For plane spotting on iPhone, What Plane? helps you identify aircraft near your position and check their model, airline, registration and other available flight details. Its Home Screen widget gives you a quick way to check nearby traffic between sightings.
View What Plane? on the App Store for current pricing, optional purchases and compatibility.
What makes an app useful for plane spotting?
A useful spotting app helps you connect an aircraft in the sky to an aircraft record. Prioritise direction and distance, the model or ICAO type code, and a registration you can record after the sighting. Airline and route information add context when available.
For an airport visit, you may also want the airport's arrivals board or a live traffic map. These help you plan which movements to watch; a nearby-aircraft view helps with the aircraft passing your position.
A simple iPhone plane spotting workflow
Before you head out
Check that your app has location access and can load nearby traffic. Review the airport's visitor information and use an authorised viewing area. An arrivals board can help you decide when to visit, although timings and runways can change.
When you spot a plane
- Look at its position and direction of travel.
- Open What Plane? and compare nearby aircraft by direction, distance and altitude.
- Check the model and registration once you have a likely match. The nearest aircraft is not automatically the aircraft you can see.
- Record the registration, type, place and time in your spotting notes if you want a record of the sighting.
If several aircraft are nearby, watch their movement before choosing a match. See our guide to identifying a plane overhead.
Between sightings
Use the Home Screen widget for a quick check. iOS controls its refresh schedule, so open the app for current information when a new aircraft appears. Here is how to add the widget.
Learn the aircraft type codes you see
| Code | Aircraft |
|---|---|
| A320 | Airbus A320 |
| B738 | Boeing 737-800 |
| B77W | Boeing 777-300ER |
| A333 | Airbus A330-300 |
| A35K | Airbus A350-1000 |
| B789 | Boeing 787-9 |
The type code describes the aircraft model; the registration identifies the individual airframe. Learning both helps you distinguish a familiar type from a new aircraft in your log.
What a spotting app cannot guarantee
Not all aircraft broadcast usable tracking data, and receiver coverage varies. Military and private aircraft may be absent or restricted. Route, operator and registration details can be incomplete. Use your own observation to check a match rather than treating an app result as certain.
What Plane? is available for iPhone and iPad. Check the App Store listing for current compatibility and which features require an optional purchase or Pro.
Build recognition skills as well as a spotting log
Learning the shape of an aircraft helps you check what a tracker tells you. Start with our Boeing vs Airbus recognition guide, then try the free aircraft identification quiz.
For live identification during your next spotting session, get What Plane? on the App Store.