following aircraft

Tonz · 30-09-2021, 04:27 PM

anyone use a FREE program to follow aircraft movements.

Citroënbender · 30-09-2021, 04:32 PM

I use Flightaware, but for specific flights only.

**GasoLane** · 30-09-2021, 04:46 PM

Flight Radar

jaydee · 30-09-2021, 04:57 PM

Me too for FlightRadar24, pretty good.

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 30-09-2021, 05:17 PM

Yep, my vote is fr24.

Sitting at the observation area at the north side of Tulla is pretty cool when you know what's coming in, especially when the a380s were regular visitors!

Available via a Web browser or the free app. My suggestion is that you turn on call sign text labels. Once you get to know the callsigns, it makes it easy to identify aircraft of interest. For eg, pc21s around East Sale use ROLR (Roller, a student pilot), MERL (Merlin, a formation flight) and CTRL (Central, a flight ftom Central Flying School) or air ambulances that use AMXXX.

Tonz · 30-09-2021, 06:41 PM

cheers guys excellent chioce

slowsnake · 30-09-2021, 08:16 PM

Funny that, about flights, I used one to follow shipping, was 8 years ago but it was pretty cool, especially around the straits near a Indonesia where all the pirates operate!.....

If I want to follow the flights I just stand outside the front, one every few minutes, couple of k's away, but they fly into Perth all night sometimes, none of this 11pm rule!

Cheers BillyR

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 01-10-2021, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Funny that, about flights, I used one to follow shipping, was 8 years ago but it was pretty cool, especially around the straits near a Indonesia where all the pirates operate!.....

If I want to follow the flights I just stand outside the front, one every few minutes, couple of k's away, but they fly into Perth all night sometimes, none of this 11pm rule!

Cheers BillyR

My house is under the flightpath for the East Sale RAAF Base when they use runway 09 (ie the wind is coming from the east). Planes generally pass over my house at about 500ft. Lots of Pilatus PC-21s, quite a few King Air B300s and the occasional visitor such as 737-BBJs, C-27J Spartans or C-130Js. we quite often get displays from the Roulettes as they do their practice work for upcoming air shows, as well.

Oh, and we're under the flighpath for any aircraft travelling between Melbourne and Aukland, or vice versa. But, at about 30,000 ft, there's not much to see really. Although, even at that altitude, you can still pick out if it's an Air New Zealand or Qanatas aircraft.

But I've been living in Sale for most of my life and am very used to this level of traffic.

slowsnake · 01-10-2021, 09:48 AM

Yeh foxtrot, I live about 5 klm from Perth airport, they come in from the east at maybe a thousand feet, but unlike Sydney they don't stop at 11PM

Cheers Billy

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 01-10-2021, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Yeh foxtrot, I live about 5 klm from Perth airport, they come in from the east at maybe a thousand feet, but unlike Sydney they don't stop at 11PM

Cheers Billy

Yep, runway 21 (ie 210° magnetic) seems to be the predominant active runway at Perth.

PooDog · 07-10-2021, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Yeh foxtrot, I live about 5 klm from Perth airport, they come in from the east at maybe a thousand feet, but unlike Sydney they don't stop at 11PM

Cheers Billy

Yeah i couldnt believe that a curfew on a major city , we got stuck in a big electrical storm along with about 20 other planes waiting to get in ....we were the last plane to get in

slowsnake · 01-10-2021, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

My house is under the flightpath for the East Sale RAAF Base when they use runway 09 (ie the wind is coming from the east). Planes generally pass over my house at about 500ft. Lots of Pilatus PC-21s, quite a few King Air B300s and the occasional visitor such as 737-BBJs, C-27J Spartans or C-130Js. we quite often get displays from the Roulettes as they do their practice work for upcoming air shows, as well.

Oh, and we're under the flighpath for any aircraft travelling between Melbourne and Aukland, or vice versa. But, at about 30,000 ft, there's not much to see really. Although, even at that altitude, you can still pick out if it's an Air New Zealand or Qanatas aircraft.

But I've been living in Sale for most of my life and am very used to this level of traffic.

When I lived in Sydney I went to Richmond to visit friends, luckily the biggest cargo plane in the world was landing, a Russion Antonov, wow flew 50 feet above the road, it was blocked of course, that was 20 years ago!

In 1977 I worked for a welding contractor, when the F111 jets come to Amberly I was welding the fuel supply pipework, from tank farm to hangar, too cool, if a jet was flying in and you were on the ring road heading home, you get a stop light and an F111 would be right in front of you, the pilot and navigator would wave to us, too cool eh!

Cheers Billy

roKWiz · 01-10-2021, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Funny that, about flights, I used one to follow shipping, was 8 years ago but it was pretty cool, especially around the straits near a Indonesia where all the pirates operate!.....

