Mobile phone apps/ aircraft spotting

[john1958]

Hi all, after some help, and I know there will be a few out there who can!!!!!!

I'm due to change phones this month, and I'm VERY interested in the mobile phone app where you can "point" the phone at an aircraft flying over, and it tells you what it is.....sounds almost like a mobile phone SBS to me!!!

So, does anyone out there use this app, and if so how good/accurate is it?

Also, what phone would be the best for this an iphone or an android phone?

If anyone does respond, please can you do it in easy to understand words......remember I'm an old bloke!!!!

Thanks in advance

John

[markmai]

Hi John.

I would suggest an Iphone. I work for o2 and I had an iphone with this APP on it. It is really spot on. I borrowed my brothers SBS and ran the APP at the same time and it was spot on. The only difference was that it didn't pick up the same amount of aircraft. It showed about 90% of what was on SBS. Really good though for when you are at an airport on a clear day.

I now have a Blackberry as wife lost her iphone so I gave her mine. Really miss it.

Hope this helps.

Mark

[john1958]

Cheers Mark, I'm with t-mobile, and they seem to have the Iphone 4, so that could be the beastie!!!!!!

How are you and yr brother keeping?

John

[markmai]

We are both ok. My Brother is getting into military more than anything else now. I'm still plodding along. Not been too well this year so hoping for a better one next. Going Dubai next year in Nov for airshow. Wife and kids going as well.

Me and Bros going MAN tomorrow.

How are you and Family?

Mark

[john1958]

Where are you staying at DXB? I stayed in the Metropolitan diera a few years ago, had all the staff including the security man borrowing my telescope to watch the flying displays!!!!

Are you going over to Sharjah? Well worth the money!!!!

My job ends 31/12, so I'm madly trying to get something in place before then!!!!!!!

[markmai]

Going to stay at the Premier inn, directly across from the airport. They have a roof top pool where you can take shots of apron and runway.

Will go other airfields if possible.

Sorry about your job. There are jobs going where I work but obviously depends what money you want.

Mark

[john1958]

Hi Mark, cheers for that, I might have a gander on their website tonight!!!!!

Just been on T-mobiles website, and the iphone is going to be too expensive, mores the pity!!!!! So my next choice might be one of the android options!! Possibly a Nokia C7? Or an HTC wildfire? All new to me!!!!!

I've been given an address to get the app free,
bit.ly/planefinderdroid

So, I'm assuming you just enter the internet address on the internet on the phone, and download it?

John

[viscount]

I had not come across aviation hobby apps for mobile devices before seeing a full page, outside back cover, advert on December's "Airliner World" magazine.

The adverts suggests that there is an App called 'Plane Finder HD' for iPad and 'Plane Finder AR' for the iPhone. Also works on an Android - a new term for me. As stated on an earlier post, the boast is that with an iPhone you can show what is flying overhead, or point the camera at a plane to find the flight number, aircraft registration, speed, altitude and how far away. Apps share the same virtual radar date as www.planeplotter.net ADS-B data can also be shared apparently. They also market an app 'Airliner Finder' for iPhone with an identification guide to over 700 airlines worldwide.

The company placing the ad. for Vitual Radar Apps is Pinkfroot (their spelling, not my error!). With an invitation to join them on Twitter@pinkfroot, or to join their community at www.pinkfroot.com Regretably the ad provides absolutely no indication as to purchase price or user costs.

No idea if this helps or not - the whole idea of being able to use a non-optical device to read off the identity of an aircraft is something I still find a little unsettling.

[Biggles]

I use the Samsung Galaxy S 1900, I did use the free planefinder app and found it fine so I paid out for the full app, ever since I have had nothing but problems it force stops at every use, and I always het multiple traces for one aircraft. I have spoken to the guy who made the app and depsite all the improvements re downloads etc I still have the problem. I also use the free VirtuelRadar24 which is similar but not as good as planefinder, but without the errors ?
The Galaxy is also without doubt the worst mobile I have ever had for battery use. It lasts about half a day and gets sooooooo hot when in use, all of which I am told is normal ?

LiveATC is also not yet available for the android market but is for the iphone I think.

The app where point the phone at the sky is made by the guy who made planefinder. think it is planefinderAR. there is also an app for ships.

try www.pinkfroot.com

[john1958]

Cheers for all the help and advice guys, lots of food for thought there.

Viscount, I know what you mean about using non optics, but you still confirm the id by optical means, pole/bins just to make sure the type and airline is correct. And as I'm under LPL approach, I quite often go out and rerad the aircraft off myself, just to confirm that the SBS is giving the correct id for aircraft.......so it's not cheating.....honestly!!!
Many, many, many years ago, as a young lad on the roof of the old Queens buildning at LHR, we used to watch all the trails going across from europe to the US, and using a radio and optics, note down the Lufthansa flight numbers, as there was a nice man in Lufty's ops office in terminal 2, who would tie up the flight number that day with a reg......I think the SBS and these apps seem a lot more accurate than that, or even using grids such as those in the LAAS magazine to tie up flyovers!!!!!!

[viscount]

Now there's a good idea in this weather - optics provide a measure strong spirits.

Does take a little of the fun and anticipation out of spotting, simply pointing your mobile phone at an aeroplane. I'm not knocking the users of SBS, planeplotter, planefinder etc though in any way, everyone to their own.

[john1958]

If we're discussing those type of optics, mines a double!!!!!!

:-)

[Beemer]

Brilliant bit of kit that Mark has on his phone (the point at aircraft APPS) that he demonstrated for me at the mound just recently, and to think that Dick Tracy's wrist watch TV was only a pipe dream when "ar were a lad" Regards Beemer.

[Biggles]

Tesco are supposed to doing the best deal on the i-phone 3 and 4 starting at £20 per month contract deal for the 4

[G-PHIL]

Hi All

Just purchased Plane Finder on my HTC Wildfire and it works brilliantly.

The point your phone camera feature at an aircraft is only available on the iPhone from what i can gather but still i am looking forward to using my phone while out and about, i know it won't show everything and has it's limitations but still it's another useful tool to have.


Phil