To identify a plane flying over you, open a nearby-aircraft tracker and match its direction, distance and altitude to the aircraft you can see. You do not need a flight number. What Plane? shows nearby aircraft on iPhone and iPad, with a Home Screen widget for quick checks.
Get What Plane? on the App Store, or follow the steps below to check that you have found the right aircraft.
How to identify the aircraft above you
- Open What Plane? and allow location access. Your position is used to find nearby aircraft.
- Compare direction and distance. The nearest aircraft is a starting point, but it may not be the one you are looking at. Check that its position and direction match the plane in the sky.
- Check altitude and movement. A high airliner can look close while being several miles away. If several aircraft are nearby, compare their headings and watch which way your aircraft moves.
- Read the aircraft details. Look for the model, airline or operator, registration and callsign. Route information may also be available; not every flight has every field.
A live map can help when several aircraft overlap in your view. If you already know the flight number and want its arrival time, use a flight-status search instead.
Can I see nearby planes on my iPhone Home Screen?
Yes. What Plane? includes a Home Screen widget for nearby aircraft. After installing the app and setting up location access, add the plane tracker widget.
Widget refresh timing is controlled by iOS, so the widget is not a continuously updating radar display. Open the app for a fresh check when a plane passes overhead. A Home Screen widget also requires access to your Home Screen; it is not the same as a Lock Screen widget.
Why is the plane overhead missing from the tracker?
Flight trackers depend on available aircraft broadcasts and receiver coverage. A missing aircraft does not mean that the sky is empty.
- Coverage can be incomplete. Low aircraft, terrain and gaps between receivers can limit reception.
- Some flights are restricted or unavailable. Military, government and private aircraft may not appear, or may show limited details.
- Information can be delayed. Compare the displayed position with what you see, especially when aircraft are moving quickly.
- The aircraft may be farther away than it looks. A visible contrail can belong to a high-altitude flight outside the nearest-aircraft view.
Read how ADS-B flight tracking works for more detail about the data behind trackers.
Can I identify a plane without an app?
You can often narrow down the aircraft family by its shape: count the engines, note whether they sit under the wings or at the rear, and look at the wing and tail layout. Exact variants and registrations are harder to establish from the ground.
Use our Boeing vs Airbus identification guide to learn visual clues. To practise recognising aircraft rather than track a live flight, try the free aircraft identification quiz.
Which app fits this question?
What Plane? is built around identifying aircraft near your location on iPhone and iPad. It is useful for a quick check from the garden, a walk or an airport viewing area. It cannot guarantee identification of every aircraft, and the aircraft nearest your phone is not always the one directly above you.
See the iPhone aircraft tracker guide for setup and selection advice, or view What Plane? on the App Store for current compatibility and pricing.