Flight Tracker
 

Does anybody know of good live aircraft tracker software or a webpage which you can run purely of the internet (without external devices such as a radarbox)?

Thanks
Taran

Hi Taran, Not sure what your are after specifically, so have a look at the WebTrak links on www.16Right.com for major Australian airports (40 minute delay, however you can replay the history)

Planeplotter is what you are looking for. Go here - http://www.coaa.co.uk/planeplotter.htm

It's purely online based - you don't need any external devices. You just need to pay a one off subscription fee and away you go.

I know its probably been said before but just o that i can clarify, after you have downloaded plane plotter and installed it and registered it and everything, is there anything else that needs to be done to set it up and view it properly?

Thanks

Gerard

Hi Gerard,

Once you've installed it and paid the subscription fee, that's it! Planeplotter works by taking the feeds from SBS and Radarbox owners and then displaying these feeds. There's quite a few of us providing a feed for Sydney not to mention the rest of the country. The UK is extremely well covered. All you need to do once you have purchased planeplotter is customise its display to your personal taste. It's also realtime as opposed to Webtrack which is delayed by 40mins.

Have you got any screenshots for this program for Sydney?

I have to say, their website looks pretty shoddy.

Thanks for that Pat. Much appreciated. Before i go ahead and pay for it, just to be on the safe side noone has had any problems paying for it, or the wrong amount being charged or anything like that?

Thanks

Gerard

Gerard and Rich,

I know some members may have had some teething problems setting up PP but i think they were minor issues. Anyone of us who feed PP are more than happy to help set it up for you either by email, phone, Skype etc. As far as i know, no one has been overcharged. Also, there is a Planeplotter group in Yahoo groups that can answer any question. The guy who developed PP always responds to questions on this forum very quickly (i think he may have set the Yahoo group up and he is also an Aussie who lives abroad!)

Rich, here are some screenshots from this arvo (Wednesday, 29 Jan). There are 3 screenshots - 2 are maps that have nav points of NSW and Sydney and the third is a satellite view of YSSY. Everything in PP is adjustable and there is a wide variety of maps that you can download from the PP Yahoo groups page.

Just to back up what Pat has said about PlanePlotter, there are a few feeders in the Sydney basin who can offer assistance in getting you up and running with the program. All you have to do is ask.

Also have a look at this site

http://planeplotter.pbwiki.com/

to give you a better understanding of PP.

Pat, those maps you have look somewhat nicer than the ones i am using, where did you get those ones from

Andrew

Andrew,

The first two maps with nav points were downloaded from the PP forum on Yahoo groups and the satellite view map comes as part of PP. Remember, you can also use Google Earth in conjunction with PP as well!

Pat

OK so finally got a registered version, but only problem now is that I can't seem to see any aircraft? I've just got a blank screen with a map on it?

Anyone with any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Gerard

Have you clicked on the green circle button?

Ok so i closed it and started it up again and clicked the green button again and now im seeing little yellow planes so i guess its working?

Thanks for that Daniel and everyone else that helped.

Gerard

I just have one other question if anyone can help.

When i start PlanePlotter up, i get an error message saying
"No flight route database. Check log file directory is writeable."

Anyone know what this means?

Thanks again.

Gerard

Gerard, not 100% sure what this is about, but sounds like that you need to ensure that PP knows where your log files are located on your PC.

Goto Options, click on Directories, then on Log Files and navigate to wherever you have the log files stored. Most likely it's C:\Program Files\COAA\PlanePlotter\log files. Click on log files and that should put "log files" in the space at the top.

A file call "flightroutes" will be built up as you receive data from the COAA server with flight route information.

The only other thing that could be causing the problem is that the flightroute data file is a read only and therefore can't accept updating info.

Hope that helps.

Ah, ok thanks for the help Noel. Checked the file and it is a read only file. Not sure how to change that so its still coming up with the error message.

