flight-data

Where is this flight now

flight_status

Read-only

Live status of a flight that is in the air now, by callsign or flight number as broadcast (e.g. UAL1, BAW117, DAL2540): route, progress, altitude, speed and estimated arrival. Free, no key.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "callsign": "<callsign>"
    },
    "name": "flight_status"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`callsign`	Yes	ICAO callsign, e.g. UAL1

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedNov 10, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, so safety is covered; the description adds genuinely new context: the data is live/real-time only, scoped to airborne flights, and 'Free, no key' tells the agent no authentication setup is required. It does not discuss rate limits, coverage gaps, or what happens when a flight has landed or the callsign is unknown.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

One front-loaded sentence that carries purpose, scope, input format, sample values, return contents, and auth status with no filler. Nothing is redundant with a separate second sentence.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With no output schema, the description usefully enumerates the returned fields and notes the free/no-key access, which is enough for a single-parameter read tool. The main omission is failure behavior when the flight is not airborne or the callsign is not found.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100% and already documents the single callsign parameter, so the baseline is 3. The description earns extra credit by widening the accepted input to 'callsign or flight number as broadcast' and supplying three format examples (UAL1, BAW117, DAL2540), which is more permissive than the schema's 'ICAO callsign' wording and helps avoid malformed queries.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Live status of a flight') plus a hard scope constraint ('that is in the air now'), which implicitly rules out the sibling history/on-date tools. It also enumerates what the status contains (route, progress, altitude, speed, estimated arrival), so an agent knows exactly what it gets back.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The 'in the air now' qualifier gives clear context for when this tool applies and effectively excludes non-airborne lookups. It stops short of naming an alternative for grounded or historical flights (e.g. flight_history, flight_on_date), so routing is implied rather than explicit.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All flight-data tools Inspect

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