Published 15 January 2025. This guide is from the team behind FlightCatcherPro. We built the app to turn plane spotting into a game—here’s how we’d get started.
Plane spotting is watching, IDing, and often photographing aircraft. From home with a tracker, at an airport viewing area, or at airshows and museums. Here: what to bring, the best apps for beginners, and where to spot.
In short
- You need a smartphone, optional binoculars, and a tracker plus a spotting game.
- Start with FlightRadar24 or FlightAware, then add an ID/collection app like FlightCatcherPro.
- Best starter airports: Heathrow, LAX, Schiphol, Dubai—we have a full list with tips.
- Match what you see to a flight on the tracker; with practice you’ll recognise types and liveries.
What is plane spotting?
Plane spotting is observing and IDing aircraft by type, airline, or reg. Lots of spotters keep a log or collection. Apps let you track flights in real time, ID planes with your phone, and turn spotting into a game by catching aircraft and adding them to a digital hangar or deck.
What you need to get started
- Smartphone: flight tracking apps, camera, and a plane spotting game (e.g. FlightCatcherPro).
- Binoculars (optional): helpful at busy airports to read regs and see details.
- An app or two: a tracker (e.g. FlightRadar24) to see what's overhead, and optionally a plane spotting game to collect and ID aircraft.
Best apps for plane spotting beginners
Start with a flight tracker to see what's nearby (FlightRadar24, FlightAware, or Plane Finder). Then add something to ID and collect: FlightCatcherPro turns spotting into a game: lock on, ID, and add aircraft to your hangar. Full list of trackers, loggers, and games: our top 10 plane spotting apps.
Try FlightCatcherPro on the App Store → or join the Android waitlist →
Best airports for plane spotting beginners
Busy internationals with public viewing areas or known spotting spots work best. At a viewing area you get the rumble and the rotation—a tracker lets you match that to a flight. London Heathrow (Myrtle Avenue), LAX (Imperial Hill, In-N-Out), Dubai, Amsterdam Schiphol. We've listed the top 10 best airports for plane spotting with tips; many have dedicated spotting guides.
How to identify planes
Use a flight tracker to match what you see to a flight (airline, type, reg). Apps like FlightCatcherPro and PlaneSpot use your camera or real-time data to ID aircraft and add them to your collection. With practice you'll recognise common types (737, A320) and liveries. For a worked example, see how to identify and find the rare quadjet in our Lufthansa A340-600 spotting guide.
Try those clues on a real, time-limited target with our Airbus A350F spotting guide. For a variant where the registration matters more than the silhouette, use our United A321XLR routes and identification guide.
FAQ: plane spotting for beginners
Lock on, ID, and collect with FlightCatcherPro. More guides in our plane spotting guides.