How to track airplanes in real time?

Question

Enough with the cheap "flight tracker" websites that update every 10 minutes... or 5 if you sit at your computer reloading the page constantly... I'm looking for serious real-time, second-by-second flight tracking software (for the mac.) Does anyone know?
Thanks!

Answer 1

To be able to track the planes, said planes would have to broadcast their position every second. What you are asking for depends not on the software in your computer or a server, but on the aircraft reporting their position; something that they do not do at the rate you wish for.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

First off mac is ****. Apple is ****. (Awww darn there goes my best answer)



Im sure flightaware (cheap tracking website) is about as speedy as possible with the information it provides. The site gets the info from the faa and then is transmitted through the interwebs. Either way this is how it would work, even with a mac. Theres still deriving info from faa, and shipping it via the interwebs.



From what ive seen the 5 minute delay isnt anything hardly. If theres a rare aircraft coming to the airport and I wish to watch it, i show up slightly early. Flightaware can even give me a pretty good idea on which runway (of 4) the airplane will land on, especially in heavy IFR. I suppose what im getting at is flightaware is good enough for my uses (and im a dedicated airplane enthusiast/plane watcher) so what do you possibly need a better version for?



Maybe get a scanner. Then you can hear on the radio where the aircraft is (UPS 1674 heavy you are 5 miles from UDOYL cleared ILS runway 7.....oh **** I better get to the end of the runway!) Otherwise build your own radar tower, or hack the FAAs. That might work.

Answer 4

Every aircraft have an equipment called transponder. I have heard that it works on somewhat 121.5 hz frequency. If you can track that.. You can track the plane. That is you can never ever track a plane unless you are authorised to.

Answer 5

http://www.flightradar24.com/



live tracking of flights around the world though the site depends on users w/ special equipment to pick up the planes so they don't cover all airports that well, but most of the major ones usually have people around them

Answer 6

Some tracking sites offer real-time tracking options, but you have to have a paid subscription for that.

Answer 7

Unless you get direct access to the FAA's system, which you can't, sites like flight aware http://flightaware.com/ are as close as it gets. It is faster than flight tracker.