ADSBexchange – Real-time Worldwide Flight Traffic

S T A R T

Behind ADSB Exchange

ADSBexchange is the largest source of flight data in the world. The service was born out of a need for unfiltered flight data, and that means the platform does not censor any information regarding the flights. You can use it to track all sorts of private and even military planes in the air and at any airport. Hobbyists, researchers, and journalists can use the platform, but commercial users will have to make payments for a commercial license from ADS-B Exchange.

How Does ADSBExchange Work?

How Does ADSB Exchange Get Flight Data?

ADSBexchange works by collecting data from volunteers. In order to share flight data on the website, you will have to get a Raspberry Pi, an SDI, and an Antenna. These will cost you between $100 and $200. You can get the hardware from the usual electronic vendors like Amazon and eBay, and you can purchase it from the ADSB Exchange store. Because of the nature of the task, volunteers are encouraged to get feeders that require minimal maintenance. The items should also be designed to stay active in harsh environmental conditions.

Setting Up Wi-Fi or GUI

You can follow these steps to start giving flight data to the website:

  • Download the globe ADSB Exchange data sharing file and add it to your microSD card. When writing it into the microSD card, you should use the Raspberry Pi Imager software.

  • Then you can insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi device, after which you should connect all the other hardware.

  • The device will boot within 60 seconds, and you will then see a Wi-Fi network known as ADSBx-config. This network will only be available for about 15 minutes. If you don’t see the network, you should restart the device.

  • After connecting to the Wi-Fi network, you should visit https://adsbexchange.local using your browser. Here, you should choose your network and add the required credentials.

  • In order to access your feeder, you will have to go to https://adsbexchange.local. On this page, you will be able to configure GPS locations and other parameters of the feeder. Once you’re done with the configuration, you will have to click ‘Save and Reboot’.

You can verify that everything is working properly by visiting http://adsbexchange.com/myip, where you should see two green smiley faces. Users are encouraged to feed data to the platform as this helps to improve the accuracy of the data. An aircraft can only be tracked if the platform gets data from four or more devices.

How Do People Use ADSBexchange?

Frequent users of this service can download and install the ADSBexchange app. This web app is available for both Android and iOS devices. To track flights using the service, you will have to go to Globe ADS B Exchange, where you can hover the pointer on any flight to get details on it. Some details you will get by hovering the pointer include the registration number of the aircraft, its altitude, and its speed. The site uses colour codes to indicate the altitude of the planes, but you can get precise details by clicking the aircraft.

To the top right corner of the page, you will see links leading to the home page, military flights, and all flights. For more options, you should click the arrow symbol on the upper left section of the site. Here, you can search for specific aircraft. There are also different filters you can use to limit the number of planes that are displayed.

Where Else is a Comparable Technology Used?

Flightradar24

One platform that uses automatic dependent surveillance technology is Flightradar24. While it is fairly popular, the best features of Flightradar24 are hidden behind a paywall.

Radarbox

Radarbox also uses ADS-B technology. This company maintains its own network of more than 9,000 receivers, and these are placed in different parts of the world. Again, this service requires users to pay a fee in order to unlock advanced features.

Flightaware

FlightAware was founded in 2005 and acquired by Collins Aerospace in 2021. It offers data via APIs and historical data for projects. In addition to raw data, numerous web-based applications related to flight tracking are offered. Many of the offerings are fee-based, but there are also a number of interesting free offerings.

Why is ADSB Exchange Different from Other Flight Trackers?

The main difference between ADSBExchange.com and other flight trackers is that it doesn’t censor or block any flights. Using the service, you can track all private and military aircraft. If you want to see flights that are blocked on other flight trackers, you should go to ADSBexchange map and click the filters link on the right-hand column. You can then filter the results by LADD.

This platform also stands out because it displays real-time information based on actual data. Other flight trackers simply estimate the positions of the aircraft. At ADSBexchange radar, the positions are usually updated once every second, and this ensures that users always get real-time data.

You can access all the features of this platform without having to make a payment. Because of this policy, people are not rewarded with special access to certain features when they set up feeders for global ADSB Exchange.

What is the Technology Behind ADSBexchange?

This flight tracking system is made possible by a form of air traffic control known as automatic dependent surveillance (ADS) technology. This system is installed in most aeroplanes today and is meant to transmit information on the flight to ADS-B receivers. With this technology, you can get updates on the number of the flight, the time stamp, speed, and aircraft type, among other essential details. This data is transmitted every second. Once the system receives that data, it processes it graphically. You should note that the range of ADS-B transmissions is 200 nautical miles to the reception points on the ground.

Teen Tracking the Jet of Elon Musk with ADSB Exchange

A teen aviation enthusiast, Jack Sweeney, runs a Twitter account that tracks the private flights of Elon Musk. Sweeney gained fame when the Tesla CEO contacted him asking for the Twitter account to be deleted. Musk claimed that the automated Twitter account was a security risk and that it might drive a nutcase to shoot down the aircraft. Sweeney was ready to take down the account for $50,000, but Musk was only willing to give him $5,000. The account is still up and currently has more than 120,000 followers. The teenager uses ADSB Exchange to track flights of other famous people, and these include the rapper Drake and Jeff Bezos.

Following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Florida teenager launched two new Twitter accounts: @putinjet and @RUOligarchJets. These accounts are automated and provide nearly live updates of the movements of the private jets. The tweets are accompanied by pictures of maps tracking the jets. With these accounts, interested parties can follow more than 40 planes and helicopters, all of which are linked to Russian oligarchs.

Is it Possible to Track Military Aircraft on ADSB Exchange?

As noted earlier, ADSB Exchange does not censor any data, and that means you can track military aircraft on the site. If you want to track military flights, you should go to globe adsbexchange, where you will see the arrow symbol on the top right corner. By clicking it, you will be able to access the filters and other search options. Towards the bottom of the section, you will see the filter for military flights. As noted in the legal and privacy section of the website, ADSBExchange does not remove information from the site, even when they get requests from the owners of the planes.

To Whom is ADSB Exchange Interesting?

ADSBExchange is mostly used by aviation enthusiasts as they are able to track flights from all around the world. Travellers can also use the service to determine when it is time to leave for their trips. Commercial operators also need to track their aircraft to ensure that they stay on the agreed flight path, and this makes the flight tracking service necessary. As a commercial operator, you will need to purchase a license in order to track your planes at ADSB Exchange.