IDENTIFY THE PLANE OVERHEAD

What plane is flying over my house?

You heard it, you looked up — now find out exactly what it is. In about ten seconds AeroScope can tell you the aircraft type, operator, altitude, where it came from and where it’s heading, and whether it’s anything out of the ordinary. Here’s how, and how to read what you see.

In under a minute

Four steps to identify it

01

Open the map

aeroscope.live in any browser. No app, no hardware, no sign-up to look.

02

Set your spot

Allow location or drop a pin on your home so the sky is centred on you.

03

Find the closest

Aircraft are ranked by distance and bearing from your point — the one overhead is usually right at the top.

04

Read it

Type, operator, altitude, speed, squawk, route and an attention score — the full identity of the aircraft.

What the details mean

Reading the aircraft panel

FieldWhat it tells you
Type & operatorThe airframe (e.g. A320, B738, helicopter) and the airline or owner
CallsignThe flight’s radio identity — often the airline + flight number
AltitudeHow high it is; very low usually means it’s on approach or departure
Speed & headingHow fast and which way — and where it’s going next
SquawkA 4-digit code; 7500/7600/7700 are emergencies (see squawk codes)
Attention scoreA 0–100 ranking of how unusual it is — see threat scoring
Why so many?

Why planes keep flying over your house

🛬

Approach & departure

If you live under an arrival or departure corridor for a nearby airport, you’ll see a steady stream of low, slow aircraft on a consistent track.

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Holding & routing

Air traffic control sometimes stacks aircraft in holding patterns or routes them along fixed airways that happen to pass over you.

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Overflights

High-altitude traffic (35,000 ft+) is simply passing between distant airports — cruising over, not landing near you.

The unusual ones

Is it military, a drone, or an emergency?

One honest caveat. AeroScope shows aircraft that broadcast ADS-B — nearly all airliners and many others. A small drone or a military aircraft with its transponder off broadcasts nothing, so it won’t appear. What you see is real; what’s silent stays silent.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out what plane just flew over my house?
Open aeroscope.live, set your location, and look at the closest aircraft — they’re ranked by distance from your point. Open the one overhead to see its type, operator, callsign, altitude, route and an attention score. It works in any browser with no app or hardware.
Can I see planes over my house for free?
Yes. The live map is free to view in a browser, and it aggregates 60+ public ADS-B feeds so you don’t need your own receiver. If you’d like to add coverage, you can also build a receiver.
Why are there so many planes flying over my house?
Usually because you live under an airport approach or departure corridor, beneath a fixed airway, or under high-altitude overflight routes between distant airports. AeroScope shows each aircraft’s altitude and route so you can tell which it is.
How can I tell if it’s a military plane or a drone?
AeroScope flags military and state aircraft from their ICAO hex ranges and callsigns, and tags low-and-slow drone candidates and Remote-ID broadcasts. See military aircraft tracking and drone detection for how each is identified.
Is the plane data live?
Yes — positions refresh every few seconds and each aircraft glides smoothly across the map between updates, so what you see is essentially what’s overhead right now.