This is the easiest and most reliable way to set up PiAware, especially if you’re new to Raspberry Pi. It gives you a complete, ready-to-run system with PiAware, dump1090-fa (for decoding ADS-B signals at 1090 MHz), and a local web map already installed—no command-line setup required after flashing.

What is Raspberry Pi Imager?

Raspberry Pi Imager is a free, official tool created by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It lets you easily download and write (flash) operating system images onto a microSD card. Think of it like a “burner” for SD cards: it copies the exact software your Raspberry Pi needs to boot and run programs like PiAware. It’s much simpler than older methods and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux computers.

Hardware You’ll Need

• Raspberry Pi (3, 4, 5, or Zero W recommended)
• MicroSD card (8GB or larger, Class 10 recommended for speed)
• MicroSD card reader (USB adapter if your computer doesn’t have a built-in slot)
• USB SDR ADS-B receiver (like an RTL-SDR dongle) and 1090 MHz antenna
• Power supply for your Raspberry Pi

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager
   Go to the official website: https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
   Click the big “Download for [your computer]” button (Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu).
   Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to install it on your computer. It only takes a minute or two.
2. Find and Download the Latest PiAware Image File
   Open a web browser and go to the official FlightAware PiAware page: https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/
   Scroll down to the “Install PiAware” or “Download SD Card Image” section (or visit the direct install guide at https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/install/).
   Look for the latest version (as of early 2026, this is likely PiAware 10 Bookworm for Raspberry Pi).
   Click the download link for the standard SD card image (not the one for LCD screens unless you need that).
   It will download a ZIP file (something like piaware-sd-card-10.x.x.img.zip). Save it to your Downloads folder or somewhere easy to find.
3. Extract (Unzip) the Image File
   Even though Raspberry Pi Imager can sometimes read ZIP files directly, it’s strongly recommended to unzip first. Using the ZIP can cause errors like failed writes or corrupted cards.

• On Windows: Right-click the downloaded ZIP file → Choose “Extract All” → Select a folder to save the extracted files → Click Extract.
• On macOS: Double-click the ZIP file—it will automatically unzip and create a folder with the .img file inside.
• On Linux: Right-click the ZIP → “Extract Here” or use the command unzip filename.zip.
  After unzipping, you’ll see a single large file ending in .img (for example, piaware-sd-card-10.x.x.img). This is the actual image file you’ll use.

1. Launch Raspberry Pi Imager
   Open the Raspberry Pi Imager program on your computer.
2. Choose Your Raspberry Pi Model
   Click the “Choose device” button (top left).
   Select your exact model from the list (e.g., Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, etc.).
   This ensures the image is written correctly for your hardware.
3. Choose the Custom Image
   Click the “Choose OS” button.
   Scroll all the way down the list to “Use custom” (or “Custom image” depending on your version).
   A file browser window will open—navigate to the folder where you extracted the .img file.
   Select the .img file (not the ZIP) and click Open.
4. Choose Your microSD Card
   Insert your microSD card into your computer’s card reader.
   Click the “Choose storage” button.
   Select your microSD card from the list (double-check the size and name to be sure—this process will erase everything on the card).
   Important: Never select your computer’s hard drive by mistake!
5. Write the Image
   Click the big “Write” or “Next” button.
   If prompted, confirm that you want to erase the card.
   The tool will now copy the PiAware image to the card—this usually takes 5–15 minutes depending on your card speed and computer.
   You’ll see a progress bar. When it’s done, you’ll get a success message saying the write is complete and the card has been verified.
6. Eject the Card Safely
   The Imager will usually eject the card automatically. If not, safely remove it from your computer.
7. Optional: Pre-Configure WiFi (Recommended if Not Using Ethernet)
   Insert the microSD card back into your computer.
   Open the card—it will appear as a drive named “piaware” or “boot”.
   Look for a file called piaware-config.txt (or similar).
   Open it with a text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on macOS—save as plain text).
   Find the lines for wireless network:
   Change wireless-network no to wireless-network yes
   Enter your network name: wireless-ssid "Your WiFi Name"
   Enter your password: wireless-password "Your WiFi Password"
   Save the file and safely eject the card.
8. Boot Your Raspberry Pi
   Insert the microSD card into your Raspberry Pi.
   Connect your RTL-SDR dongle and antenna.
   Plug in the power supply.
   The Pi will boot automatically (you’ll see a red LED on solid and green LED blinking). Wait 4–5 minutes for everything to start up.
9. Claim Your Feeder and View Stats
   On another computer or phone on the same network, go to https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/claim
   Your new PiAware device should appear—follow the steps to link it to your FlightAware account.
   Once claimed, visit https://flightaware.com/adsb/stats to see your live flight tracking data (it may take 10–20 minutes to appear).
   You can also open http://piaware.local (or your Pi’s IP address) in a browser to see the local SkyAware map.

That’s it! Your PiAware receiver is now fully set up and feeding data to FlightAware. If you run into any issues (like no data showing), double-check your antenna placement for a clear sky view, restart the Pi, or verify WiFi settings in the config file. Enjoy tracking flights!