One other thing, I've noticed that when i have the plane plotter zoomed out to either a global view or just a complete view of Australia, it can pick up military flights, like the RAAF and usaf c-17s and c130s but when u zoom into just a view of say NSW or Queensland, they don't come up? How come they don't show when zoomed in but only when zoomed out?

Thanks again in advance.

Gerard

Right click on the file name. Click properties, and click on the the "read only" box. The tick should disappear.

Gerard, basically a/c fall into four categories as far as SBS-1 and AirNav's RadarBox owners are concern. Fully equipped ADS-B a/c (which transmits full data incl lat & lon), partial ADS-B a/c (full data but no lat & lon), ModeS a/c (some data but no lat & lon) and non equipped a/c.

With full ADS-B we are able to see and plot their location. The second and third type of a/c we can "see" that they are within range but their location cannot be plotted because their lat & lon is not transmitted.

As you know PlanePlotter is feed by data received from SBS=1/RadarBox owners from around the world and can only display actual plots when lat & lons is available. There is an add on to PP called MyCircles which estimates where non position reporting a/c are but that requires a number of feeders seeing these a/c like a form of triangulation.

The only ADF a/c currently equipped with full ADS-B are the RAAF's VIP B737 & the Army's 3 Kingairs. The C17's & C130J's fall into the type 2 category while some C130H's, VIP CL60s and the School of Nav Kingsairs are only ModeS equipped so they unfortunately don't show up on PP. Likewise you will won't see visiting USAF or RAF a/c.

Other a/c like the Qantas' Dash 8s and Virgin's Embraers are only ModeS equipped as well as some older B737, B767 & REX's SAABs. However some of REX's are slowly being upgraded and are now displaying full ADS-B.

Each Australian registered a/c is allocated a hexcode. Starting with VH-AAA = 7C0000 to VH-ZZZ = 7C822D and when (or if) they have either ModeS or ADS-B equipment installed uses that hexcode to i/d themselves to the system. Unfortunately a small number of a/c display the wrong hexcode like VH-XSG (finger trouble) or are still using their country of origin hexcode like VH-DTO, however, when the PP feeders from around the world unite and come to power, we will sort that lot out ;).

Hope that helps to explain why you don't see certain types on PP.

Sorry Gerard, forgot to answer your question regarding why you can see C17's and C130's when you zoom out but not when zoomed in. I don't know. I didn't think it was possible seeing they don't transmit their position normally.

BTW are you downloading close in satellite images of the area you are watching. Try clicking on 14th button from the left. You can download images right down to your street.

Thanks for the explanation Noel. All makes sense now. See i thought you couldn't see the C-17s etc either from what i'd heard somewhere, but i downloaded a, i think its a Satellite image of the globe and when your zoomed out to view the whole globe, it starts to show all the planes that are in Europe etc. Then when i click on the aircraft list button and get a list of everything that is being displayed you can see that it has picked up USAF C-5s, C-17s, C-130, RAAF C-130s and C-17s and the occasional Nato aircraft. Whats funny is that the RAAF C-17s are somewhere within Australia because they are using Stallion as their callsign?

Just downloaded Plane Plotter, i can't get anything to come up.I hit the green button, & all i have is a picture of the world, no aircraft are coming up, does anyone know what is wrong, am i missing something very simple?:confused:

Thanks

Taran

Taran,

Head over here for step by step instructions...

http://planeplotter.pbwiki.com/

Also am I right in thinking you dont have a ASDB receiver (SBS-1 or Radarbox)? In that case the trial version of PlanePlotter wont help you. You need the full registered version to set up the application to receive the tracking via the internet. Don't worry that you have to outlay $'s for the application. There are now a strong and active group of us using PlanePlotter in Australia and we are a very friendly gang. You will soon find it is the most insanely great software you have ever purchased.

Cheers, Mark

Just a question, is anyone here the user/sharer on plane plotter with the code "jg"?

If you are looking at traffic in northern NSW/southern QLD, I think you will find it's "ig" (india golf) and based in Brisbane. a bit hard to distinguish between the "i" and the "j".

