How can I identify a PIA aircraft?

by | Nov 22, 2023 | Application, Aviation News, Optical Enhancement, Radio, Spotting, Spotting Locations

Well this is a bit of a conundrum, you see a plane look it up on one of the tracking sites and all there is is a ICAO code and a call sign. Everything else, registration, type, origin, destination and many other spotter friendly features are not displayed.

How then do you find out the actual identity of the aircraft and whatever other information that you like to collect?

Well the truth is you won’t get the information without some effort, it’s unlikely that you’ll find out the information without the help of other spotters. The only certain way of identifying these aircraft is a physical sighting, at either end of the flight – so if you can’t be at the airport when it lands then other spotter groups would probably be the place to start.

Typically a week day view of US air space will show thousands of aircraft, and the vast majority of these are readily identifiable using applications or web sites like flightradar24 or in this case globe.adsbexchange.com.

So in most cases looking up and seeing an aircraft, will if you know where you are – make the identification fairly straight forward, a quick look at the app or website and you have everything you need.

In the begining tracking flights was more technical, there were tools like ACARS – but you needed certain technical skills to use that to track aircraft. But along came flightradar24, this was an absolute boon to the spotters.

Lack of privacy was seen to be a problem, so along came the FAA’s LADD (Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed) – which is a filter that the FAA puts in place for anyone taking a data feed from them – the image is LADD subscribed aircraft.

Just to be clear, these three screen shots were taken within a few minutes of each other the bottom shot is filtered by PIA subscribed aircraft.

As you can see, there aren’t that many aircraft in the view. But what I can say is that there is literally no information that would interest a spotter, the navigational information is there but little else is available.

In the next post I’ll go over the options and list some of the ways that you can try and find out the aircraft identity. But in the mean time consider this, both the LADD and the PIA services are free – so it’s likely that people using the LADD service will move to the PIA service.

Flying from Loch Lomond

by | Mar 26, 2023 | Spotting, Spotting Locations, Trip Reports

If you’re looking for a unique way to experience the beauty of Scotland, then Loch Lomond Seaplanes is an experience you won’t want to miss. Offering stunning aerial views of the Scottish countryside, this seaplane tour provides a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is sure to leave you with memories that last a lifetime.

One of the most striking things about Loch Lomond Seaplanes is the level of service that they offer. From the moment you arrive, you’ll be treated to a first-class experience that is designed to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. The staff are friendly and welcoming, and they go out of their way to ensure that you have everything you need for a comfortable and enjoyable flight.

The planes themselves are modern and well-maintained, with comfortable seating and large windows that provide breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. The pilots are experienced and knowledgeable, and they are more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the area and the history of the region.

But what really sets Loch Lomond Seaplanes apart is the sheer beauty of the flights themselves. From the air, you’ll be able to see the stunning scenery of Loch Lomond and the surrounding area in a way that is simply impossible from the ground. The water sparkles in the sunlight, the hills roll away in every direction, and the wildlife and flora are all visible from your bird’s eye vantage point.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or someone who is just looking for a unique experience, Loch Lomond Seaplanes is a must-see destination. The level of service is exceptional, the planes are comfortable and well-maintained, and the views are simply breathtaking. If you’re looking for a way to see Scotland in all its glory, then look no further than Loch Lomond Seaplanes.

 

Prestwick and the C17

by | Jul 11, 2022 | Airport News, Aviation News, Database, Online Logging, Spotting, Spotting Locations

Prestwick, long used as the jumping off point or arrival point for transports crossing the Pond. The main recognition started during the second world war, when it’s excellent fog free record was pointed out by Captain Duncan Macintosh. During the war years, there were huge numbers of Lend Lease aircraft transiting through Prestwick.

Still used as a stopover location for trans-atlantic traffic, now experiencing a revival for military traffic especially given the situation in Ukraine. It is unlikely to see the kinds of volumes of visitors it attracted in the 1960’s and 70’s, but there has been more traffic about that is obvious.

Conveniently placed, Prestwick has over the years seen it’s fair share of traffic – both East and West bound. The table below is the C17 traffic for the past few years and is an extract from my Prestwick historical log going back to 2016, there have been a lot through over that time. As to searching the table, by default any search string will be automatically search any field, however there is a drop down at the right side of the search box – this can be used to filter searches.

 

The C-17 at Prestwick

Testing a bigger Log

by | Jun 17, 2022 | Airport News, Database, Spotting, Spotting Locations

So again some testing of a log file, this one is for Prestwick, for January and February 2021. This doesn’t include based stuff, that would make the file pretty large and to be honest a registration search would return 365 hits – so not practical.

The data has been sourced from a number of places, it is somewhat limited and would be the type of data that a spotter with a radio and a pen and notebook would typically collect on a visit to the Airport – so does kind of reflect a personal log.

 

Putting the data together was a little time consuming, however I will automate that as much as I can and should be able to speed the process up significantly. The sample data set was created manually, so there may be some typo’s in it – anyway here is the first largeish table with a little guidance as well.

The table can be sorted on a column, by clicking on the heading – obviously the usual constraints apply for date formats. You can sort by date, but the first of January will be followed by the first of February – so please bear that in mind.

There is a free text search, this will return matching values as a guide – searching for “135” will return all matching rows and as an example 12-135(Serial), KC135(Model), AFR1135(Callsign) and ERJ135(Model) would all be returned. It is possible to combine search terms, these should be separated by a space as an example “Boeing 747” without the quote marks.

Prestwick Log January and February 2021

 

Totterdown Hill

by | Mar 12, 2021 | Aviation News, Spotting Locations

Viewing the Fairford Air Show from Totterdown Hill is a first class experience, you are effectively in the center of the flying display area. There are excellent photographic options, no mater the direction of the Sun.

The facilities provided by the site are very good when all things are considered, there are hot drinks and hot food available all reasonable priced. The cost of entry into Totterdown Hill is very reasonable, but is based on the car and its ocupants.

It is possible to camp on the site, there are ample toilet facilities and there are a number of shower facilities.