Cheers BillyR

I used to use a similar shipping one to follow where my ol man would be.
Funny thing about The Cunard Line is a warship (HMS class) would often be plotted shadowing the newer Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 around various parts of the world.
In some instances the Cunard ships would often disappear off where they were last anchored.
Never had any trouble plotting Holland America line which he liked to go cruising on.

slowsnake · 01-10-2021, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roKWiz

I used to use a similar shipping one to follow where my ol man would be.
Funny thing about The Cunard Line is a warship (HMS class) would often be plotted shadowing the newer Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 around various parts of the world.
In some instances the Cunard ships would often disappear off where they were last anchored.
Never had any trouble plotting Holland America line which he liked to go cruising on.

I went looking for one of my dads troopships, sunk of course in WW2, it Stuka dive bombed for a day and night, all hands saved, thought it was near Crete, but must of sunk off the African coast! 1942 I think!

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 05-10-2021, 10:57 AM

RAAF C130J active around Nowra https://www.flightradar24.com/TROJ20/2963ce24

Tonz · 01-10-2021, 07:10 AM

I was after this due to what I thought were strange flight paths from Lincoln airport but all OK.
But fair go browsing away and the number of aircraft flying across the Atlantic is crazy, thought there was a pandemic grounding.

slowsnake · 01-10-2021, 08:07 AM

When I was a kid we went to Liverpool Airport, now John Lennon airport.
But we would lay on our backs at the last set of landing lights before the jets landed, felt like you could reach out and touch them!..

Cheers BillyR

jaydee · 01-10-2021, 11:04 AM

Saw an Antanov on the deck here in Perth on Tuesday when I got back from Broome, man they are big.

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 28-10-2021, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee

Saw an Antanov on the deck here in Perth on Tuesday when I got back from Broome, man they are big.

Antonov visiting Adelaide, by the look of it.

https://www.flightradar24.com/VDA5300/29a801a9

E: Make that Melbs

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 08-02-2022, 10:44 AM

A US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III has been visiting Sydney

https://www.flightradar24.com/RCH7E1/2abe11f4

Tonz · 05-10-2021, 11:41 AM

few years ago I ordered a big laser cutter from China, couldn't fault their service, the factory owner was educated at Eaton college, they arranged shipping etc
Was fun tracking the ship down China to Singapore, panic arose when the ship continued onto India, panic phone call to factory and 5 minutes later our container had been transferred to another ship with out them being advised

watched second ship travel down to Aus, Perth, Adelaide unloaded in Melbourne then trucked back to Adelaide.

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 05-10-2021, 12:02 PM

Ok, so here's one that intersects with the maritime world.

The learjets are employed out of Nowra to support the Navy's fleet operations, particularly used as target towing aircraft.

https://www.flightradar24.com/LJ45/2963ca43

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 05-10-2021, 12:04 PM

A few fire bombing aircraft operating out of Hamilton airport. Unusual for them to be up and about at this time of the year and in these conditions.

https://www.flightradar24.com/BDOG372/29640c5f

roKWiz · 05-10-2021, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

A few fire bombing aircraft operating out of Hamilton airport. Unusual for them to be up and about at this time of the year and in these conditions.

https://www.flightradar24.com/BDOG372/29640c5f

Practicing for summer maybe.

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 05-10-2021, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Practicing for summer maybe.

Yeah, there's either something going on around the Dundas Ranges that's not on the Vic Emergency site, or it's training.

zilo · 06-10-2021, 11:28 PM

My property has a unit on top of my hill that feeds the FlightRadar24 website.
It is a Pi unit with RF module.
I can connect to it on my LAN and see live data whithin a 200km radius.

GT 0909 · 08-02-2022, 04:22 PM

USAF C-17's and C-5's are regular visitors to RAAF Richmond. Have been for many years. Used to see lots of C-141's as well when they were still in service.

lra · 25-05-2022, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT 0909

USAF C-17's and C-5's are regular visitors to RAAF Richmond. Have been for many years. Used to see lots of C-141's as well when they were still in service.

I was at RAAF Richmond 1968 > '72.
Always 'interesting' watching a C141 take-off, the wings would lift, then a dust storm at the Richmond end of the strip and it was away, just.
We lived under the flight path, and I am sure I could have chucked a cricket ball into the cockpit.

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 26-05-2022, 10:50 AM

Penny Wong heading to Fiji? https://www.flightradar24.com/ASY319/2bff2996

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 30-08-2022, 08:25 AM

For those still playing along (are there any?) or those who may want to join in the fun and frivolity, Australia is hosting Exercise Pitch Black, through until the 8th Sep. More details here.

A list of countries and aircraft involved is here.

Whilst you won't see any of the combat aircraft, you can track the air to air refuellers and transport aircraft on both Flightradar and on ADS-B Exchange. You'll need to use both of these to get a reasonable picture as to what is going on, as some aircraft appear on one platform but not the other.

The aircraft of interest typically operate out of Townsville, Amberley, Richmond, Katherine or Darwin and the refuellers operate to the south west of Darwin. Watch out for the following callsigns: twister (UK or Netherlands IIRC), sumo (US), Dragon (aus), Argo (South Korea) .

Anyone interested in tracking the military guys on ADBS-X, once you've loaded the screen, click on the 'U' button in the top right hand corner and only 'military' aircraft will be displayed.