Built flight tracker colored by altitude, strangely satisfying to watch

Name: Built flight tracker colored by altitude, strangely satisfying to watch
Availability: InStock
Author: kewonit

by kewonit·Feb 15, 2026·3 points·0 comments

Visit Project View on HN

AI Analysis

●●●BangerEye CandyCrowd PleaserRabbit Hole

Altitude-colored flight radar in 3D—satisfying to watch, technically solid, genuinely novel.

Strengths

•Altitude-to-color mapping + Deck.gl WebGL rendering creates genuinely delightful visual experience; not just functional but *beautiful*.
•Real-time OpenSky integration with adaptive polling + trail smoothing—technical execution matches the ambition.
•Deployed and live (aeris.edbn.me); full stack (Next.js, Tailwind, MapLibre) shows production-ready polish.

Weaknesses

•Niche appeal—this is a "nice to watch" tool, not something that solves a specific problem for most users.
•No monetization path or clear future beyond a screensaver-like experience.

Post Description

The goal was to make air traffic look beautiful rather than just functional. Flights are colored by altitude in 3D space. Always loved the idea of tracking flights overhead, and had an idle monitor, both combined gave birth to this project.