the process of sharing ADS-B data with us as easy as possible we released a ground-up rewrite of our Plane Finder ADS-B Client just over a year ago. The update included a beautiful new web-based user interface, a quick and intuitive setup process, support for MLAT, at-a-glance statistics and a live air traffic map.

We remain incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received from our sharers and understand that maintaining an ADS-B receiver isn’t always easy. Unfortunately improving the reliability of ADS-B software is only half of the battle. Which is why, earlier this year, we were excited to announce the roll-out of our very own ADS-B hardware – the Plane Finder Radar – which comes packaged out-of-the-box with our client software to make it the easiest way to setup and maintain a reliable and high quality ADS-B receiver.

Adding a new dimension to ADS-B data visualisation

Since the rollout of our new ADS-B client we’ve listened to user feedback and have been hard at work updating the software. Today we’re pleased to announce a new version which uses the latest in web technologies to give receiver owners access to real-time polar and air traffic visualisations in both 2D and 3D.

As well as being able to visualise the range of your ADS-B antenna, the new Plane Finder Client also allows you to pan and zoom your way through real-time 3D air traffic.

Making the most of the Plane Finder ADS-B Client

The Plane Finder ADS-B Client is completely free to download, works on Linux (Raspberry Pi’s, BeagleBone, etc…), Windows and Mac, and is already compatible with the most popular ADS-B receivers on the market:

• Plane Finder Radar
• Beast
• Kinetic Puck & SBS
• Radarcape
• RTL dongles (via Dump1090 or other decoder)

If you’re new to the world of ADS-B but would still like to get involved – you can apply for a free Plane Finder Radar. If you’re selected we’ll handle shipping you everything you need to get started.

Those that already have the client installed can simply upgrade by following the install instructions again but with the new download.  The configuration will be retained and you’ll be up and working again in no time at all!

As always, we have a healthy community of enthusiasts over on the forums who are always willing to help new users out. Alternatively, if you have questions about either the Plane Finder ADS-B Client or the Plane Finder Radar please feel free to contact us (we respond to every message).

EgyptAir Flight MS804 has gone missing over the Mediteranean Sea on route from Paris to Cairo.

The Airbus A320, registration number SU-GCC, departed Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris on Wednesday evening shortly after 23:00 local time and was expected to arrive at Cairo International Airport 03:15 local time.

The aircraft disappeared from air traffic control systems around 175 miles from Egypt as the aircraft was about to begin its descent.

EgyptAir has reported that the aircraft’s emergency devices sent a signal that was received at 4.26am local time, two hours after the last radar contact.

A search operation is currently underway in the area that the aircraft was last seen with vessels leaving from both Egypt and Crete.

The 12 year old Airbus A320 was carrying 56 passengers and 10 crew at the time it suddenly disappeared from radar tracking.

The aircraft involved is SU-GCC an Airbus A320-232 was delivered in 2003 to EgyptAir new from Airbus.

On Wednesday 18th May the aircraft had already flown flights from Cairo to Asmara Airport in Eritrea, Asmara to Carthage in Tunisia and from Carthage to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Additional coverage

• Our Event Report on missing EgyptAir flight MS804, including playback and detailed flight information
• Our data site includes more information on the aircraft involved

iOS Beta Testing Plane Finder App

We are just putting the finishing touches to the next version of Plane Finder for iOS.

This will be the first in a series of great updates to improve the app and we need your help!

It is the first time we have ever run a public beta! We are doing this to make sure that the new version, when released to the millions of users that we have around the world, is as amazing and stable as you have come to expect from us!

So what do we need?

Well if you have an iOS device and use, or want to use, Plane Finder regularly then it’s as simple as just using the app.

All we ask is that if you come across any problems that you simply email us the details. We can then get the issue resolved before the app goes out to the wider world. If you change your mind you can simply delete the app and go back to the version in the app store! Simple!

We only have space for around 2,000 of you to test so places will be tight. We really need people that will test this and use it regularly and any that don’t will be removed from the beta to make space for those that will test!

All of this will be emailed to you if you are accepted onto the beta.

Sign up to the iOS Beta Test

So if you can help, please click this link and sign up to start flight tracking today!

Vietnam ADS-B Flight Tracking Coverage

Every week we send out a large number of our high quality Plane Finder Radar ADS-B receivers. Our receivers provide highly accurate positional data ensuring that Plane Finder delivers the very best flight tracking experience to all of our users.

