British Expats - Flight tracker.

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)

- Spain (https://britishexpats.com/forum/spain-75/)

- - Flight tracker. (https://britishexpats.com/forum/spain-75/flight-tracker-799467/)

Re: Flight tracker.

Quote:

Originally Posted by notacontrathinker (Post 10761472)

There used to be a game on the old Amstad word processor which allowed you to land aircraft at Heathrow, put them into a holding pattern, make them abort the landing and go around, declare emergencies, etc.

Anyone know if it's still around ?

I used to have a BBC Model B PC which was the Rolls Royce of PCs back in the early 80s, still probably have it stashed away somewhere together with a few games etc, even used to write a few progs myself back then.

Amongst the games were a couple of flying simulators.

Don't think I ever managed to get a kite back down in one piece yet.
A very cack handed pilot as well as ATC, though I did have a few lessons for real flying a Piper Tomahawk and that was still in one piece.

Re: Flight tracker.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick Dasterdly (Post 10761393)

All very interesting but a little too complex for me to get my head around it all.

Anyway, without satellite assistance tell me how these ground radar systems can track and get info.and feedback when aircraft are way out in the middle of the ocean thousands of kms from land and even at six miles up are still well out of sight of ground radar installations I would have thought ?

I don't know if it's still the case but they all used to keep checking in on single sideband radio at one time, not the best mode of transmission but at least it could link up with ground stations well out of line of sight.

Having a Ham Licence I often used to chat with the US pilots on ssb crossing the pond or further South as they had little else to do to pass away the time over mid-Atlantic.

Whilst it was legal for them do so it was strictly a no no for UK aircraft.

probably because the yanks had a different attitude to ham operators, using their stations for telephone calls and emergency purposes.

the UK licence IIRC was quite emphatic as to how many decades you would spend in the tower if you should talk to anyone not a ham.
:blink:

Re: Flight tracker.

"Anyway, without satellite assistance tell me how these ground radar systems can track and get info.and feedback when aircraft are way out in the middle of the ocean thousands of kms from land and even at six miles up are still well out of sight of ground radar installations I would have thought ?"

:confused:

Re: Flight tracker.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick Dasterdly (Post 10760253)

Shouldn't make any difference as the information is initially transmitted by satellite I presume and I've tracked into the local airport as well as others a good distance away with exactly the same result.

From what you say it could be the tracking system itself which is the difference, with mine possibly programmed to switch off at a certain point.

Which system/website are you using ?

I've been on the Flightradar24.com which Tommy posted at the start of the thread, but I believe there are several others.

Sorry for the late reply Dick, I've only just come online.

I use the same as you Flightradar24.com

I always track them into Malaga as I've no real interest in any other airport, though I did by mistake track one last night across to Morocco, that one lost signal just before landing.