I'm not sure how "useful" this is, but it's darned cool.
(https://lh3.ggpht.com/mBJ3NA0-1cfLaASlsq0Iyx4LPnYg6N7t4Iq-cgkaMbmb7Skgkojt-jc-V06qzUGd7ks=w705)
(https://lh4.ggpht.com/FQyL09hx31t8vthdBlS8UNiTW8ND5b43N_ZKLE_yNbSQPqVNBuXAmk562kPjzEVlUGs=h230)
You have to upgrade to the Pro version to get the AR view where you can just point the device at the aircraft and get data on it,
but most features are available in the standard version.
(https://lh3.ggpht.com/5XUHAEtx-rUKaEL7YKa608EzSsm7TGDhqzEKZb0_RvysZIEeJbkJplISO9ily8MK_fc)
Available for Smartphones and iOS devices:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flightradar24free
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flightradar24-free/id382233851
They also have a website.
http://www.flightradar24.com/ (http://www.flightradar24.com/)
If you contribute data with an ADS-B receiver, you can get the premium access to the site. I do that here. I like them because it's live data, a lot sooner than the local airport will give it, which they used to run a 15 minute delay, now they have turned it to an hour.
The noise ninnies use the site to report the tail # of the perceived offenders, and they have someone who sits there and does it because retirement must be boring for him.
So now he has to wait an hour to narc on a plane, and 99% of the time he's wrong anyway. but he's got his right to complain, and keep the local airport people busy.
Also checkout http://www.planefinder.net (http://www.planefinder.net) which has a free app, too. Planefinder does the same things as Flightradar24 with different techniques, including the ability to download a GoogleEarth kml/kmz track. Both use ADS-B (and Mode-S) at their heart, which is the backbone of the US NextGen National Airspace System. It will be required on all planes in the US by 2020, but the European Union required ADS-B some time ago. Planefinder also imports a feed from the FAA.
For about $500 you can have your own system to decode and display ADS-B and Mode-S data, and feed it to Planefinder and Flightradar24. Do an Internet search on Radarbox and SBS-1, the two primary and very competitive systems and providers. The CAP National Radar Analysis Team is working on using this data in addition to radar for missing aircraft search.
Mike
So after playing with this for a while, I have to say, if you live on (under) a major airway, flight path, or near a major airport,
and you have even a cursory interest in Aviation, you'll be hard pressed to find something more fun.
I popped for Pro and added the shape file ($.99 big spender!), so it shows full detail on the flight, including path and other interesting information.
On a busy evening you can see the "string of pearls" to the horizon in three directions covering two major airports.
"Spot the livery" (why don't they always have their lights on, especially on final?), not to mention the occasional plane not using ADS-B so it's in the
sky but not on the screen, not to mention discussing the places the a/c are coming from or going to, just sitting on the deck with the kids,
or geeking out with a friend.
Very cool.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the Pro version also can be set to alert anytime a 7600 or 7700 squawk code is detected by the system. Rarely
is there not at least one, somewhere in the world, during a 24-hour period, mostly in Europe and the Middle East.
Quote from: Eclipse on July 09, 2013, 01:13:16 AM
So after playing with this for a while, I have to say, if you live on (under) a major airway, flight path, or near a major airport,
and you have even a cursory interest in Aviation, you'll be hard pressed to find something more fun.
I popped for Pro and added the shape file ($.99 big spender!), so it shows full detail on the flight, including path and other interesting information.
On a busy evening you can see the "string of pearls" to the horizon in three directions covering two major airports.
"Spot the livery" (why don't they always have their lights on, especially on final?), not to mention the occasional plane not using ADS-B so it's in the
sky but not on the screen, not to mention discussing the places the a/c are coming from or going to, just sitting on the deck with the kids,
or geeking out with a friend.
Very cool.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the Pro version also can be set to alert anytime a 7600 or 7700 squawk code is detected by the system. Rarely
is there not at least one, somewhere in the world, during a 24-hour period, mostly in Europe and the Middle East.
I never knew about the ability to turn that feature that you added in the edit. Just turned it on, the app is pretty good but I don't want to spend $.99 to get the in app purchase for the plane icons. But overall it is great.
I just found on the PC version that there is a "cockpit view" that shows a real-time forward-looking
view of Google-earth 3d, including several relevent instruments.
They say about 40% of the aircraft are real-time and the rest are 10-minute delayed because of FAA restrictions on publishing real-time positional data.
The international flights are the ones which are most consistently accurate.
But you'll blow $89 on a uniform carrier? ;)