Just this week another two found their way to Vietnam.

The screenshot below shows a large number of aircraft on the ground at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

MLAT and ADS-B Flight Tracking

We are always looking for good homes for our MLAT enabled ADS-B receivers.

If you would like to help improve our coverage then why not apply for a free Plane Finder Radar ADS-B receiver. Alternatively you could even own one outright – just register your interest here: Plane Finder Radar Coming Soon

ADS-B Tracking Coverage

We continue to expand our global ADS-B coverage with people in all corners of the world now hosting Plane Finder Radar systems for us.

The antennas often end up at airports, on private properties, up mountains, and almost always in enviable positions with stunning views over many of the world’s great cities and vistas.

1090MHz antennas are really AvGeeks at heart though and just love to see planes!

Take a look at this one below – we think that this is one happy antenna!

Not only can this antenna watch planes right under its nose but it also gets to see aircraft 250 miles away! And because it is attached to a high specification Plane Finder Radar all of this lovely data is delivered in real time directly to Plane Finder!

Get your Free Plane Finder Radar ADS-B Receiver

If you think you can make one of our antennas happy then why not apply for a free Plane Finder Radar ADS-B receiver. Alternatively you could even own one outright – just register your interest here: Plane Finder Radar Coming Soon

It’s been great to see Augmented Reality (AR) in the news again recently with people all over the world using their mobile phones to catch those pesky Pokémon.

In a world first way back in 2010 we made it possible to capture planes in the same way!

In 2016 we’re still doing this so if you see people pointing their phones at the sky they might well be using Plane Finder and not Pokémon GO!

The AR feature in Plane Finder works just like Pokémon GO. Just point the phone at the nearby plane and you get to see the info on your screen.

You can even get an alert when certain planes of interest are in your area!

That screenshot above was captured live near Perugia, Italy. In the very latest version of Plane Finder you can now simply tap the captured plane to find out all about the flight and see it on a map too.

So how does it actually work? The tech in your smart phone includes a compass, GPS receiver an accelerometer which combine together to know where you are, which way you are facing and how you are holding your phone. At Plane Finder we know where most planes are too thanks to our world class flight tracking network! So – we combine these two things and you get to capture planes!

It could take some time to catch them all though!

Emirates Flight EK521 has crashed landed at Dubai International Airport on arrival from Trivandrum, India.

The Boeing 777-31H, tail number A6-EMW, appeared to land heavily before being overtaken by fire.

Early indications are that the 300 passengers and crew have been safely evacuated with no reported injuries.

The Boeing aircraft was 13 years old and first flew in 2003.

Additional Coverage of the Emirates Plane

• Our data site includes more information on the aircraft involved.

Track any Ryanair Flight Status with Plane Finder here.

About Ryanair Airways

Ryanair has grown from a small airline flying the short journey from Waterford to London into one of Europe’s largest carriers.

Found in 1984, originally as “Danren Enterprises,” Ryanair began operations in 1985. To begin with, the airline was comprised of a single 15-seat aircraft that flew between Waterford and Gatwick Airport.

Today, Ryanair is a little larger than this: The airline has over 9,500 members of staff, supporting 116 million passengers a year, on 1800 flights a day and operating 340 Boeing aircraft from 200 airports, in 33 countries across Europe and North Africa.

In 2013, Ryanair was both the largest European airline by scheduled passengers carried, and the busiest international airline by passenger numbers.

How to Track the Status of Your Ryanair Flight

Today Ryanair remains one of the busiest day to day airlines operating within Europe.

With Plane Finder, you can track the flight status of any Ryanair aircraft either via the Plane Finder Database or with Plane Finder’s dynamic flight tracker. This is now available on both desktop and mobile.

Using Plane Finder’s flight tracker there are three simple ways to track Ryanair Flight statuses:

Search for the specific flight using the flight’s unique number in the search bar at the top of the desktop and mobile version:

This will pull up all information found on the aircraft and flight, including; the Ryanair flight progression, it’s scheduled and expected arrival time, should there be any recorded delays. It’s altitude, it’s ground speed and the direction in which it is currently flying. Plane finder’s sophisticated flight tracker will also pull through more detailed information relating to the aircraft itself.

