Does FlightAware use ADS-B data?

FlightAware General
1

I ask this because I notice something earlier today that I found a bit odd.

I have an ADS-B receiver that feeds my local version of Virtual Radar. I often have both FlightAware open on one screen with VRS on the other. With this configuration, in VRS I can see ADS-B equipped aircraft within about a 65 mi radius of my location in real time. I see also see whatever FA is tracking with the requite delay. And what I saw/realized today is what prompted my question.

Generally, I will see local ADS-B traffic on VRS and then about 5 min (give or take) later the same traffic on FA. But today, I was watching a couple of UAL departures to the north out of EWR and in looking at both screens the positions of of these aircraft were pretty much identical. I don;t recall ever seeing that before. Generally, there is significant difference in positions. As a matter of fact, I live such a short distance from the north end of EWR’s runways any departing aircraft is usually long gone from view before even appearing on FA. Conversely, arriving aircraft are generally on the ground and being switched over to EWR “Ground” while FA is showing the same aircraft just about to turn on final to 22 R or L over TEB.

I don’t remember what the second flight was but the first one I noticed this on was UAL119. I had to leave after that so I did not have a chance to see if it was occurring with any other such flights.

So that is what prompted my question.

2

Yes, we have our own worldwide network for ADS-B receivers, including coverage at Newark.

We recently began soliciting user-contributed ADS-B coverage, although we’re not using it on the site yet.

3

So, from what I am seeing the ADS-B flight tracking will be real time?

Will you being doing something so we can differentiate between FAA and ADS-B (delayed/real time) flight tracking?

Are you/will you be MLAT’ing as well?

4

Yes, ADS-B or any other realtime source displays in realtime on the maps and with a few minutes delay in the tracklog.

FAA positions are identified by facility, ADS-B as FlightAware or FlightAware Europe (for legacy reasons).

Yes, we do MLAT with our own recievers.

5

Where is this indicator? I’m looking at the FA pages for UAL1266 (a known ADS-B aircraft) and UAL1564 (non ADS-B) right now and other than the expected differences, the only difference I see is that one describes available in-flight food and the other does not.

6

In the tracklog, with every position. Most flights are a mix of ADS-B and other sources.

7

Well, it seems that even with ADS-B FA’s position display is still 4 to 5 minutes delayed.

I am sitting here looking at BAW175 as it travels down the Maine coast in FA, Flight Radar24 and Plane Finder. FA’s position display is clearly lagging behind the other two. Additionally, in refreshing the track log the latest position report showing is from 11:32 but it is now 11:37.

8

I noted this in my earlier post:
Yes, ADS-B or any other realtime source displays in realtime on the maps and with a few minutes delay in the tracklog.