Frequently asked questions

A handmade LED matrix display that tracks flights in real time: planes overhead, any flight number, a departure board and more scenes, with free updates over Wi-Fi.

Yes, for pilots, plane spotters, dads, husbands and aviation fans who have enough mugs. See the aviation gift guide.

Yes, people often call it that. It shows the live aircraft you would see on a flight radar map, on a handmade LED display for your desk. It is not affiliated with Flightradar24 or any flight-tracking app.

• 64×32 LED matrix in a solid maple frame
• ESP32-S3 controller board (pre-installed)
• 5V power supply and USB-C cable
• Quick start card with setup instructions

No. There is no subscription, monthly fee or hidden cost. Updates, support, the Departure Board and flight status are included, with no API key.

• ESP32-S3 instead of Raspberry Pi — faster boot, lower power, more reliable
• Phone setup, no app — no terminal commands or config files
• OTA updates — new features ship automatically
• Online owner portal — configure from any browser
• Handmade and tested — every unit quality-checked before shipping

Every Mach 2 is assembled, programmed, tested and checked by hand before it ships. They are not mass-produced.

We ship to 27 countries. US shipping is free. Outside the US, shipping is a flat $60, tracked; import duties and taxes are not included; most are calculated at checkout, the rest are due on delivery. Discount codes apply to US orders only. Country missing? Contact me. Orders ship in 1–2 business days; this is the last batch before Christmas.

We want you to be completely happy. If something isn't right, contact us and we'll make it right.

USB-C, 5V. Any standard USB-C charger or wall adapter works, and it needs no computer once it is on Wi-Fi.

Every Mach 2 includes lifetime support straight from me, with no outsourced queue. Contact me about setup, settings or tracking and I will help you get sorted.

1. Plug in the display. The panel shows JOIN WIFI and a network name like FTLED-2A9B.
2. On your phone, join that Wi-Fi network. A setup page opens by itself — pick your home Wi-Fi and enter its password.
3. The display restarts on your Wi-Fi and shows a short code. Enter it with your email at settings.flighttrackerled.com to link the display to your account.
4. Set your location in that portal from any device. Prefer a cable? USB setup in desktop Chrome or Edge at settings.flighttrackerled.com/onboard needs no code.

Any browser works for hotspot setup and the owner portal. Only the optional USB path needs desktop Chrome or Edge, because it uses Web Serial.

Yes, that is the main way. Join the display’s FTLED-XXXX Wi-Fi from your phone, pick your home network, then enter the panel’s code at settings.flighttrackerled.com.

Search by address for an automatic 20-mile area, or drag the corners of the coverage box on the map in your owner portal for a custom boundary.

The panel shows NO WIFI and CHANGE WIFI and reopens its FTLED-XXXX hotspot. Join it from your phone and pick the new network; it stays linked to your account.

Yes. Enter it in your owner portal as UA953 or UAL953. The display follows the flight live until it lands, then returns to the overhead scanner about 20 minutes later.

It watches live ADS-B data inside your tracking area and shows each aircraft’s airline, flight number, type, altitude, speed and route as it passes.

Overhead Scanner, flight tracking, the Departure Board, airport weather, a clock and ambient scenes, all chosen from the owner portal. New ones arrive in free updates.

It checks for updates over Wi-Fi and installs new features and fixes in the background, free.

Yes. Set brightness in the owner portal, and filter by altitude, distance and aircraft type.

No. Pick an airport, and an airline if you like, in your owner portal and it fills in. Flight tracking needs no key either.

They used an earlier API path whose costs kept growing, so I moved to a setup I can keep supporting.

Yes. Mach 2 uses Airplanes.live as the main overhead data source, runs on much more powerful hardware, and has OTA updates so fixes and provider changes can be shipped over Wi-Fi.

The newer setup has provider settings built in. A different data source can be switched on from settings, like a toggle, without replacing the box.

That is the goal, through multiple data options, open API guides and OTA updates.