Airwaves OS
--:--:--Z118.000 MHz

signal acquired · an open-source operating system for the airwaves

The skyis talking.start listening.

Airwaves OS turns a Raspberry Pi and a software-defined radio into a complete aviation & maritime listening station. Flash it, plug in, and decode ACARS, VDL-2, HFDL, ADS-B, satellite and ship traffic — out of the box.

GitHub ↗
ACARS131.550 MHzUAL1422 · N27957 · OOOI: OUT KSFO 0312ZVDL-2136.975 MHzDLH456 · D-AIXP · CPDLC LOGON ACCEPTEDHFDL8.927 MHzQFA8 · VH-ZNJ · POS 37°42S 144°50E FL380ADS-B1090 MHzSWA1881 · A2C4F1 · FL360 · 448 kt GSAIS162.025 MHzMSC ARIA · IMO 9619452 · 18.4 kn · 094°TADS-CSATCOMWAYPOINT REPORT · FL370 · M.84 · ETA 0455ZIRIDIUM1626.104 MHzIRA · SV112 · BEAM 27 · PAGEACARS130.025 MHzBAW287 · G-XWBA · WX REQ EGLL ATISHFDL13.276 MHzGND STN 04 RIVERHEAD · SQUITTER · 12 SLOTS
07signal families decoded
12decoders, preconfigured
118→1626MHz of spectrum covered
01SD card flash to install

CH 01 · 118.000–1626.104 MHz

Seven families of invisible traffic

Thousands of aircraft and ships are narrating their journeys right now, on frequencies nobody tunes. Airwaves OS ships with every decoder configured, so the first thing you see is traffic — not config files. Aviation and maritime are first on the dial — the destination is every radio hobby.

CH 02 · THE TOOLKIT

The best of open radio, pre-wired

The community already built brilliant decoders. We package, configure and orchestrate them so they work together the moment you boot — and feed wherever you point them.

$ xngAirframes’ next-generation multi-mode decoder client, written in Rust — ACARS, VDL, HFDL, satcom and AIS in one binary.--rust--multi-mode--feeding$ acarsdecFast, lightweight ACARS decoder for RTL-SDR and other radios.--multi-channel--low-power--net-output$ acarshubMulti-source ACARS collector and forwarder with a live web dashboard.--dashboard--visualization--multi-decoder$ vdlm2decDecoder for VDL Mode 2 messages, widely used in aviation.--fast-DSP--multi-channel--networking$ dumpvdl2High-performance VDL-2 decoder with deep message analysis.--advanced-DSP--analysis--logging$ hfdlobserverMonitor and decode HFDL traffic from around the world.--multi-band--global-HF--propagation$ iridium-toolkitToolkit for analyzing Iridium satellite signals.--satellite--constellation--analysis$ satdumpPowerful satellite signal processing and image decoding.--multi-sat--imagery--weather$ JAERODecodes Aero ACARS relayed over Inmarsat satellites.--satcom--live-tracking--visualization$ readsbThe ADS-B decoder swiss-army knife behind most 1090 MHz feeders and live maps.--ads-b--1090ES--feeders$ rtl_airbandMultichannel AM/NFM demodulator for VHF airband — live ATC voice alongside your data decoders.--voice--multichannel--streaming$ AIS-catcherAIS receiver decoding ship positions and messages.--maritime--geospatial--tracking

CH 03 · THE NETWORK

Your antenna, part of something global

Every message you decode can flow onward. Airwaves OS feeds Airframes, the world's leading open aggregator for ACARS, VDL, HFDL, SATCOM and AIS — and plays nicely with Airplanes.Live, Plane.Watch, FlightAware, ADS-B Exchange and FlightRadar24 for ADS-B.

  • Multiple aggregators, every data type
  • Automatic, privacy-respecting sharing
  • Global coverage and redundancy
  • Open research and transparency
Feed the network →

CH 04 · THE HARDWARE

Runs where you already are

01

Raspberry Pi

Flash a card, plug in your SDR, power on. Every Pi model, tuned for low power and 24/7 duty.

all Pi modelsoptimizedheadless
02

Single-board computers

Broad SBC support beyond the Pi — pick the board you already own and put it on the roof.

wide hardware supportflexible deploysper-arch builds
03

Laptops & desktops

A full desktop experience for portable DXpeditions or a permanent listening post by the window.

portablehigh performancefull desktop

CH 05 · TRANSMIT BACK

Put your antenna
to work

Airwaves OS is free and open source, in active development. Get on the early-access list, follow along on GitHub, and help shape radio software that just works.

GitHub ↗

open source · GPLv3 · downloadable releases coming soon

backed byAirframesAirframesthe open aviation & maritime data platformbecome a sponsor →