Add a Ryanair Airways filter on both the desktop and app version:

To add a new filter, you select the filter option in the top right toolbar, from there you can enter Ryanair Airways airline and save the filter. This will then filter out all aircraft that are not Ryanair flights. From there, if you know the plane’s flight path you can select the plane. This will then draw up the same information as before – including the aircraft’s Ryanair flight status.

Track any Ryanair flight status via airport departure and arrival boards on both the desktop and app version:

If you don’t know the plane’s flight path or flight number a third way to track Ryanair flight status of a plane is if you know the departure or arrival time and the departure or destination airport: You can search for a specific airport in Plane Finder’s smart search bar.

From this you can click on the airport itself and Plane Finder will display it’s live departure and arrival boards. if you know the time of the Ryanair flight you wish to track, you can click on that flight directly, or find it through trial and error, and it will then pull up the same information at before

Plane Finder Flight Tracker App

The process of tracking a Ryanair flight status on the Plane Finder mobile app follows the exact same process as outlined above.

You can download the Plane Finder Flight Tracking App from the App Store or via the Play Store for ‘on the go’ flight tracking. This is fully equipped with a dynamic augmented reality experience, which can pick out and name all planes flying near you at any moment!

Alternatively, use our interactive desktop version.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about Plane Finder, please contact us.

Welcome to our weekly round up from the weird and wonderful world of AvGeekery!

This week we find Wally – and not just the once we might add! We also catch up with some spectacular aircraft, take a couple of dips in the drink and make a bid for a second hand helicopter.

In Blast from the Past we take a look at some not very sharp shooting by the USAF!

Airlander 10 – World’s Largest Aircraft First Flight

At 92m this is 19m longer than an A380 so we can’t wait to see these in our skies!

You don’t see it in this video but the reason for this having the nickname of the flying bum is pretty obvious when viewed from the front.

We suspect that the silly nickname won’t prevent this aircraft from having a great future.

Air Traffic Control works to recover a pilot’s wallet

Ever left something behind on a plane? Chances are you never saw it again! Looks like a different story if you happen to be the pilot!

Watch Hero Air Show Fans Rescue a Ditched Pilot

popularmechanics.com

We are sure that this pilot is very grateful for the quick thinking and actions of these airshow spectators.

Honeywell B752 Flight Test

A very nice video of this unusual aircraft. That pod on the side is used to test a third engine!

Currently the aircraft is testing very high speed on-board internet services.

Soon you’ll be able to catch up with AVGeek weekly wherever you are!

Air ambulance pilot buys pay and display ticket

itv.com

Could we soon see helicopters land at airport car parks? Even with their prices it’ll still be cheaper than landing fees!

Water-bombing plane flies past just feet above the ground

dailymail.co.uk

A closer view than some people might have liked of some stunning flying by the crew of this French fire fighting aircraft.

Navy engineer returns lost wallet via 1,300 mile European road trip

telegraph.co.uk

Wally the Wallet gets to fly in a Chinook. Sounds like a new must watch TV show for AvGeek children everywhere!

14-SHIP FORMATION Over Baltic Sea

We find this video compelling and beautiful!

BLAST FROM THE PAST

The runaway drone that caused a Cold War air battle

bbc.com

Well these guys couldn’t hit a barn door from 10 ft – unless of course they weren’t aiming for it!!

IN THE JET STREAM

Royal Navy Westland Lynx

ebay.co.uk

Need a guardian for your gate? Well if you are in the UK this is the perfect choice!

Track any Etihad Flight Status with Plane Finder here.

About Etihad Airways:

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has managed to firmly establish itself as one of the world’s leading airlines, in just 13 years of operation.

Set up by Royal Amiri Decree in July 2003, Etihad Airways began commercial operations in November of the same year. Since then it has become one of the fastest growing airlines in commercial aviation’s history.

Last year alone, all 121 of Etihad’s aircraft fleet transported over 17 million passengers to 116 different destinations. They also flew 591,000 tonnes of cargo across the globe and accumulated  over $8bn of profit. A 17% increase on the year before. It is easy to see why they are a multi-award winning airline!

