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Best aviation sites and apps for pilots, simmers and spotters

The FAA handles more than 45,000 flights a day. Follow them on a flight tracker, hear them on LiveATC, fly them again in X-Plane, decode the METAR they departed under, or start the 40-hour minimum toward a private pilot certificate.

Compare flight trackers Price a pilot license

By Mike, private pilot, 300 hours in Cessnas, and a browser full of flight-tracking tabs.

Image: 4300streetcar (CC BY 4.0) / Wikimedia Commons

From ADS-B feeds to A&P school

Flight TrackingFlightradar24, FlightAware, ADS-B Exchange and live ATC audio: how flight trackers work, what the free tiers show and which app fits.Flight SimulatorsMicrosoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane and free browser sims, plus yokes, pedals and what home simulator time is worth for real training.Learn to FlyDiscovery flights, ground school, medical, checkride and the real cost of a private pilot license in the US.Pilot Apps & WeatherForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, aviation weather sources, METAR and TAF decoding, and digital logbooks.Aviation News & MediaNews sites, YouTube channels, podcasts and forums where pilots and aviation fans spend their time.Plane SpottingGear, camera settings, the best US airport spots and the photo databases spotters upload to.Air TravelCheap flight search tools, seat maps after SeatGuru, US refund rules and the numbers behind flight safety.Aviation CareersAirline pilot pay, air traffic controller hiring, A&P mechanic training and flight attendant requirements.

Highest-rated trackers, sims and apps

Scores out of five, from free browser tools to paid EFB subscriptions.

  1. Pilot Institute5/5The best balance of price, depth and guarantee for a student pilot starting from scratch.Learn to Fly
  2. FlightAware4.5/5The free pick for travelers and pilots who care about arrival times and tail number history…Flight Tracking
  3. Flightradar244.5/5The tracker to pay for if you enjoy watching traffic: Gold delivers a year of replays…Flight Tracking
  4. ForeFlight4.5/5The reference EFB for iPad pilots, from student renters to IFR owners, with the cleanest planning…Pilot Apps & Weather
  5. ForeFlight Logbook4.5/5The easy choice for any pilot already flying with ForeFlight, from student to instructor.Pilot Apps & Weather
  6. Garmin Pilot4.5/5The pick for Android users and for pilots flying behind Garmin glass who want the app…Pilot Apps & Weather
  7. Google Flights4.5/5The first stop for any known route: fast, clean and honest about whether today's fare is…Air Travel
  8. King Schools4.5/5For students who want to understand the reasons behind each rule, with checkride prep included in…Learn to Fly

From the passenger seat to the left seat

The first lesson, the hours behind a private certificate and the bill that comes with them.

Watching traffic from the ground

Transponder signals, tower frequencies and the fence spots where airliners pass a few hundred feet overhead.

About 300 hours, nearly all in high-wing Cessnas

I learned to fly at a small Part 61 school, renting 152s and 172s by the hour. Since the checkride I've flown mostly local VFR trips, practiced radio calls on LiveATC, rehearsed approaches on a home simulator and kept a flight tracker open more often than my email.

On the ramp I prefer paper checklists and an iPad on a kneeboard over a panel-mounted screen: the checklist never needs a charge, and the iPad goes home with me.

I don't have an instrument rating yet, and I've never flown anything with more than one engine.

About Mike

Questions pilots and fans ask

What is the best free flight tracking app?

Flightradar24 and FlightAware both have free tiers that show live positions, routes and recent history. ADS-B Exchange shows unfiltered data, including many military and blocked aircraft.

How much does it cost to get a private pilot license?

Most students in the US spend somewhere between $15,000 and $25,000, depending on rental rates, instructor fees and how many hours they need beyond the FAA minimum of 40.

Can you learn to fly with Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A home sim helps with procedures, radio calls and instrument scanning. Only FAA-approved training devices count toward certificate hours, and a sim doesn't teach the feel of a real landing.

Where can I listen to air traffic control?

LiveATC.net streams hundreds of US tower, approach and center frequencies for free on the web and in its app. Listening is legal in the US.