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Welcome to the FlightAware ADS-B newsletter for December 2018!
Hello from the FlightAware world headquarters in Houston, Texas.
This month's newsletter discusses ADS-B data that tells us about where an aircraft is headed and how the the aircraft is maneuvering at the current point in time. For PiAware or FlightFeeder users, the data values can be found in Skyview in the "Direction" section when viewing a flight's details. Specifically, we will review: Ground Track, Track Rate, Magnetic Heading, True Heading, and Roll Angle.
- Ground Track is the direction the aircraft is going over the ground. This is expressed relative to a 360 degree compass where 0 degrees is "due north." For example, if the ground track is 180 degrees then the aircraft is heading exactly "due south."
- Track Rate is the rate of change of the ground track, if applicable. This value tells you how fast the aircraft is turning.
- Magnetic Heading is the direction of the nose of the aircraft relative to magnetic north. If you did not know, the north magnetic pole is different than the "true" north pole with which most people are familiar. The North Magnetic Pole is located in northern Canada. A traditional compass needle points to the north magnetic pole based on Earth's magnetic field.
- True Heading is the direction of the nose of the aircraft relative to true north.
- Roll Angle (also known as bank angle) is the amount of bank (to the left or to the right) relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Larger roll angles cause the aircraft to turn more quickly.
What is the difference between "ground track" and "true heading?"
Ground track reflects the route of travel. True heading may match the ground track in the absence of wind. However, when wind is considered the true heading may be different. For navigation purposes, the pilot must use the wind triangle to achieve the desired ground track based on the wind vector (wind direction and wind speed) and the air vector (true heading and true airspeed). Fun fact: winds aloft (direction and speed) can be calculated mathematically when the ground vector (speed and track) and air vector (true heading and true airspeed) are known!
What if I only see "ground track" but not the other values?
Only "ground track" is sent as part of normal ADS-B messages. The other data is sent only when it is requested by ground-based air traffic control radar sites. This data is requested by radars in many areas of the world. However, this data is not seen in most of North America.
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Check out our latest coverage map, showing ADS-B in green and MLAT in yellow:
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You can always view the latest coverage map on our web site. Do you want to see better coverage, including more MLAT? Recruit a friend to host a FlightFeeder or PiAware at their location! Tell them to check out our web site for all of the details.
As a data feeder to our network, you get several benefits!
One important benefit is the free FlightAware Enterprise account (click to see details of what this includes)! When your data feed is active and connected to FlightAware, your account is automatically upgraded to Enterprise access (USD 89.95 per month value).
Thank you for being a member of our ADS-B network. You provide valuable flight tracking information to the FlightAware network that helps us keep air transportation safe and efficient.
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