Plane finder is a shining example of what happens when a small team grows with a platform.
Started in 2009, Plane finder has not scaled over the years by adding headcount, vendors or complexity. Instead, founders Jodie and Lee Armstrong made a long-term bet on Apple’s ecosystem — staying native, sticking close to first-party tools and reading platform signals early. And over time, an app that began as “planes on a map” has evolved into a complete end-to-end flight tracking business — one that includes a global network of physical hardware — built and operated by a team of just eight people.
We spoke to the married founders about their early days, the new design in Liquid Glass, and the challenges of running a global flight tracking network.
Plane finder
- Available at: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
- Team Size: 8
- Based on: UK
Download Plane Finder from the App Store >
Take us back to 2009. What did the idea for Plane finderand what were the early days like?
read: We have been in the App Store for about a year after it opened. It feels like a lifetime. But the real spark was the discovery of the iPhone itself in 2007. We were actually in the US when it came out, so we picked one up, not really knowing what we were going to do with it. There was no app store yet, and I couldn’t even use it as a phone in Luxembourg. It was literally just holding and swiping back and forth. But that moment became such a big part of our journey. We still have that iPhone on display.
Do you have aspirations to become an end-to-end flight tracking platform in the early days?
jodie: Not at all. We just started with the app. Today we collect our own positional information directly from aircraft, put it into apps and sell our data commercially.
You are a small team of eight people. How is that?
read: I don’t think we would have done it without Apple technologies. We’re a small team, and we wouldn’t have the platform or the methods to sell globally without the App Store – credit cards, StoreKit, localization. We really appreciate the App Store as a platform.
Plane finder is known for adopting Apple technologies and features – such as ARKit, MapKit, and Liquid Glass – early. Which tools made the biggest difference?
read: It all goes back to MapKit. We flippantly say that the app is “planes on a map”, and MapKit is at the heart of it. We are also big users of metal for our 3D globe view. And we simply wouldn’t be able to handle subscriptions and monetization with promotional offers without StoreKit 2. We don’t use third parties or cross-platform frameworks. We are all into Apple technologies because they provide everything we need.
What made you want to be such an early adopter?
jodie: I steer the company from the thought of a quote I heard years ago: “When new technologies come, you can either be part of the steam engine or part of the road.” We always want to be part of the steam engine. We are quick to evaluate new technology, and if we can lean on it in a way that makes sense for our products, we go for it.
Can you talk about the process of adopting Liquid Glass?
jodie: We were immediately on board with the concept. From a leadership perspective, we said, “This is the future. We have to make sense of what we’re doing.” The design and engineering teams have worked incredibly hard to bring these two things together – staying current and sticking to technology while making sense for our world.
What does the developer community mean to you?
read: It is the reinforcing piece. When you work in silos, the community gives you confidence that you are applying technologies correctly. It’s all well and good to see WWDC sessions with slides and sample code, but that’s very specific. Seeing how it works in the real world is valuable.
jodie: Everyone I talk to at Apple has passion and opinions about our app. They are very engaged, and every piece of feedback is valuable. We’ve been asked questions over the years like “Why are you doing this to your toolbar?” All that talk is helpful.
Plane finder is not just an app. You have deployed thousands of flight tracking devices worldwide. How did Apple’s ecosystem enable this?
jodie: There is a symbiotic relationship between people who enjoy the app and want to engage by hosting receivers where we need coverage.
read: When we first started we had one receiver covering the south of the UK. People downloaded the app and said, “This is great, but I live in Scotland and can’t see planes.” So we would send them a receiver. A long time ago we heard this from Sweden, the USA, Africa and Asia.
jodie: Today we use the app to find people in places where we want to improve coverage. We leverage the power of the audience to grow the network even further.
What’s next?
jodie: We haven’t finished our Liquid Glass journey. We are working on an internal project code-named “Plane Finder Double Glazed” – the next iteration with broader UI changes that we initially held off on. We also look at how we can leverage machine learning and foundation models.
What’s one thing people don’t realize about running a global flight tracking network?
read: We own and operate the network of recipients that does. Many people think that we buy this data like other companies do.
jodie: We designed and manufactured receivers and antennas. There is more to us than just being an app!
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