Indie App Spotlight: Zephy Brings AirTag-Style Interface to Plane Spotting

Welcome to this week's Indie App Spotlight, where we explore innovative applications from independent developers. Today we're examining Zephy, a novel aircraft tracking tool that reimagines flight radar interfaces with Apple-inspired design principles.

For aviation enthusiasts and curious observers alike, Zephy solves a common scenario: spotting an aircraft overhead and wondering about its origin, destination, or model. Unlike traditional flight radar apps cluttered with maps and data overlays, Zephy adopts the spatial orientation approach popularized by Apple's AirTag interface. Using your iPhone's built-in gyroscope and compass, it creates a real-time radar display showing aircraft positions relative to your location.

The core experience centers on a circular radar interface where planes appear as moving dots. Tap any aircraft to reveal detailed information including:

• Flight number and airline
• Aircraft model with example photo
• Current altitude and ground speed
• Origin and destination airports
• Tail registration number

What sets Zephy apart is its customization flexibility. Users can adjust detection range from 5km to 100km (defaulting to 20km) and modify the radar's field of view from a narrow 30-degree cone to a full 360-degree panorama. This granular control lets you focus on specific air corridors or scan the entire sky.

Technical implementation leverages publicly available ADS-B flight data transmitted by aircraft, processed through established aviation APIs. The app respects privacy by displaying only commercial and civilian aircraft with active transponders, excluding private or military flights without public tracking.

Available exclusively for iPhone on the App Store, Zephy requires iOS 13 or later. Remarkably, the app operates without advertisements, in-app purchases, or subscriptions – a rarity in today's flight tracking landscape. This makes it accessible to casual users while remaining useful for aviation professionals needing quick reference.

For travelers, local residents near airports, or anyone fascinated by aviation, Zephy delivers specialized functionality through an interface that feels instantly familiar to Apple ecosystem users. Its elegant solution demonstrates how indie developers continue pushing mobile experiences forward by reimagining specialized tools with consumer-friendly design.