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Overview

Aero is an open-source flight tracking platform built with a modern monorepo architecture. We welcome contributions from the community to help improve the platform.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:
  • Node.js 20+ and pnpm 9.15.1+
  • Flutter SDK 3.6.0+
  • PostgreSQL database
  • Redis server
  • Bun runtime (for scripts and scraper)
  • Android Studio (for Wear OS development)
  • Dart SDK (for OpenAPI client generation)

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Monorepo structure

The Aero monorepo is organized into the following components: 
aero/
├── api/          # NestJS REST API server
├── app/          # Flutter mobile app (iOS/Android)
├── wearos/       # Wear OS companion app
├── landing/      # React marketing website
├── backend/      # Legacy PocketBase (deprecated)
├── scraper/      # Playwright web scraper
├── scripts/      # Data management utilities
└── openapi/      # Auto-generated Dart API client

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Getting started

1

Clone the repository

Clone the Aero repository to your local machine:
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/aero.git
cd aero
2

Set up the API server

The API server is the core backend service:
cd api
pnpm install
cp .env.example .env
Edit .env and configure your environment variables:
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/aero
JWT_SECRET=your-secret-key
AVIATION_STACK_API_KEY=your-api-key
RAPID_API_KEY=your-rapid-api-key
FLIGHTAWARE_API_KEY=your-flightaware-key
Run database migrations:
pnpm run prisma migrate dev
Start the development server:
pnpm run start:dev
The API will be available at:
  • API Server: http://localhost:3000
  • API Docs: http://localhost:3000/docs
  • Scalar Reference: http://localhost:3000/reference
3

Set up the mobile app

The Flutter mobile app connects to the API:
cd app
flutter pub get
flutter run
The native configuration is currently only set up for Android builds.
4

Set up the landing page (optional)

The marketing website is built with React and Vite:
cd landing
bun install
bun run dev

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Development workflow

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API development

The API server supports hot reload for rapid development: 
cd api
pnpm run start:dev

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Flutter development

cd app
flutter run
The Flutter app uses the auto-generated OpenAPI client. After making API changes, regenerate the client using the script described in the API client generation guide.

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Database management

The API uses Prisma ORM for database management: 
cd api
pnpm run prisma migrate dev --name your_migration_name

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Code standards

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TypeScript/NestJS (API)

  • Use TypeScript strict mode
  • Follow NestJS module structure
  • Use dependency injection
  • Document all endpoints with Swagger decorators
  • Write unit tests for services
  • Use Prettier for formatting (configured in .prettierrc)
  • Use ESLint for linting (configured in .eslintrc.js)

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Dart/Flutter (Mobile App)

  • Follow Dart style guide
  • Use Flutter best practices
  • Implement proper state management
  • Write widget tests for critical components
  • Use meaningful variable and function names
  • Document complex logic

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Git workflow

  1. Create a feature branch from main: 
    git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
  2. Make your changes and commit with clear messages: 
    git add .
git commit -m "Add feature: description of your changes"
  3. Push your branch and create a pull request: 
    git push origin feature/your-feature-name
  4. Ensure all tests pass and address review comments

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Testing

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API tests

cd api
pnpm run test          # Run unit tests
pnpm run test:watch    # Run tests in watch mode
pnpm run test:cov      # Generate coverage report
pnpm run test:e2e      # Run end-to-end tests

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Flutter tests

cd app
flutter test           # Run all tests
flutter test --coverage # Generate coverage report

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API keys and external services

Aero integrates with several external services:
  • Aviation Stack API - Flight search between airports
  • RapidAPI (AeroDataBox) - Comprehensive flight data
  • FlightAware API - Real-time flight tracking
You’ll need to subscribe to these services and obtain API keys for full functionality.

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Additional resources

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Getting help

If you encounter issues or have questions:
  1. Check existing GitHub issues
  2. Review the API documentation at http://localhost:3000/docs
  3. Create a new issue with detailed information
  4. Join the community discussions

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