The plane spotting app that turns the sky into a collection
CatchFlights is a real-world aircraft collecting game. A live radar shows the aircraft actually flying near you — tap one, catch it, and it joins your collection of aircraft types, airlines, airports and routes, with XP, levels and a personal spotting logbook.
- Real aircraft
- no spawn tables
- 15 → 50 km
- radar range
- 5 tiers
- Common to Legendary
Look up. Open the radar. Catch it.
- 01
See what flies near you
The radar shows airborne aircraft around your location in real time. It starts at a 15 km radius and grows to 50 km as you build your tech tree.
- 02
Tap and catch
Tap a contact for its type, registration, operator, route, altitude and speed where available — then catch it before it leaves your range.
- 03
Grow your collection
Every new type, registration, airline, airport and route earns XP. Rare aircraft are worth more, and curated sets give you something to chase.
Everything a plane spotter collects — in one game
Live radar
North-up or rotated with your compass, with aircraft you are still missing for a set highlighted in gold.
A real collection
Manufacturers, families, models, registrations, airlines, countries, airports and routes — searchable, with facts and photos when available.
Rarity that means something
Every aircraft type carries a hand-curated tier from Common to Legendary. A first catch of a rare type is a moment.
Daily challenges
A Type Rating quiz on real aircraft photos, Dispatch assignments and a Fly-off board every day.
Spotting logbook
Every catch with date, distance and place — as a list or on a map, searchable and filterable by airline.
Friends and relays
Add friends by link or QR code. Catch the same aircraft as a friend within a day and you both earn XP.
Skywatch
A free watch post that keeps looking while the app is closed and tells you when an aircraft you are missing comes into range.
Levels, streaks and perks
Level up, keep your daily streak and unlock perks like Fast Catch, Catch All, Long Range and Double XP.
Plan your day at the airport
Planner tells you what was seen at any airport on which weekday and at what time — and what is on its way there right now. Free, in your browser, no sign-up.
What might come on your day
Pick an airport and a day: the types seen there on that weekday over the last weeks, rare ones first — “seen on 10 of 12 Saturdays, mostly 14–17”.
What lands next
Aircraft on their way to the airport right now, soonest first, with type, airline, registration and an estimated arrival.
Where to see a type
Search an A380 or an An-124 and see at which airports near you it was seen, and on which weekdays.
See it in action
LIVE RADAR 
YOUR COLLECTION 
TYPE RATING 
FLY-OFF 
DISPATCH 
AIRCRAFT DETAILS 
LOGBOOK 
LEVELS & STREAKS
A game about real aircraft — with real limits
Not a flight tracker
CatchFlights shows the aircraft near you, not the whole world. There is no global map, no flight status and no safety claim.
No invented data
Positions come from community ADS-B receiver networks. When a route or photo is unknown, the app says so instead of guessing.
No account needed
Play without signing up. The optional Community account never asks for an email address or a password.
Your location stays yours
Location is used while the app is open, and shared catch cards never show where you were standing.
Questions, answered
What is CatchFlights?
CatchFlights is a real-world aircraft collecting game for iPhone and Android. A radar shows the aircraft actually flying near you. Catching one adds it to your personal collection of aircraft types, registrations, airlines, airports and routes, and earns XP, levels, streaks and progress towards curated sets. Every catch is kept in a personal spotting logbook.
Is CatchFlights free, and where can I get it?
CatchFlights is free to download on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android phones.
Is CatchFlights a flight tracker?
No. CatchFlights only shows airborne aircraft near your current location, within your radar range, and turns them into a game. It has no global map, no flight status or delays, and it is not a navigation or safety tool. Aircraft, route and photo details come from third-party data and can be incomplete or delayed.
How do I catch a plane?
Open the radar and allow location access while the app is in use. Tap an airborne aircraft inside your radar range to see its type, registration, operator, route, distance, altitude and speed where available, wait a moment for the route lookup, then tap Catch. Perks such as Fast Catch, Catch All and Automatic Catch unlock as you level up.
Which aircraft can I catch?
Any airborne aircraft that the radar receives near you: airliners, cargo aircraft, business jets, light aircraft, helicopters and military aircraft that broadcast their position. Aircraft that do not broadcast via ADS-B, or that no receiver nearby picks up, do not appear. Each aircraft type has an editorial rarity tier from Common to Legendary.
Do I need an account?
No. CatchFlights works without an account or sign-up. An optional Community account adds friends, the leaderboard and Skywatch; it is identified by a generated key and never asks for an email address, a phone number or a password.
For everyone who looks up
- Guides
What plane is above me?
How to find out which aircraft is flying over you right now — and why some never show up.
- Guides
Plane spotting guide
Where to start, what to bring, and how to keep a logbook of everything you see.
- Guides
Planner: what to see when
Pick an airport and a day and see which types were seen there on that weekday, rarest first.
- Guides
Identify aircraft types
Tell an A320 from a 737 and a widebody from a narrowbody, feature by feature.
- Guides
Plane spotting apps
Flight trackers, spotting logbooks and collecting games — which app does what.
- Guides
CatchFlights vs Skycards
Two ways to collect real aircraft: a card game and a spotting collection, side by side.
Catch what flies overhead
CatchFlights is free on iPhone and Android. Open the radar and see what you can add to your collection.
iPhone · Android