What is BYOC?
FlightAbove on your own hardware.
BYOC (Bring Your Own Clock) lets you subscribe to the FlightAbove software and run live aircraft tracking on a display you already own - no hardware purchase required.
From sign-up to live aircraft in minutes
What exactly is BYOC?
BYOC stands for Bring Your Own Clock. It is an FlightAbove software subscription for people who already own a compatible display and want the FlightAbove experience without buying a dedicated hardware device.
When you subscribe, you get a unique URL. Open that URL in any modern browser on your display, and you instantly have the full FlightAbove interface - live ADS-B aircraft data, clock faces, your location and bearing configuration, all of it. There is no software to install. No firmware to flash. No command line.
BYOC is ideal for tech-savvy aviation enthusiasts who want to repurpose hardware they already own - most commonly a Raspberry Pi with an attached display running a browser in kiosk mode.
Subscriptions are for BYOC only. Physical FlightAbove devices (FlightAbove Mini and FlightAbove) are a one-time purchase and are never subject to a subscription. Software updates for hardware devices are included for life.
BYOC at a glance
- Billing Monthly or annual
- From £3.99 / month
- Annual option £40 / year
- Hardware needed Your own display
- Software install None - just a URL
- Cancel Any time, no fees
How BYOC works, step by step
From creating your account to live aircraft tracking in about five minutes.
Choose a plan
Pick monthly (£3.99/mo) or annual (£40/yr) billing. Create your FlightAbove account. Your unique device URL is generated immediately after sign-up.
Open your URL on your display
No software to install. Simply open your unique FlightAbove URL in the browser on your display - Chromium, Firefox, any modern browser - and the clock loads instantly.
Set your location
From your FlightAbove dashboard, enter your coordinates (or drop a pin on the map), set your viewing direction, and choose a tracking radius. This tells FlightAbove exactly which aircraft to show.
Track aircraft live
FlightAbove starts pulling live ADS-B data. Aircraft within your configured area appear on the display immediately. Updates every few seconds, automatically.
Customise your clock face
Choose from multiple clock face styles, light or dark mode, and accent colours. Changes apply instantly to your display without reloading.
Manage from anywhere
Your FlightAbove dashboard is accessible from any browser. Update your location, bearing, radius, or clock face from your phone or laptop - the display updates instantly.
What hardware works with BYOC?
If it can run a modern browser and connect to the internet, it will work. Here are the most popular setups.
Raspberry Pi + display
A Raspberry Pi 3B+ or 4 with any attached HDMI display. Run Chromium in kiosk mode pointed at your BYOC URL and the clock fills the screen automatically. Most community setups use this approach.
- Raspberry Pi 3B+, 4, or 5
- Any HDMI monitor or touchscreen
- Chromium or Firefox in kiosk mode
- Runs headlessly after initial setup
Old tablet or phone
An old Android tablet or iPad you no longer use as a primary device makes an excellent BYOC display. Keep the browser full-screen on your FlightAbove URL and mount or prop it up on your desk.
- Android 8+ or iOS 14+
- Any modern browser
- Works with screen-on software
- Great for portrait or landscape
Any browser-capable device
Smart TVs with a browser, Amazon Fire sticks in browser mode, old laptops running a dedicated browser window - if it has a screen and internet, BYOC will run on it.
- Smart TV with browser
- Amazon Fire tablet / stick
- Any laptop or desktop
- NUC or mini-PC builds
WiFi requirements: The display device needs to access the internet to load your FlightAbove URL. A stable 2.4GHz or 5GHz connection works fine. The FlightAbove URL refreshes aircraft data automatically - no special network configuration needed.
What is included in BYOC?
BYOC subscribers get the complete FlightAbove software experience. The only thing not included is the physical device - you bring that yourself.
Included in BYOC
- Live ADS-B aircraft data
- Registration, callsign, airline and route
- Altitude, speed and heading
- Location and bearing configuration
- Adjustable tracking radius (up to 250 km)
- Multiple clock face styles
- Dark mode, light mode, accent colours
- Dashboard - manage from any browser
- Unique device URL - no install needed
- Automatic updates via the URL
- Public shareable clock URL
Not included in BYOC
- Hardware brightness control Your display manages its own brightness
- Sound / audio alerts Exclusive to FlightAbove hardware
- Choice of bezel colour Hardware-specific to FlightAbove devices
- 1-year hardware warranty Not applicable - you own the hardware
- 14-day returns on hardware Subscription can be cancelled any time
BYOC vs FlightAbove hardware: which is right for you?
The software experience is identical. The choice comes down to how much you want to tinker versus how much you want everything taken care of.
Choose BYOC if...
- You already own a compatible Raspberry Pi or display
- You enjoy tinkering and DIY projects
- You want to try FlightAbove before buying hardware
- You prefer a flexible monthly or yearly subscription
- You want to run FlightAbove on a larger screen
Choose hardware if...
- You want a polished, ready-to-use desk display
- You prefer a one-time payment with no recurring fees
- You want it to just work without any tinkering
- You want the full hardware feature set (audio alerts, brightness control)
- You're buying it as a gift for someone
Already have hardware? Start tracking in minutes.
Subscribe to BYOC from £3.99/month. Cancel any time. No lock-in.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
BYOC (Bring Your Own Clock) is an FlightAbove software subscription. You subscribe, receive a unique URL, and point your own display's browser at it to get the full FlightAbove live aircraft tracking experience - without buying FlightAbove hardware.
Anything that can run a modern browser and connect to the internet. A Raspberry Pi with a display running a browser in kiosk mode is the most common setup, but any device with a screen and a browser will work - tablets, old laptops, smart TVs, and more.
No. After subscribing you receive a unique URL. Open it in the browser on your display and the clock loads immediately. There is nothing to download or install. Updates happen automatically via the URL.
Yes. BYOC is the only FlightAbove product billed as a subscription. Physical FlightAbove hardware devices are a one-time purchase and are never subject to a subscription or recurring fees.
Yes. Cancel from your dashboard at any time. You keep access until the end of your current billing period - monthly subscribers until the end of the month, annual subscribers until the end of the year.
Yes. You can start with BYOC to try FlightAbove on your own hardware and order a physical FlightAbove device later. Your account and configuration carry over.
FlightAbove is designed to be a dedicated always-on display. It filters aircraft by your specific location and viewing direction, shows the data in a clean clock-face format designed for glancing at from across a room, and runs without any interaction. It is not a map - it is a display.
Your display device just needs internet access to load and update your FlightAbove URL. Any WiFi connection works fine. The FlightAbove server handles all the aircraft data fetching - your device only needs to load the page.
FlightAbove on your own hardware.
Subscribe and start tracking.
Subscribe to BYOC and have live aircraft overhead on your screen within minutes. Cancel any time, no hardware required.