TCASpottr

Overview

TCASpottr is a desktop application for aviation enthusiasts, spotters, and anyone curious about the planes overhead. Inspired by TCAS, the aircraft collision avoidance technology, TCASpottr provides real-time tracking and instant notifications as aircraft approach your area. See interactive maps, aviation weather, and rich details for every flight — all in a beautifully designed, resource-efficient package.

Key Features

🔔

Real-time Alerts

Instant desktop notifications when planes enter your detection area.

📍

Precision Tracking

Visualize aircraft altitude, heading, and live position on an interactive map.

✈️

Aircraft Details

See flight number, registration, aircraft type/model, airline, speed, and direction.

⚙️

Customizable Range

Adjust the detection radius from 1 to 50 nautical miles to suit your needs.

🌙

Aviation Dark Mode

Modern, cockpit-inspired design that's easy on the eyes day or night.

🔋

Low Resource Usage

Runs quietly in the background, never slowing your computer down.

How It Works

Set Your Location

Automatically detects your location or lets you pinpoint it manually on the map.

Choose Detection Range

Pick how far out you want to spot aircraft (from 1 to 50 nautical miles).

Get Instant Alerts

Receive notifications the moment planes enter your area — with all the details you need!

Modern Technology

Frontend: PyQt5 for elegant native desktop UI + PyQtWebEngine for embedded map (Chromium-based)
Interactive Map: Leaflet.js for responsive, live mapping
Custom Styling: Frosted glass effect with QSS (Qt Style Sheets)
Backend: Modular Python 3, using requests for live data
Data Streams: Real-time ADS-B from adsb.lol
Location & Weather: Geocoder for user location; weather, METAR and aviation forecasts
Environment: Visual Studio Code, .env variable management, Git version control

Core Components

app.py flight_tracker.py location_tracker.py weather_service.py main.py

app.py: Sets up UI & handles user interaction
flight_tracker.py: Fetches aircraft data from adsb.lol API
location_tracker.py: Determines and manages user location
weather_service.py: Queries weather & METAR for locations/airports
main.py: Launches the application

Data Sources

adsb.lol (ADS-B) Weather APIs METAR Geocoding services

adsb.lol: Live aircraft positions & tracks (ADS-B)
Weather APIs: For local temperature, wind, clouds, and flight conditions
METAR: Real aviation weather reports from nearby airports
Geocoding: For converting location names & coordinates

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