Every plane you see in the sky – you can now follow it from the cockpit in 3D
by coolwulf on 4/8/2026, 6:10:52 PM
https://flight-viz.com/cockpit.html?lat=40.64&lon=-73.78&alt=3000&hdg=220&spd=130&cs=DAL123
Comments
by: tetris11
I'm currently flying at Mach 10 on a custom call sign, breaking all kinds of barriers on a single heading. I cannot be stopped.<p><a href="https://flight-viz.com/cockpit.html?lat=40.64&lon=-73.78&alt=3000&hdg=220&spd=13000&cs=OHDEAR" rel="nofollow">https://flight-viz.com/cockpit.html?lat=40.64&lon=-73.78&alt...</a>
4/11/2026, 7:20:23 PM
by: coolwulf
Creator here. I posted Flight-Viz a few days ago (<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47603966">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47603966</a>) and the feedback was great. Since then I added a cockpit mode that follows any liveflight with real 3D terrain.<p>How to try it: go to flight-viz.com, click any plane, then click "Cockpit" in the action buttons. You'll get a first-person view wit h real buildings, terrain, atmosphere, and a HUD showing altitude/speed/heading — all driven by live ADS-B data.<p>Hao
4/8/2026, 6:10:52 PM
by: neilv
Before browsers were up to this, I implemented something related, using Google Earth Plugin.<p>You could load up the flight data recorder data (which contains more parameters than ADS-B), and watch 3rd-person view animation of a 3D model of that aircraft's movements as it flies over terrain. With instruments, plus visual annotations of flight path over terrain.<p>One kludge I was proud/relieved to find: At the start of the flight, there's a zoom in to the aircraft on the ground, from the Earth view, and then a particular dance of the camera around the aircraft itself. The purpose wasn't to try to look cool at the time, but to make sure that the plugin would render the aircraft model at all, before we started to change the position or orientation of the model. (The plugin was overly aggressive about deciding some annotations weren't in the scene. Once this camera dance ritual forced the plane into the scene, it stayed in the scene, even as it moved and twisted, and as the camera moved with it.)
4/11/2026, 11:30:34 PM
by: lastdong
This is so impressive, love it!<p>A bit of feedback: Clicking exit cockpit goes back to the previous page (in this case this HN thread).<p>Not sure if just me, but I really had to search hard for the actions under menu and the cockpit button.
4/11/2026, 6:51:31 PM
by: RichardHesketh
The FlightRadar24 app has had this feature for quite some time. I like your implementation though - it’s very easy on the eye.
4/8/2026, 6:19:34 PM
by: Markoff
Cromite on Android 15 stock Pixel ROM:<p>Error constructing CesiumWidget. Visit <a href="http://get.webgl.org" rel="nofollow">http://get.webgl.org</a> to verify that your web browser and hardware support WebGL. Consider trying a different web browser or updating your video drivers. Detailed error information is below:<p>RuntimeError: The browser supports WebGL, but initialization failed. Error at new kL (<a href="https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/Cesium/Cesium.js:75:137" rel="nofollow">https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/C...</a>) at DEe (<a href="https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/Cesium/Cesium.js:3920:51136" rel="nofollow">https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/C...</a>) at new dd (<a href="https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/Cesium/Cesium.js:3920:45550" rel="nofollow">https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/C...</a>) at new li (<a href="https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/Cesium/Cesium.js:15065:1043" rel="nofollow">https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/C...</a>) at new Go (<a href="https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/Cesium/Cesium.js:15442:8420" rel="nofollow">https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.125/Build/C...</a>) at new ji...
4/11/2026, 6:02:47 PM
by: ddmf
I'm just seeing stars, tried a few different devices and a couple of different browsers.
4/14/2026, 2:49:05 PM
by: dzhiurgis
Pretty cool. IDK if it's international connectivity issue or rendering, but I'm looking at this from Auckland and cities are just so slow to render - there's so much aliasing(?) artifacts.<p>Also we overshot runway, then went back albeit lower and then overshot again - I suspect there's connectivity issue (or HN hug). Also data really well delayed compared to adsbexchange.<p>Also - maybe add a button to take you to a Random Cockpit view (perhaps one with most live viewers (and add a chat there)).<p>Also cockpit noise would make me feel like I'm in xplane again lol. Also wonder if macOS PIP can be implemented for now video feeds.
