Flightradar24 is both a web and mobile application that tracks nearly all air traffic around the globe in real-time. The team at Flightradar24 is able to accomplish this by merging radar & MLAT data with over 20,000 ADS-B receivers around the world, and that number is growing.
Flightradar24 is easily one of my favorite applications. Sure, it doesn’t offer a lot of utility for the traveler, but for an aviation geek such as myself, it’s such a neat tool.

What it does

The name gives it away. It’s a worldwide flight radar in your pocket. You can track almost all air traffic in the world. Of course you won’t be able to track most military aircraft including Air Force One. It plots real-time flight tracks layered over Google Maps. Curious about a specific aircraft? You can get details such as altitude, airspeed, ground speed, vertical speed, departure / arrival time and so much more. Even a picture of the actual aircraft. It’s so good in point of fact, Boeing, Airbus and Embraer use this app as well as most major airlines. There are so many features, I can’t write them all here. For a list of all the feature and glimpse at the app, go to their site at https://www.flightradar24.com.

Is it Free?

Flightrader24 is free to use on Android, iOS and even through your web browser. Though the free version gives me all the cool features I want, there are paid packages for all of you filthy rich aviation geeks out there. Go to their app page for more details.