What plane is that?
You hear a plane, look up, and wonder where it is going. Here is how to find out, from the fastest way to the spotter’s way.
The fastest way: check a live map
Almost every airliner broadcasts its position over ADS-B. Open the JetDex live map, let it use your location, and you will see every plane around you with its flight number, airline, route, altitude and aircraft type. Find the one moving in the same direction as the plane you are looking at.
A trick that helps: look at which way it is moving and roughly how high it is. A low, slow plane is usually landing at or leaving a nearby airport. A high, small one with a contrail is cruising at around 10,000 m and probably just passing over.
Read the plane itself
If you want to recognise aircraft without a screen, start with these clues:
- Number of engines. Four engines: Airbus A380, Boeing 747, or an older A340. Two engines covers almost everything else.
- Size and body. A short, narrow plane with two engines is usually an Airbus A320 family or a Boeing 737. A long plane with big engines is a wide-body like a Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350.
- Double deck. A hump at the front is a 747; a full-length upper deck is an A380.
- Wingtips. Split scimitar tips point to a newer 737; tall sharklets to an A320neo; curved, raked tips with no winglet to a 787.
- Engines on the tail. Small jets with engines at the back are usually business jets or regional aircraft.
- Propellers. Two propellers on a high wing: probably an ATR 72 or a Dash 8 on a short regional flight.
- Livery. The tail colours tell you the airline, which often tells you where it is going.
The exact flight: point your phone at it
A map shows you all the planes around; it does not tell you which one you are looking at. That is what the JetDex app is for: you point the camera at the plane, and it combines your position, where the phone is pointing and the live positions of every aircraft to lock on to that exact flight. You get its route, aircraft and altitude in about a second, and it goes into your collection.
When a plane can’t be identified
Some aircraft don’t broadcast their position: many military planes, some light aircraft, gliders and balloons. Coverage can also be thin over the sea and in remote areas. More on that in why a plane may not show up.
How can I find out what plane just flew over my house?
Open a live flight map centred on your location, like the JetDex live map, and look for a plane moving away from you in the direction you saw it go. Tap it to see the flight number and route.
Can my phone identify a plane in the sky?
Yes. Apps like JetDex use your phone’s GPS, compass and camera together with live ADS-B data to work out exactly which aircraft you are pointing at.
Why are some planes so high and others so low?
Planes cruise at 9,000 to 12,000 m. Low planes are almost always climbing out of or descending into an airport nearby.