FlightAware lets you track planes in real time

Published by at

I'm sure I've seen similar applications for iOS, but it turns out Symbian can do this too - FlightAware, free in the Nokia Store, lets you track commercial planes in mid air, plus there's detailed take-off and landing information. Whether you're travelling, meeting someone or just like spotting planes, FlightAware is something of a must-install.

From the Store entry for FlightAware:

Free, live flight tracker and flight status from FlightAware for Symbian!

This app allows you to track the real-time flight status and tracking map of any commercial flight worldwide. It can also track general aviation (private, charter, etc) in the United States and Canada.

Search by aircraft registration, route, airline, flight number, city pair, or airport code. 

View flight departure/arrival info as well as cancellations, gate changes, delays, and diversions.

Here's a brief screenshot walkthrough of this Qt-based app in action:

Screenshot, FlightAware Screenshot, FlightAware

The opening menu, though in the right screenshot, I've tapped on 'Nearby' instead - this shows planes in real time over your location. You can prove that the tracks are live by waiting a few seconds and then tapping on the refresh icon! Tapping on an individual plane shows its flight numbers and altitude.

Screenshot, FlightAware Screenshot, FlightAware

Looking up a particular flight number and its history...

Screenshot, FlightAware Screenshot, FlightAware

Tapping through on an individual flight's entry shows the details above left, including the landing time and current planned speed. Tapping on the 'Flight map' shows the plane's track and current position. The track is since you opened the application, as far as I can tell - there's no going online to retrieve a full historical path.

Screenshot, FlightAware Screenshot, FlightAware 

Other views of FlightAware data: looking up flights that service a particular route; and looking up a particular aircraft tail number (possibly one for the plane spotters?)

Here's FlightAware, a free download in the Nokia Store (the tie-up with Breitling is presumably how the developers have managed to keep the application free).

Source / Credit: Nokia Store