I want to track all Falcon 2000 flights and I am setting F2TH, the ICAO code for Falcon 2000. I see the Falcons over USA and part of the Atlantic but none over Europe, although I know there are several flying at the moment. Why is this? And can I do something to correct it?
Also, I am trying to track all Netjets Europe flights in Europe using the NJE code. Again, nothing shows.
When I track Netjets flights in the USA using EJA, they all appear.
Is there a problem with European coverage?
If I remember correctly Europe does not allow tracking of private airplanes.
I do not know this but I can tell you that when I tried the same in Flightradar24 it showed all of them over Europe. It just did not show departure and destination airports and flight number but all the other flight data was there.
If you have enabled position-only flights on your account, and know the tail number, you would be able to track the aircraft given we have usable positions for the flight.
As a pilot, I’d suggest that things in Europe are working how they should everywhere! I don’t have an internet-accessible GPS tracker on your car, so why should you get one on my airplane?
You are probably right the way you put it.
But you are tracked nonetheless. Flightradar24 will show you but there will be no info on departure and Destination or tail number. And judging by a response I received above, FlightAware will also track you.
And this is not so bad. When you are expecting someone coming with a private flight, this can be quite useful and informative.
Also, family members can track the flight of a relative or loved one.
But you are right when you say that “private” means “privacy”. I get that.
Flying in public airspace. Broadcasting an unencrypted signal on public airwaves. Why do you have an expectation of privacy?
Check out adsbexchange.com. They might offer better tracking of these flights. They don’t filter flights, but tend to have fewer volunteers submitting tracking data.
Actually many cities use traffic monitoring equipment that picks up the MAC address of the Bluetooth in a car. With monitors at other intersections they can identify traffic turning patterns and journey speeds.
Unfortunately, the requirement to broadcast the signal is in law. And using public airspace is no different to using public roads; if car drivers were tracked the way pilots were, on a site like this, there’d be public outcry and rioting in the streets!
It’s good that Flightaware offers a chance for tail numbers to opt out, but still far from ideal as there are less honourable sites than Flightaware.
That’s interesting to hear about traffic monitoring! I’m guessing, though, that I can’t put my neighbours licence plate number into Google and track him using it…
Possibly. But we take a prurient interest in following you rich guys in your aircraft.
I spent less on my little Cessna than a lot of people spend on a Sedan!
I tried this on adsbexchange.com. Select “global radar view”. Menu - options - filter. Set a filter using “operator code” of NJE. I saw a small number of aircraft over Europe. EJA showed many more over the US. Of course it was kind of late in Europe.