Flight manual · Aircraft, scanner & collection

Identify Aircraft with Sky Scanner

Use camera, location, compass and device tilt to align with a nearby live track.

Availability: iPhone · iPad · Free. Checked for app version: 1.0.0.

Outcome

Sky Scanner narrows nearby live tracks to the aircraft that best matches where the device is pointing; it does not use visual image recognition.

Sky Scanner aligned with a visible aircraft

How to do it

  1. Open Sky and choose the scan action on iPhone or iPad.
  2. Hold the device upright with the rear camera facing the aircraft.
  3. Follow the alignment rings while MODE 1090 compares location, heading, pitch and fresh nearby tracks.
  4. Confirm only when the highlighted aircraft matches what you can actually see.
  5. If alignment is unstable, move away from magnetic interference and recalibrate the compass with a gentle figure-eight motion.

Good to know

  • Sky Scanner does not capture, save or upload a camera image.
  • The feature is not available on Mac, Apple Watch or Apple TV.
  • A simulator cannot honestly validate camera and motion alignment; final acceptance requires a physical iPhone or iPad.
If the result looks different, open Settings > Help and send the visible status together with device, operating system and app version.
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Identify Aircraft with Sky Scanner | MODE 1090