4/12/2026, 11:52:29 AM
by: Waterluvian
I never realized the earth actually looked like a Mode 7 SNES game from up there!
4/12/2026, 12:59:10 AM
by: paduc
I tried to watch a plane land but the elevation/speed were wrong so it seemed like the plane went over the runway and disappeared.
4/12/2026, 10:48:44 AM
by: Brajeshwar
Will it be possible to have a “Record” feature, say for a few minutes? Would be lovely to save videos, especially the landings.
4/12/2026, 1:18:11 AM
by: linzhangrun
I remember Flight Radar 64 seems to have a 3D model feature. Technically it doesn't seem difficult: you just need the corresponding aircraft model, a 3D map with satellite imagery like Google Earth as the base, and then feed in the transponder data. It's a bit like an online game.
4/12/2026, 6:29:08 AM
by: jfoster
Really cool! Is this using a Google API? How is it not costing a small fortune?
4/12/2026, 2:34:33 AM
by: dtagames
This is super cool! The cockpit view is the best feature. But I had trouble finding it again after picking a different plane. Maybe a dedicated button for that on the map?<p>Love it.
4/12/2026, 12:51:11 AM
by: randerson
I'd love if it could tell when a plane is ascending or descending and then add the last known rate of change to the simulation. Then you could watch a plane land.
4/11/2026, 9:57:56 PM
by: grg0
This is great, smart application of graphics and public data.
4/11/2026, 7:33:20 PM
by: bigfudge
Is it possible to pan?
4/11/2026, 5:44:12 PM
by: Chrisszz
Commands are not that handy but from someone that has the flying in his heart since he was child I must admit that it's cool to have the cockpit view
4/11/2026, 6:24:37 PM
by: matmo
Would be nice to pair this with something like FlightRadar where you can see relevant flights in proximity to you and select them.
4/11/2026, 7:43:18 PM
by: sssilver
Interesting, I wonder if it would be possible to visualize the most dramatic parts of every flight -- takeoffs and landings.
4/11/2026, 7:45:42 PM
by: hasbot
This is cool. Now I can look out the cockpit of that plane that's been doing a pattern over my house for an hour.
4/11/2026, 9:28:34 PM
by: jmakov
Would be nice to look around in the cockpit view. And have city names etc.
4/12/2026, 8:47:50 AM
by: igtumt
this is interesting and how much of the rendering/logic is running in WASM vs JS?
4/11/2026, 7:50:24 PM
by: gorfian_robot
I wish it had all the small aircraft not just commercial flights
4/11/2026, 6:00:36 PM
by: metabagel
Perhaps this should be submitted under "Show".
4/8/2026, 6:20:36 PM
by: iJohnDoe
Badass! Really amazing!
4/12/2026, 5:13:29 AM
by: vixalien
it doesn't seem to show most flights or airports in africa
4/11/2026, 6:53:50 PM
by: stevage
Is anyone actually seeing a cockpit? All I'm seeing is a moving viewpoint (no plane, no cockpit...)<p>I mean, it's cool, it's just not quite what I expected from "cockpit mode".
4/12/2026, 11:06:31 AM
by: coolwulf
Now you can use mouse to change the camera during the cockpit view
4/12/2026, 4:57:06 PM
by: amelius
* except from the plane itself because wifi is broken or too expensive.
4/11/2026, 9:52:45 PM
by: ava-travel
[dead]
4/14/2026, 12:42:09 AM
by: mark124mj
[dead]
4/11/2026, 10:58:23 PM
by: deadlinermusic
Love this. How do you modify the flight number?
4/8/2026, 7:04:37 PM
by: imaginacion3D
[flagged]
4/12/2026, 12:33:10 AM
by: sroussey
Won't Elon sue?
4/11/2026, 11:29:55 PM