Proximity alerts
Get notified when nearby aircraft are likely to pass within your chosen range.
For anyone who has ever looked up and wondered
Flight awareness, made simple.
Flight Pinger gives you passive desktop and audio alerts when aircraft are likely to pass near you, so the sky above your Mac or Windows desk becomes easier to understand.
Location control
Use your current location or set specific coordinates for the area you want to watch.
Voice and sound
Hear spoken announcements and optional cabin-style sounds when aircraft are nearby.
Aircraft details
See nearby aircraft status, distance, aircraft type cues, and whether a plane is new or previously seen.
What it does
Useful alerts without living inside a radar map.
Flight Pinger is designed to run quietly in the background, appear when there is something worth noticing, then tuck itself away again.
Alerts and timing
- Proximity-based aircraft alerts using your location and flight position data.
- Estimated time until the next nearby aircraft is due.
- Pop-down desktop alert that appears from the top of the screen, then tucks away.
Audio awareness
- Voice announcements for aircraft alerts.
- Optional cabin-style ambience for a more playful aviation feel.
- Designed for passive listening while you work, browse, or have the screen covered.
Location and range
- Use your current location or manually enter specific coordinates.
- Adjust the tracking range to suit your area and alert preference.
- Keep alerts focused on aircraft that are actually relevant to your sky.
Aircraft information
- Bundled aircraft cards and icons for jets, prop aircraft, helicopters, and unknown traffic.
- Distance from your watch location, plus aircraft type cues when available.
- Seen status showing whether an aircraft is newly spotted or has passed before.
Skins and personality
- Multiple interface skins including Original Flip Flap, Matrix Green, Violet Purple, and Gattaca Blue.
- Compact visual design that feels more like an alert panel than a full tracking app.
- Built to be glanceable, atmospheric, and fun without taking over the desktop.
Quick links
- Shortcuts to popular flight-related websites such as Skyscanner and LiveATC.
- Useful when an alert makes you want to dig deeper into nearby aircraft or radio traffic.
- Flight Pinger is independent and not affiliated with linked third-party services.
Live overflight awareness
Know what’sflyingoverhead.
Flight Pinger gives you passive desktop and audio alerts when aircraft are likely to pass near you, using your location, adjustable range, and live flight position data.
Available for Mac and Windows.
The positioning
Not another flight radar. The alert layer beside it.
Flight radar tools are excellent when users actively want to track aircraft. Flight Pinger is different: it is passive, desktop-first, and audio-friendly.
The app is for the moment when something is passing overhead and you want a quick heads-up, a spoken cue, or a compact nearby-aircraft snapshot without starting a full map session.
Download Flight Pinger.
Get the current desktop build and use Flight Pinger for passive overflight alerts, voice announcements, aircraft details, and quick sky awareness.
Available now
Mac
Current macOS desktop build. Download, unzip, and open Flight Pinger.
Download for MacAvailable now
Windows
Current Windows desktop installer. Download, run setup, and open Flight Pinger.
Download for WindowsFAQ
Is this competing with flight radar apps?
No. Radar apps are for active tracking. Flight Pinger is for passive desktop and audio alerts.
Is this for flight safety or navigation?
No. Flight Pinger is a novelty desktop utility for casual awareness and plane spotting only.
Does Flight Pinger use my location?
It can use your location for nearby alerts, or you can enter coordinates manually if you prefer to watch a specific area. Coordinates sent to the aircraft feed are rounded before leaving your computer.
Where does aircraft data come from?
Live aircraft position data is provided by ADSB.lol under the Open Database License 1.0. Coverage, timing, aircraft details, and estimates can be incomplete or wrong.
Are Skyscanner and LiveATC part of Flight Pinger?
No. They are optional quick links only. Flight Pinger is independent and not affiliated with those services.
What platforms are supported?
Flight Pinger is available for Mac and Windows.