ElonJet is a flight tracking project created by a team of four developers using React and Google Maps API. The project involved working with the OpenSky API to fetch real-time flight data and displaying them on a Google Map.
At the start of the project, we created a wire-frame and a Trello board to organise ourselves. We divided the workload based on strengths, and also on interest on which challenges we wanted to take on, with each member of the team assigned tasks such as UI/UX design, API integration, front-end, and back-end development.
One of the biggest challenges we faced was dealing with API issues. There were times when the OpenSky API came to the limitations of the free versions request limits, making it impossible to fetch flight data.
To solve this issue, we created multiple logins in order to continue development, we also implemented a contingency plan by having a backup API that we could switch to if the primary API was unavailable.
To keep track of our progress, we created a Trello board with different columns such as “To-Do,” “In-Progress,” “Testing,” and “Completed.” Each task was assigned a due date and labeled with the name of the person responsible for it. The board made it easy for us to track progress and know which tasks needed to be done. Especially during times when we were having difficulty finishing or bug fixing certain tasks.
Various packages and APIs were needed to build the project. We used the React Google Maps API to integrate Google Maps into our application. The package allowed us to display markers and flight data on the map. We also used the OpenSky API to fetch real-time flight data.
We used basic CSS to style the application. The color scheme we chose was a timeless blue, grey, and white. Using different shades of blue to differentiate between different flight markers. We also added a search bar that allowed users to search for specific flights.
To install ElonJet on your local machine, follow these steps:
- Clone this repository.
- Run npm install in your terminal.
- Run npm start in your terminal.
- Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000.
Tom has already used this application in the real world to display a loved ones private jet home from LA.
Be more like Tom.
To use ElonJet, follow these steps:
- Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000.
- Enter your desired flight number in the search bar.
- Press enter or click on the search button.
- The map will display the location of your desired flight.
If you would like to contribute to ElonJet, please follow these steps:
- Fork this repository.
- Create a new branch.
- Make your changes and commit them.
- Push your changes to your forked repository.
- Submit a pull request.
- Tom, the Gitlord will review the pull request and speak with the team members.
ElonJet was created by Tom, Iffath, Akram, and Caleb as part of a group project for the General Assembly Engineering Immersive course.
ElonJet is licensed under the MIT License.