Flight Tracking

It wasn’t long ago that the only reliable way for anyone outside of the

Air Traffic Control community to confirm an aircraft had landed was

for the pilot to call via telephone to report their arrival. This often led

to varying degrees of anxiety for friends, family members, or coworkers

of the pilot or passengers on the flight. Recent technological

advancements with flight tracking applications have significantly

improved our ability to keep tabs on a flight of interest.

Modern flight tracking applications have various uses. For example,

imagine that you are waiting to board a flight out of Hibbing, MN on a

snowy day. Using a flight tracking application on your cell phone, you

check the status of the flight in progress and observe “your” aircraft

turn around and return to Minneapolis. Unlike the rest of the passengers,

you do not need to wait for a public announcement from the airport

staff, and make your way to the ticket counter or bank of phones

to be the first to be reaccommodated.

Or imagine that you are flying your personal aircraft from Minnesota

to a meeting in western New York when an unexpected fog bank in

Pennsylvania requires a change to your routing and arrival time.

You send a text message via your cockpit-installed tracking application

to your meeting hosts to update them on your diversion plan

and ETA. You also know friends and family are watching your flight

progress and can send you a text to reassure you they are aware of

your location.

Both above are examples of technology that is in use today using a

modern flight tracking application.

Flight tracking applications help communicate quickly – or even automatically

– which can benefit family, friends, and associates who can

easily track your location as you fly. This kind of information provides

peace of mind. It also can help save time by allowing others to

reschedule meetings and travel arrangements in a timely manner.

People whose jobs involve tracking general aviation flights also find

flight tracking applications critical to their ability to provide important

communications to passengers and pilots, and enhance flight safety,

operational performance, record keeping and statistical reporting.

Some powerful features included with some modern flight tracking

applications include:

• Texting communication between flight tracker and cockpit during

flight (non-critical phase)

• Real-time latitude and longitude availability to assist in rapid

emergency response

• Historical information to fill in missing data or export to operational

reports

• Current weather overlays on displays

• 3D replay of the flight

• Multiple search options to find flights

• GPS accuracy

• Ability to view delays, cancellations, and factors contributing to

possible irregular operations

• Route analyzers for flight planning

• Ability to identify aircraft type

The number and types of flight tracking applications continue to grow.

Finding the tracking tool best suited to your individual needs will

involve research and trial of different options. Use your favorite internet

search engine to explore “flight tracking.” As you review the different

applications, attention should be paid to which functions you can

access for free, paid subscriptions that open access to additional functions,

the look of the application, and which applications require the

purchase and installation of specialized equipment in the aircraft.

MnDOT Airport layout Plans (Continued From Page 17)