How To Track the Status of your Etihad Airways Flight

With over 1000 Etihad Airways flights a week taking off, it is highly likely that at one point or another you will want to track the status of a particular Etihad flight. This is where Plane Finder steps in:

Desktop Etihad Flight Tracker:

1. Search for a Flight via Flight Number

The easiest way to track any flight using Plane Finder’s flight tracker is by searching for a particular flight via flight number. If you know a flight’s specific number you can search this in the search bar. Plane Finder’s sophisticated flight tracker will then find this individual flight and pull up all of the related information as shown below:

Plane Finder can tell you the flight’s progression, it’s scheduled and expected arrival times as well as its departure time. Its altitude, speed and direction it is heading, along with more specific information about the aircraft itself.

2. Add an Etihad Airways Filter

If you do not have the flight number of the flight that you want to track – don’t panic! You can still track its status.

The easiest way to do this is by saving an Etihad Airways filter. To do this you can click on the filter option in the top right toolbar, then enter the airline and save the filter:

This will then filter out all non-Etihad flights. If you then know the plane’s flight path you can pick it out, click on it and it will pull up the same information as above.

3. Locate plane from Airport Departure / Arrival Board

The third and final way to track an Etihad Airways flight status is by the airport. If you know the rough arrival or departure time and either the departure or destination airport, you can locate a specific plane and track its flight status. By clicking on a specific airport it will display its live departure and arrival boards. From this, if you know the time of the flight you can click on that flight and it will then pull up the same information at before. If you don’t, it’s a bit more hit and miss but still easily done:

As you can see above the flight numbers to reference their corresponding airline. And so, worst comes to the worst, you can click on each flight number to find the plane you want to track!

Click here to track any Etihad Airways flight status now!

Plane Finder Application Flight Tracker:

The process of tracking an Etihad Airways flight status on the application platform follows the exact same process as outlined above for the desktop version.

Download the Plane Finder Flight Tracking App from the App Store or via the Play Store for ‘on the go’ flight tracking and a dynamic augmented reality experience, which can pick out and name all planes flying near you at any moment! Alternatively, use our interactive desktop version.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about Plane Finder, please contact us.

Welcome to another weekly round-up from the weird and wonderful world of AvGeekery!

This week we go bouncing up and down the AvGeek runway courtesy of Royal Air Maroc and Michelin.

We also get to see a very ungainly crash landing by the flying bum, get taken for a spin In the Jet Stream and find out that even complaining about an airline can now cost us money!

Passenger Aircraft Fails to take off!

If at first you don’t succeed!! A frightening experience for these passengers as their pilot aborts his first takeoff attempt!

Fortunately he did a better job on the second go!

Legroom on Most Major Airlines, Compared in One GIF

lifehacker.com

We like this simple presentation of the leg room US passengers can expect.

Airlander sustains damage after landing from second test flight

flightglobal.com

Looks like things just got a lot more difficult for the Airlander 10 sales team!

Airplane Tires Don’t Explode on Landing Because They Are Pumped!

wired.com

Reassuring stuff from Wired – as long as you don’t read the bit about the wheel failing first!

 BA and easyJet passengers will be charged £25 if their case is ‘unsuccessful’

dailymail.co.uk

Want to complain about an airline when Twitter won’t cut it?

Looks like we now have to pay for the privilege!

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Aerocinema-The home of classic aviation

aerocinema.com

A great service for any serious AvGeek historian.

IN THE JET STREAM

Aerobatics – A New Perspective

We’re not too sure how this video was shot! We are sure that we like it though!

What is Aircraft Spotting?

Aircraft spotting, as the name suggests, involves tracking or ‘spotting’ planes. This hobby is often accompanied by photography which serves as a way to document which aircraft have been spotted! Generally, spotting aircrafts involves the following:

• Naming and identifying aircraft types and models.
• Recording plane information.
• Monitoring air traffic control communications
• Observe airline routes.

Aircraft spotting is certainly no new past time. In fact, aviation enthusiasts have been watching, recording and tracking aircraft ever since they first took flight in 1903.

Nevertheless, it was not until the latter half of the 20th century that aircraft spotting came into its own. One reason for the relatively late officiating of flight tracking can be linked to advancements in technology, in particular when cameras first became widely available.

With the even later emergence of the internet, aircraft spotting has again been taken to a whole new level. Flight tracking websites – such as ourselves – have made spotting far more accessible. Being equipped with ADS-B tracking means that aircraft spotters today can access a live map of over 12,000 planes at any time.

Further advancements in-app technologies have taken this one step further. Certain apps like our Flight Tracker, offer an augmented reality (AR) feature. This allows you to instantly identify, monitor and follow any plane above you, at any given moment.

