diff --git a/examples/website/scenegraph/README.md b/examples/website/scenegraph/README.md
index cdd9a5ccd5a..e5ff2295859 100644
--- a/examples/website/scenegraph/README.md
+++ b/examples/website/scenegraph/README.md
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ The 3D model is created by `manilov.ap`, modified for this application.
 See [profile page on sketchfab](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/boeing747-1a75633f5737462ebc1c7879869f6229),
 licensed under [Creative Commons](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
 
-The real-time flight information is from [Opensky Network](https://opensky-network.org).
+The example tries to load live flight data from [Opensky Network](https://opensky-network.org)
+and falls back to a bundled snapshot if the API is unavailable.
 
 To use your own data, check out
 the [documentation of ScenegraphLayer](../../../docs/api-reference/mesh-layers/scenegraph-layer.md).
diff --git a/examples/website/scenegraph/app.tsx b/examples/website/scenegraph/app.tsx
index 4a59d79946d..bc4e0e8fa65 100644
--- a/examples/website/scenegraph/app.tsx
+++ b/examples/website/scenegraph/app.tsx
@@ -2,23 +2,24 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 // Copyright (c) vis.gl contributors
 
-/* global fetch, setInterval, clearInterval */
-import React, {useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState} from 'react';
+/* global fetch */
+import React, {useEffect, useRef, useState} from 'react';
 import {createRoot} from 'react-dom/client';
 import {Map} from 'react-map-gl/maplibre';
 import {DeckGL} from '@deck.gl/react';
 import {ScenegraphLayer} from '@deck.gl/mesh-layers';
+import {log} from '@deck.gl/core';
+import sampleData from './all.json';
 
 import type {ScenegraphLayerProps} from '@deck.gl/mesh-layers';
 import type {PickingInfo, MapViewState} from '@deck.gl/core';
 
-// Data provided by the OpenSky Network, https://opensky-network.org
+// Live data provided by the OpenSky Network, https://opensky-network.org.
+// The API may reject browser requests from other origins, so the bundled
+// snapshot below remains the default and fallback data.
 const DATA_URL = 'https://opensky-network.org/api/states/all';
-// For local debugging
-// const DATA_URL = './all.json';
 const MODEL_URL =
   'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/visgl/deck.gl-data/master/examples/scenegraph-layer/airplane.glb';
-const REFRESH_TIME_SECONDS = 60;
 const DROP_IF_OLDER_THAN_SECONDS = 120;
 
 const ANIMATIONS: ScenegraphLayerProps['_animations'] = {
@@ -71,14 +72,26 @@ const DATA_INDEX = {
   CATEGORY: 17
 } as const;
 
-async function fetchData(signal: AbortSignal): Promise<Aircraft[]> {
-  const resp = await fetch(DATA_URL, {signal});
-  const {time, states} = (await resp.json()) as {time: number; states: Aircraft[]};
+function normalizeData({time, states}: {time: number; states: Aircraft[]}): Aircraft[] {
   // make lastContact timestamp relative to response time
-  for (const a of states) {
-    a[DATA_INDEX.LAST_CONTACT] -= time;
+  return states.map(state => {
+    const aircraft = [...state] as Aircraft;
+    aircraft[DATA_INDEX.LAST_CONTACT] -= time;
+    return aircraft;
+  });
+}
+
+// https://github.com/visgl/deck.gl/pull/10465 updated the live OpenSky URL,
+// but the endpoint still rejects cross-origin browser requests. Start with this
+// bundled snapshot so the demo can render immediately and keep it as fallback.
+const DATA = normalizeData(sampleData as {time: number; states: Aircraft[]});
+
+async function fetchData(signal: AbortSignal): Promise<Aircraft[]> {
+  const response = await fetch(DATA_URL, {signal});
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    throw new Error(`OpenSky request failed with status ${response.status}`);
   }
-  return states;
+  return normalizeData((await response.json()) as {time: number; states: Aircraft[]});
 }
 
 function getTooltip({object}: PickingInfo<Aircraft>) {
@@ -93,22 +106,6 @@ function getTooltip({object}: PickingInfo<Aircraft>) {
   );
 }
 
