What Is Airplane Projection Mapping? (And How to Do It at Home)

Airplane projection mapping is exactly what it sounds like: projecting airplanes onto a surface. But the version worth doing isn't a looping clip of a generic jet — it's the real aircraft flying overhead right now, rendered live onto your ceiling, a wall, or an entire room.

Projection mapping vs. airplane projection mapping

Classic projection mapping warps pre-made video onto a 3D object — a building façade, a stage prop, a car. It's gorgeous but static: the same show plays every time. Airplane projection mapping flips that idea. Instead of canned video, it draws a live data feed — the positions of actual planes overhead — so the image is always changing and always tied to the real world outside your window.

How it works

• Aircraft broadcast their position over ADS-B, which is collected by public networks and made freely available.
• Toasty pulls that feed for a location you choose, then renders each plane — with its trail, altitude and callsign — onto a full-screen canvas.
• You point a projector at any surface and open that screen. That's the whole rig.

What you need

• Any projector (or even a TV). Short-throw projectors are great for ceilings and tight rooms.
• A device with a browser to drive it, and your phone as the remote.
• A free Toasty account.

Why it beats a looping animation

Because it's live, no two nights look the same. During the evening arrival bank you'll see planes stack up into the local airport; at 3am the sky empties out. Glance up at your ceiling, then out the window, and you can spot the same aircraft's lights. That tie to reality is the whole magic — and it's impossible to fake with a video file.

Set it up in minutes

The fastest path is our step-by-step walkthrough: How to project airplanes on your ceiling. Or jump straight in and start airplane projection mapping for free.