Historical flight data without tail number?

[Wilrobnson]

Not sure how to go about this so I figured I'd ask here.

I'm trying to track a flight that occurred around 2 weeks ago within a specific area that is also tightly-controlled airspace around a major airport. No idea what type of aircraft or number. I figure if I could find a graph depicting flight patterns it would be easy to ID, and then locate the owner. All the web searches I've done have led to "You must pay to do this" BS.

Thoughts?

 

[krokus]

Not sure how to go about this so I figured I'd ask here.

I'm trying to track a flight that occurred around 2 weeks ago within a specific area that is also tightly-controlled airspace around a major airport. No idea what type of aircraft or number. I figure if I could find a graph depicting flight patterns it would be easy to ID, and then locate the owner. All the web searches I've done have led to "You must pay to do this" BS.

Thoughts?

Track the area, on your favorite flight tracker, and look for it.

It is not unreasonable for someone to make a few bucks, when they have put work into making that site. (Just like if they decide to give access away, it is their choice.)

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[Wilrobnson]

Track the area, on your favorite flight tracker, and look for it.

It is not unreasonable for someone to make a few bucks, when they have put work into making that site. (Just like if they decide to give access away, it is their choice.)

Not certain I'm explaining what I'm looking for correctly.

I have audio from a surveillance flight that occurred two weeks ago near a major airport. I figure if it was (like I believe it to have been) a leased/front aircraft, I can figure out who it was. I've seen people post screenshots of orbits by aircraft with the N-number on a little flag.

The only flight tracker I've ever used is FlightAware when waiting at an airport. I do not listen to aircraft comms or know much about them at all, except as a passenger to the tune of 80-150k miles a year.

One of the websites I found via Google wanted $671 for a years worth of aircraft data in Excel...Newp.

ETA- Something like this is what I'm looking for- https://twitter.com/EmergencyTucson/status/986774603237244935

 

[krokus]

Not certain I'm explaining what I'm looking for correctly.

I have audio from a surveillance flight that occurred two weeks ago near a major airport. I figure if it was (like I believe it to have been) a leased/front aircraft, I can figure out who it was. I've seen people post screenshots of orbits by aircraft with the N-number on a little flag.

The only flight tracker I've ever used is FlightAware when waiting at an airport. I do not listen to aircraft comms or know much about them at all, except as a passenger to the tune of 80-150k miles a year.

One of the websites I found via Google wanted $671 for a years worth of aircraft data in Excel...Newp.

ETA- Something like this is what I'm looking for- https://twitter.com/EmergencyTucson/status/986774603237244935

This site might get more info, like you are looking for.

https://global.adsbexchange.com/VirtualRadar/mobile.html

They might offer past data, but I have not checked.

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[Wilrobnson]

2 hours and 10gb worth of downloads later, as well as installing some stupid virtual radar program, and I quit.

Thanks anyhow.

 

[MysterAitch]

Have you tried Flight Radar?

Free for current and future data, small fee for historical data.

I've not used it extensively personally but I believe it's accessible via the web and an app. The apps include a "point your phone at the sky" type feature too for live info.

 

[bob550]

Readily available Internet-based sites such as FlightAware and Flightradar24 don't generally show military or government flight information, if that's what you're looking for. ADS-B Exchange, on the other hand, would do so. ADS-B Exchange is fed tracking data by private citizens who have the proper equipment to monitor and decode unfiltered ADS-B aircraft data. It doesn't take much: a USB SDR dongle, an appropriate antenna, and free software such as RTL1090 and Virtual Radar Server. Natively, there is no ability to record and archive tracking sessions. You can, however, take screenshots such as:

 

[MysterAitch]

Readily available Internet-based sites such as FlightAware and Flightradar24 don't generally show military or government flight information, if that's what you're looking for. ADS-B Exchange, on the other hand, would do so. ADS-B Exchange is fed tracking data by private citizens who have the proper equipment to monitor and decode unfiltered ADS-B aircraft data. It doesn't take much: a USB SDR dongle, an appropriate antenna, and free software such as RTL1090 and Virtual Radar Server. Natively, there is no ability to record and archive tracking sessions. You can, however, take screenshots such as:

Cheers - I am not familiar with aircraft tracking and enjoyed reading your clarification, thank you

Presumably ADS-B Exchange is similar to sites like broadcastify in that it requires somebodies with a suitable setup to be in the vicinity at that particular time for it to have the data/feed, right?

(The implication being that even if payment was made then there's no guarantee of being able to view data for a particular location/time.)

 

[BoxAlarm187]

I live within sight of a popular VOR, and have flights overhead all day long. As Bob550 posted, many flights will not show any ID whatsoever, including departure location, destination, or tail number. Most will show an aircraft type, altitude, and speed (kts), but that's about it. Unfortunately, it's not a guarantee that even the most detailed search would reveal the information you're looking for.

 

[bob550]

Cheers - I am not familiar with aircraft tracking and enjoyed reading your clarification, thank you

Presumably ADS-B Exchange is similar to sites like broadcastify in that it requires somebodies with a suitable setup to be in the vicinity at that particular time for it to have the data/feed, right?

(The implication being that even if payment was made then there's no guarantee of being able to view data for a particular location/time.)

That's correct. Virtual Radar Server has the ability to upload ADS-B aircraft data to the ADS-B Exchange website to share with anyone accessing that site, much the same way audio feed providers do for Broadcastify. Hopefully, most geographic areas are represented by feed providers for seamless coverage. It's not perfect, however. There are also gaps in the aircraft data, and ADS-B transponders that provide more granular detail are not yet in universal use.