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Flightradar 24 / FR24 - how exactly does it work?

Here is an interesting thread about FR24 blocking policies.

They suggest that there are moves to encrypt the ADS-B signal. Is that really likely?

Last Edited by Peter at 09 Aug 20:44
Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

encrypt the ADS-B signal

To guard against whom? The problem is that there are way too many people with a legitimate need to know another aircrafts position. There are 64 ANSP, and probably soon many more should the trend to privatise air navigation services continue in the western world. Furthermore, every aircraft wanting to use ADS-B for collision avoidance will need to know the key.

The military has the possibility to encrypt ADS-B, but there the number of legitimate receivers is much more manageable. I just can’t see this happening for civilian users.

Besides, it would probably only marginally make it more difficult for FR24, the worst they needed to do is bribe some official of Lampukistan to get the key(s).

Furthermore, even an encrypted signal could still be used to track an aircraft using multilateration tricks, once it was identified by some means, even if those means are a webcam at the departure runway end.

LSZK, Switzerland

How do you set up tracking of a particular registration number on FR24?

For example I have this EuroFPL tracking link for a flight EGKA-EIWT today, EOBT 1300.

It would be interesting to compare the two track sources.

Last Edited by Peter at 22 Aug 10:03
Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

It would be interesting to compare the two track sources.

FR24 shows your TB20 as painted red. No other differences. FR24 deletes GA aircraft tracks after landing usually for privacy.

FR24 tracks ADS-B targets properly within CTA. Mode S targets are pretty sporadic.

EGTK Oxford

I just checked FR24 for some flights I did over the weekend and found this:

Seems to show my whole track above about 3000ft for an IFR airways flight from Biggin to Carlisle.

Even more impressive, a flight at 3000 then 2000ft from Glucester to Biggin is shown almost perfectly from when I turned at 3k overhead Kemble to descending down to 1800ft on the IAP into Biggin.

Edit: It looks like it is suppressing 7000 squawks – that recording starts exactly where I was given a unique code by Brize, and a previous one ends exactly where Western Radar handed me over to Gloucester on a 7000 squawk.

Multilateration coverage is clearly improving fast! I wonder how accurate the FR24 data is, and if there would be a way to broadcast it to aircraft in flight?

Last Edited by jwoolard at 17 Feb 17:54
EGEO

Zooming on on my path past OCK VOR, it is extremely accurate:

EGEO

Even better – passing the MAN VOR at FL110:

This says something for the accuracy of the GPS + roll steer autopilot combination and the MLAT position fixing (unless they have somehow managed to get an ADS-B position report from me…)

EGEO

@jwoolard were you distracted passing OCK? You seem to have missed it.

EGTK Oxford

They suggest that there are moves to encrypt the ADS-B signal. Is that really likely?

Not a chance. It would require the complete replacement of all mode S transponders, TCAS, and ground equipment. At least in the US, it is possible for aircraft that are operating under VFR and flying below FL180 to use a mode C squawking 1200 and not receiving any services from ATC to be anonymous as long as they don’t have a mode S transponder and are using a UAT for ADS-B Out. The anonymous mode uses a “self assigned” aircraft ID that remains the same thru out the flight and can be used for ATC for tracking purposes. It does not use encryption, but does generate a difficult to decode identifier. The identifier is chosen by the equipment at the time the mode is selected, usually on the ground and before there is any surveillance available. The 24 bit ICAO aircraft ID is exclusive or’d with the low order bits of the latitude and longitude position and then exclusive or’d with the number of seconds since GPS midnight at the time and position of the selection of the mode.

KUZA, United States
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