Social networking platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, allow avid spotters to record their activities, connect with other spotters and discuss their hobby.

You’ll need a keen eye for detail for Plane Spotting

The first thing to say about plane spotting is that the devil really is in the detail. For example, take a look at the image below:

This recreation by CNN clearly depicts the mind-boggling minute differences between the two main aircraft types; Airbus and Boeing. Such small variations can often be a little off-putting for beginner aircraft spotters who can find this frustrating.

Enter Plane Finder: With our app, you can spot aircrafts, guess their model and check your guess with the AR feature. This app also allows you to click on a plane above you and pull through all information surrounding the aircraft, including:

• The flight’s progression.
• Scheduled and expected arrival/departure times.
• Altitude.
• Speed.
• Direction.
• More specific information about the aircraft itself. See below:

How to get into Aircraft Spotting

The easiest way to get into aircraft spotting is to position yourself near an airport or in a well-known flight path and spot planes! It really is that easy.

However, there are many available technologies and platforms that can take your spotting knowledge and skills to the next level. Whether beginner, intermediate or advance, there is a place for all level of aircraft enthusiasts:

Online forums and social media provide the perfect starting point for any aircraft spotting novice. At the other end of the spectrum, such forums also act as important areas for experienced spotters to exchange information, share their most interesting spots and discuss the best locations.

These sites also provide information about how best to inform specific airports that you are a spotter. This is a very important part of plane spotting: In today’s uncertain world, if you are hanging around an airport watching planes, you want the authorities to know that you are not there to cause harm.

Plane Finder’s desktop flight tracking platform can help aircraft spotters to recognise flight paths and patterns and to identify where the nearest hotspots are.

Augmented reality, which can be found on our app, now means that you can be an aircraft spotter without actually spotting aircraft. For instance, planes in the far distance can now be recognised so that further flight paths can be tracked:

This feature can be used successfully to improve your aircraft knowledge by checking your recognition of different models, aid night time plane spotting, or, the dynamic AR feature can be used to simply impress your friends!

Blogs are another crucial source of information for all levels of aircraft enthusiasts. They provide a wealth of knowledge on about anything you wish to know. Our blog is especially useful keeping you up to date with technical updates, news and providing those all important how-to guides.

Plane Finder

Whatever level of aircraft spotting you are, our Flight Tracking App promises to significantly enhance your experiences.

You can download the app directly from the App Store or via the Play Store for ‘on the go’ flight tracking and a dynamic augmented reality experience. Alternatively, use our interactive desktop version.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about Plane Finder, please contact us.

In a busy AvGeek week we go large as we jump on board a giant fire engine, get excited about a huge new plane and watch a massive advert!

We also got to see some fireworks – unfortunately these turned out to be a huge investment from SpaceX and Facebook going up in smoke!

This week also saw the passing of the legendary engineer Joe Sutter – a man that created an amazing aircraft and spawned whole generations of AvGeeks.

B747-400 Global SuperTanker

matterport.com

When the fire service can’t get the job done – who you gonna call?

Antonov 225 to be built again!

facebook.com

AvGeek joy knew no bounds this week as we learned that another one of these amazing machines wil be built!

The long and the short of the 787 at All Nippon

oag.com

A very interesting analysis of All Nippon’s unusual deployment of their Dreamliner fleet.

First class and business class flight gift bags

qz.com

Not quite the gift bags seen at the Oscars but we wouldn’t say no – if we ever get the chance!

Tired of driving to work, this man built a plane

mashable.com

Cool Idea + Cool Plane + Cool Guy = Massive AvGeek respect from us!

4 spaces though! We can’t even get one at AvGeek towers!

The $30,000-A-Night Jet That Flies Empty

forbes.com

FedEx forgot to pick up your parcel? No problem – just leave your landing light on!

SpaceX rocket explodes at Cape Canaveral ahead of launch

bbc.co.uk

Sad news from the Cape this week as a SpaceX rocket disappeared in a fireball taking a Facebook satellite with it.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Meet the people who helped shape Boeing’s 100-year history

seattletimes.com

Joe Sutter – Father of the 747 who passed away this week.

IN THE JET STREAM

Breaking the World Record for Largest Aerial Projection Screen

Wired take us behind the scenes to show how this giant flying advertisement was made possible.