Airplane locator is a sparkling example of what happens when a small team grows with a platform.
Launched in 2009, Airplane locator has not scaled over the years by adding staff, suppliers or complexity. Instead, founders Jodie and Lee Armstrong gambled on Apple’s ecosystem for the long term: They stayed native, stayed close to first-party tools, and read platform signals early. And over time, an app that started as “planes on a map” evolved into a fully end-to-end flight tracking company – one that spans a global network of physical hardware – built and managed by a team of just eight people.
We spoke to the married founders about their early days, the new design and Liquid Glass, and the challenges of running a global flight tracking network.
Airplane locator
- Available on: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
- Team size: 8
- Located in: Great Britain
Download Plane Finder from the App Store >
Take us back to 2009. Where did the idea come from Airplane locatorand what were those early days like?
Lee: We have been present in the App Store for about a year after opening. It feels like a lifetime. But the real spark was the unveiling of the iPhone itself in 2007. We were actually in the States when it came out, so we picked one up, not really knowing what we’d do with it. There was no App Store yet and I couldn’t even use it as a phone in the UK. 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.
Did you have the ambition in those early days to become an end-to-end flight tracking platform?
Jodie: Not at all. We started with just the app. Today we collect our own position information directly from aircraft, put it into apps and sell our data commercially.
You are a small team of eight people. How is that?
Lee: I don’t think we could have done this without Apple technologies. We’re a small team and without the App Store (credit cards, StoreKit, localization) we wouldn’t have the platform or methods to go to market on a global scale. We really appreciate the App Store as a platform.
Airplane locator is known for early adoption of Apple technologies and features, such as ARKit, MapKit and Liquid Glass. Which tools have made the biggest difference?
Lee: It all goes back to MapKit. We say lightheartedly that the app is ‘planes on a map’, and MapKit is at the heart of that. We are also big users of Metal for our 3D sphere display. And without StoreKit 2, we simply wouldn’t be able to generate subscriptions and revenue from promotional offers. We do not use third parties or cross-platform frameworks. We are all into Apple technologies because they provide everything we need.
Why were you willing to be such early adopters?
Jodie: I run the company based on a quote I heard years ago: “As new technologies emerge, you can either be part of the steamroller or part of the road.” We always want to be part of the steamroller. We evaluate new technology quickly, and if we can capitalize on it in a way that makes sense for our products, we go for it.
Can you talk about the Liquid Glass adoption process?
Jodie: We immediately started working on the concept. From a leadership perspective, we said, “This is the future. We have to make it meaningful for what we’re doing.” The design and engineering teams have worked incredibly hard to bring these two things together: staying current and immersed in the technology while making it meaningful for our world.
What does the developer community mean to you?
Lee: It’s the reinforcement piece. When you work in silos, the community gives you confidence that you are applying technologies correctly. It’s all well and good seeing WWDC sessions with slides and sample code, but that’s very specific. It’s invaluable to see how it works in the real world.
Jodie: Everyone I speak to within Apple has passion and opinions about our app. They are very involved and every piece of feedback is valuable. Over the years we’ve been asked questions like, “Why are you doing this to your toolbar?” All that conversation helps.
Airplane locator is not just an app. You have deployed thousands of flight tracking devices worldwide. How did Apple’s ecosystem make that possible?
Jodie: There is a symbiotic relationship between people who enjoy the app and want to get involved by hosting receivers where we need coverage.
Lee: When we first started we had one receiver covering the south of Britain. 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. It didn’t take long before we heard from Sweden, the United States, Africa and Asia.
Jodie: Today we use the app to find people in locations where we want to improve coverage. We use the power of the audience to grow the network even further.
What’s next?
Jodie: We’re not done with our Liquid Glass journey yet. We’re working on an internal project codenamed “Plane Finder Double Glazed” – the next iteration with broader UI changes that we initially withheld. We also look at how we can leverage machine learning and basic models.
What’s one thing people don’t realize about running a global flight tracking network?
Lee: We own and operate the network of receivers that power the system. Many people think that we buy that data like other companies do.
Jodie: We have designed and manufactured receivers and antennas. There’s more to us than just being an app!
Keep reading
Developer Stories explore the best practices and philosophies of some of the most inventive developers in the Apple community. In each story, we go behind the scenes with developers, designers and engineers to find out how they brought their remarkable creations to life.
