Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

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dwurfel
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Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by dwurfel »

I am way puzzled on this. Last Saturday I filed a flight from Trinidad CO ( KTAD )to Albuquerque, NM (KAEG ) for Sunday at 0700 MDT. I pulled the DA-40 N542GL over to the fuel pump at KTAD and guess what it was broke. I did have enough fuel to go to La Junta, CO (KLHX ) and back.

I did not cancel my KTAD to KAEG nor file for KTAD to KLHX. I figured the KTAD to KAEG would cancel itself. So I took off to KLHX and got an email from Flight Aware that N542GL had taken off to KAEG. Then I got an email that N542GL diverted to KLHX. Then I received an email that I landed at KLHX ( and indeed I had ).

So how does it know. I did not file, did not use flight following nor in contact with ATC. I am perplexed at what was in play here. Any comments would be helpful. :scream:
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Colin
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Re: Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by Colin »

Yes, I believe you are seeing the results of ADS-B data being available to the public.
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Rick
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Re: Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by Rick »

You must have signed up with FlightAware to be notified about your tail number (as I did with mine many years ago). I used to only get these emails when I was on a flight plan or on flight following, but now with ADS-B I get them for local VFR joy rides, too.

If you hadn't filed the flight plan and had just left for KLHX, you would have received an email that said "N542GL spotted in flight near Trinidad CO at hh:mm". At least, that's what I get on local scenic tours now when it doesn't know where I'm going.
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mhoran
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Re: Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by mhoran »

FlightAware (and others) have built out an extensive ADS-B ground station network comprised of PiAware (https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/) and similar devices.

They've built software that tries to determine your origin and destination and composes a corresponding "flight plan". So you'll see public tracks for VFR flights, in addition to IFR flights as you saw in the past.

This is actually nothing new. FlightAware used MLAT (just like your TAS box) to display estimated tracks for airplanes in the past. However, those tracks were not public because they were estimated. Now that position data is exact, it's made public.

I believe you can contact FlightAware and have them hide your airplane. However, that won't prevent people from being able to track your plane on their own.

Personally, I think this is pretty great. I run a PiAware device myself and track arrivals into the NYC area. Also, people can easily track all my flights now, including VFR.
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Rich
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Re: Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by Rich »

You didn't open your flight plan, but you did file. That's probably what triggered it. You can see your flight on FlightAware right now.

In contrast, the most recent flight shown for N40XE was an IFR flight I made on 8/30 from KBLI to S39. But my actual most recent flight was a non-filed local flight on 9/12 to practice an RNAV approach.

I don't know what the deal is with the emails, though. I never get emails from FlightAware under any circumstances.
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Boatguy
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Re: Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by Boatguy »

Because you filed KTAD/KAEG, FlightAware believed that was the plan you were on. You'll even note on the display for the KTAG/KAEG there are dashed lines for the filed altitude and speed. Then when you landed at KLHX it inferred that you had diverted.

Apparently the FAA makes the flight plans public. And then we're all tracked whether via ATC radar, or ADSB, or both, also public. And there is also a convenient link to your registration information! Definitely no privacy when flying your airplane! You can also see this information in realtime for anywhere on the planet at adsbexchange.com.

BTW, the same thing exists globally for boats (if equipped or > 100') and ships, which began using an ADSB like system called AIS about 10years ago. Check out marinetraffic.com.
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dwurfel
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Re: Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by dwurfel »

Thanks all! Now I know. Is kind of neat.
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ultraturtle
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Re: Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by ultraturtle »

The lack of privacy bugs me a little. Now my Mom knows where I am all the time...
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dwurfel
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Re: Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by dwurfel »

Rob, people will find my travels pretty boring. ADS-B for cars is next. Let's see Walmart, McDonalds....
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smoss
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Re: Is This ADS-B? Who is watching?

Post by smoss »

The sad part of all this is that it appears most ATC still does not automatically pick up the ADSB info or tail number, they still need a good old fashioned ident and beacon code, despite everyone with ADSB-in showing all the tails automatically.
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