Have a look at: http://scooterhound.com/WWWR/planes/

Has great coverage doesn't he, down to about Coffs Harbour. :D

Does anyone know what the error message in the top of the window means next to the program name?
It says Plane Plotter - network error 5???
http://///C:/Users/Gerard/AppData/Lo....jpg%5B/IMG%5D

Gerard,

Have a look at the PP forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/planeplotter/

as well as have a look in

http://planeplotter.pbwiki.com/

and do a search for "Error Messages".

I know i ask a lot of questions but this one is bugging me. I've been looking at a couple of plane this week and i know that they are in Australia, but the sharer or user supplying the data on PP when i search it comes up with someone in the UK, (the one im looking at is sharer code: c0 )

Anyone able to shed some light on this for me?

Thanks again

Gerard

G'day Gerard,

PlanePlotter's sharers code can sometimes be duplicated due the limited number of combinations of a two digit prefix. Not a worry when they are on different sides of the globe. Plus also a user/feeder may have multi PlanePlotter installations (desktop/laptop) and depending on which PP installation is been used, will display a different sharer code. For example, when I'm on my desktop my code is oW and when on the laptop mW is displayed. Sometimes a sharer will only register the one code which might be the case of c0

Hope this helps.

Hi Gerard
It appears several users have c0. One of my laptops has (had) this code and I've now changed it to ci. Depending on where you received this it may have been me. Locations this year for me and my mobile setup have been Adelaide, Perth and Sydney.
My base setup in Brisbane is code jg.
I also sometimes use a mobile setup code of mX.

PlanePlotter silly question time...

I finally took the plunge and put PP on my home laptop... downloaded some of the calibrated maps... and wonder of wonders I got it working and tracked some planes last night!! YAY!!

So silly question is... simply... how do I insert my own map, add my home location and calibrate it? I know the basics about calibration (inserting positions and bearings etc), I have tried this but find my 'home location' is not in the 'correct' place on my inserted map... can this be changed/moved/dragged and be put onto the inserted map?? (Make sense??)

Ideally I would like a map showing all of QLD so I can track what is flying over my house in Clermont!!

Cheers
Damian

Thanks for clearing that up Noel and Ian, makes sense now.

Just on the side, does anyone else think that the planes in Sydney seem to be slow in updating their positions today? Like they keep heading say north instead of turning east, when im watching the plane approach Sydney from my back yard?

If I could dig up this old thread with some questions:

I noticed tonight's QF449 SYD-MEL flight is showing up on flightradar24.com
This flight is being operated by VH-OGK, a B763!

Finally Qantas' B763s can be tracked, I assume this is one of the first 767s fitted with the sufficient tracking equipment (ADS-B is it?).

Is it known how long this aircraft has been fitted out and how many of the QF 767 fleet can now be tracked?


On a related note, is it just me or has the VAustralia 777s 'dropped off the radar' over the last few months?
Perhaps I have been looking at the radar at the wrong times, although the VAustralia flights have not been showing up as much as what they once did when they first came out.

This was at a time when I was using the PlanePlotter software, but have only used flightradar24 and planefinder websites in recent months.

VH-VOZ overflew my house a few weeks back, although was not showing up on the radar at the time. May have been a 'one off'? :confused:

I saw VH-OGK earlier today also flying Perth-Mel ,interesting. I also noticed Southern Air 747 classic N761SA could also now be tracked.

Yep you know I also saw OGK and thought a QF767! Other then the new 767 freighter they are running!

VH-OGK dropped off my radar on 7 Sept then reappeared on 6 Oct with full ADS-B. As far as I can tell it's the only Qantas' passenger B767 with full ADS-B.

http://www.flightradar24.com
Very good sight, and it is free, just zoom into the location you want monitor

great to see some 767's now with ADSB. I can confirm the -ZX series WONT have this installed

John

I thought ADS-B transponders were to become mandatory for all aircraft in 2013, or at least all RPT aircraft

Correct Jason, once ADS-B becomes mandatory the -ZX aircraft will be retired

John