-export function useInterval(callback: () => unknown, delay: number) {
-  const savedCallback = useRef(callback);
-
-  // Update callback.
-  useEffect(() => {
-    savedCallback.current = callback;
-  }, [callback]);
-
-  // Loop.
-  useEffect(() => {
-    savedCallback.current(); // Initial call.
-    const id = setInterval(() => savedCallback.current(), delay);
-    return () => clearInterval(id);
-  }, [delay]);
-}
-
 export default function App({
   sizeScale = 25,
   onDataLoad,
@@ -118,36 +115,32 @@ export default function App({
   onDataLoad?: (count: number) => void;
   mapStyle?: string;
 }) {
-  const [abortController] = useState<AbortController>(new AbortController());
-  const dataRef = useRef<Aircraft[]>([]); // Callback requires stable reference to data.
-  const [, setVersion] = useState(0); // Re-render on data change.
-
-  const sync = useCallback(async () => {
-    let newData = await fetchData(abortController.signal);
-
-    // In order to keep the animation smooth we need to always return the same
-    // object at a given index. This function will discard new objects
-    // and only update existing ones.
-    if (dataRef.current.length > 0) {
-      const dataById: Record<string, Aircraft> = {};
-      newData.forEach(entry => (dataById[entry[DATA_INDEX.UNIQUE_ID]] = entry));
-      newData = dataRef.current.map(entry => dataById[entry[DATA_INDEX.UNIQUE_ID]] || entry);
-    }
+  const [data, setData] = useState(DATA);
+  const onDataLoadRef = useRef(onDataLoad);
 
-    dataRef.current = newData;
-    setVersion(v => v + 1);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    onDataLoadRef.current = onDataLoad;
+  }, [onDataLoad]);
 
-    if (onDataLoad) {
-      onDataLoad(newData.length);
-    }
-  }, []);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    onDataLoadRef.current?.(data.length);
+  }, [data]);
 
-  useInterval(sync, REFRESH_TIME_SECONDS * 1000);
-  useEffect(() => () => abortController.abort(), []);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    fetchData(abortController.signal)
+      .then(setData)
+      .catch(error => {
+        if (!abortController.signal.aborted) {
+          log.warn('Scenegraph example is using its bundled flight snapshot', error)();
+        }
+      });
+    return () => abortController.abort();
+  }, []);
 
   const layer = new ScenegraphLayer<Aircraft>({
     id: 'scenegraph-layer',
-    data: dataRef.current,
+    data,
     pickable: true,
     sizeScale,
     scenegraph: MODEL_URL,
@@ -170,9 +163,6 @@ export default function App({
     getScale: d => {
       const lastContact = d[DATA_INDEX.LAST_CONTACT];
       return lastContact < -DROP_IF_OLDER_THAN_SECONDS ? [0, 0, 0] : [1, 1, 1];
-    },
-    transitions: {
-      getPosition: REFRESH_TIME_SECONDS * 1000
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/website/src/examples/scenegraph-layer.js b/website/src/examples/scenegraph-layer.js
index 13fb084f8c2..002ef745795 100644
--- a/website/src/examples/scenegraph-layer.js
+++ b/website/src/examples/scenegraph-layer.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import App from 'website-examples/scenegraph/app';
 import {makeExample} from '../components';
 
 class ScenegraphDemo extends Component {
-  static title = 'Realtime Flight Tracker';
+  static title = 'Flight Tracker';
 
   static code = `${GITHUB_TREE}/examples/website/scenegraph`;
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class ScenegraphDemo extends Component {
     return (
       <div>
         <p>
-          Data source:
+          Flight data:
           <a href="https://opensky-network.org">The OpenSky Network</a>
         </p>
         <div className="layout">