[ls8pilot]

Idly glancing at glideandseek.com today I noticed a cluster of anonymous Flarm targets around Shawbury, they are coded as Type=Glider, but when you look at their track, speed and height it's pretty clear they are powered aircraft (maybe motor gliders).

Even more odd they dont show up on "spot the glider" or Flight Radar24 - I wonder why?

Are they RAF trainers or something similar?

[januspilot]

Our CFI who is ex RAF has been trying to contact someone there to get the config changed. Are you sure they are aircraft, may be helicopters. The config file has a line $pflac,s,acft=
1 is a glider
3 is helicopter
8 is aircraft

[GrahamB]

They are almost certainly helicopters. That's where the combined forces rotary flying school (or whatever it's called) is based.

They are all ADSB-out equipped so I often have great fun watching them on my PAW/SD combo as I'm based just down the road from Shawbury.

[ls8pilot]

Our CFI who is ex RAF has been trying to contact someone there to get the config changed. Are you sure they are aircraft, may be helicopters. The config file has a line $pflac,s,acft=
1 is a glider
3 is helicopter
8 is aircraft

Yes they could be helicopters, based on the tracks I saw. As you say I think they have the wrong config entry....

[Dave W]

Are you sure they are aircraft, may be helicopters. The config file has a line $pflac,s,acft=
1 is a glider
3 is helicopter
8 is aircraft

Pedantry perhaps, but gliders and helicopters are both aircraft.

The error doesn't originate here, it's in FLARM's own documentation.

[januspilot]

Turn back one page and you will find
1 = glider/motorglider

[seanxair]

Can't be sure we were looking at the same thing but lots of military helicopters showing on http://www.360radar.co.uk which I am fairly impressed with for accuracy on my limited watch out the window survey

[ChrisRowland]

AIUI the RAF installed FLARM in their smaller aircraft, at least the ATC Tutors, maybe training helicopters after the collision between a glider and a Tutor near Didcot.

FLARM will default to gliders and the way that the signals haven't been registered implies that no one has bothered to set them up. We are lucky thet they have had the FLARM software upgraded.

Various receivers pick up FLARM, ADSB etc signals and make them available. What you see depends on what servers the display connects to.

[ls8pilot]

According to the Flarm documentation Classic Flarm defaulted to "1 = Glider/Motorglider", but PowerFlarm now defaults to "8=Aircraft with reciprocating engine"

[januspilot]

Ls8 Pilot, you are partially correct. The defaults you state are correct for each type of unit when delivered new. It's an easy job changing by inputting a new config.txt file . Flarm.com site has facility to write a new file. There is another site where you can make up a replacement config file, find by using Mr Google.

[januspilot]

No traffic seen around Shawbury using flarm. Have they parked up or have they switched off the flarm in the helicopters.

[GrahamB]

They've closed operations for the time being. The LARS service now notified as n/a until 30th March.

[januspilot]

Three aircraft out today, all seemed to take off in Shropshire.
All three are showing as glider/ motorglider. But the speed they are traveling at seem too fast for these category.
Flarm I'd DD0C1C, DD0C28 and DD0560

Please set them up correctly.

[seanxair]

All three are showing as helicopters on 360 radar

[Rob P]

Four EC35 showing around Shawbury today (ADSB Exchange)

For the spotters:

ZM516
ZM528
ZM504
And one that has just dropped off the screen

Rob P