Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1530268
...and the place names are too small to read (and when you zoom in they are bigger for about half a millisecond and then go too small again)
#1530285
The help within the app says this:-

UK Radar. Firstly, we use our radar data to show aircraft positions and tracks over the UK. Other apps use an aircraft position reporting technology called ADS-B which is an excellent technology that we are actively testing at the moment for potential use in air traffic management. However, the ADS-B data used in Flight Tracking apps isn’t always entirely accurate, nor does it offer total coverage. We thought it would be of interest to see a UK picture of aircraft positions created from the same data sources that feed the screens and technology our controllers use to keep aircraft safe.

We still use ADS-B in the app to chart aircraft flying over the UK – but it prioritises radar positions which form the vast majority of position reports. Outside of the UK, we use ADS-B and other aircraft position data sources from our partner FlightAware – the global flight data company – to plot aircraft positions.
#1530286
I fly (for my sins) from Coventry. FR24 has pretty poor coverage in that area, and it looks like this app also has poor coverage - especially at the altitudes that we fly at.

(Unless of course Cov was eerily quiet today!)
#1530298
Lefty wrote:
neaton wrote:I was quite interested in that until...

Hope they port it to Android soon!


Why would they bother??
("Incoming - Tin hat on - and hiding under the table") :lol: :roll:



I've spent a while thinking about your response. I'm not really interested in the relative perceived merits of iOS and Android. I own an Android tablet.

I assume they wrote it to have it used (there is no obvious revenue model from it). So I hope they will port it to increase its usage.
Rob P liked this
#1530344
The app is actually based on an internal iOS analytics app that we use, so most of the work to make it into what the public see has been to strip features and functions out.

Porting it to Android would require significantly more work than has been undertaken already.
#1530345
scottish_ppl wrote:What a brilliant app.


Other than being another flight radar app, what is brilliant about it.
It has no airbourne facility, so is to the pilot as much use as a chocolate teapot.
Sorry to say that unless they have plans to make this an airbourne product, just another app to clutter up the 'I' thing.
Nick liked this
#1530350
I much prefer adsbexchange.com. I set the preferences to make it look, as much as possible, like a real radar on a big flat screen. It even provides an adjacent electronic FPS display! It's better than the real thing I left behind at Nats.

(We actually use it at work for long-range traffic detection, unofficially, of course...)
Last edited by Talkdownman on Sun Apr 16, 2017 8:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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By Flying_john
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1530355
I went to a lecture at Aero last week where we were told of an experiment in the US to give high speed internet in the air. This was being achieved by pointing one cellsite antennae straight up.

So maybe the re-broadcast of proper radar information from Live sources may indeed be possible in the future. Already in the U.K one can get FR24 to work airborne and weather and Notam info into the cockpit, but its flaky as its not in the Network operators design to support airborne 3 or 4G.

But who knows - perhaps if we don't go the way of the USA with 978, 1090 UAT to get ADSB returns into the cockpit this new App that Jonathon is involved with may give us virtual radar in the air.
#1530360
map5623 wrote:
neaton wrote:I assume they wrote it to have it used


So other than an execise in producing another 'I' app and something to discuss sat in the caf or bar, what actual use is it?


It's use is to raise awareness of what's going on in the sky and educate interested members of the general public.

And equally important, to give PPLs who miss the point of what it was designed for and not designed for the opportunity to whinge on forums.
GonzoEGLL, Tim Dawson, Cub liked this
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By JonathanB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1530367
Flying_john wrote: this new App that Jonathan is involved with may give us virtual radar in the air.


I'm not involved with it - I was just highlighting its release for those who may be interested.