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Tracking with Ipad

hydroguy2

hydroguy2

Well Known Member
I'm heading out the door in the morning for a 1150nm trip to Texas. I borrowed a SPOT for emergency location, but the tracking service is not active...ie I have to push the button to summon help, but family can't follow me.

So i wondering if any one has used an Ipad App like "TrackMyTour" to update locations while moving across the country.

OR....is there something else/better way to track us from hither, thither and yon?
 
You could use the "find my iPhone" app. It basically locates the iPad from any other ios5 enabled device so long as the person searching for your iPad has the apple ID and password.

Other than that I prefer APRS but of course you are no set up for that yet.
 
Dont know much about it myself, but if you are using SkyChartsPro, I believe it has a "breadcrumbs" feature that will relay your whereabouts. Cant beat the app price of $20

erich
 
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Will requesting flight following, with a discrete transponder code, allow you to be tracked
through Flight Aware?
 
Flight following with a discreet transponder code is hit or miss as far as FlightAware. I use flight following and about 20% of the time I show on FlightAware. Not sure why it is not all the time.

TJ
 
I flew in Dec and used Flight Aware for tracking. i just flew a trip today and tried the same thing and it doesn't show up on Flight Aware this time. My old trip from Dec still shows up though.
 
If you want to be tracked on flight aware, request that the controller providing flight following put you in "the machine". If the controller does this it will kick out a discreet transponder code and you will be tracked the entire flight so long as you are receiving flight following.

The controller has the option to issue you a "local" transponder code. If he does that, you will NOT show up on flight aware. I good rule of thumb to determine if you are on a "local" code or a "machine" issued code is if your first digit is a 0, you are more than likely on a local code. Any other digit and you are most likely IN the machine and will be tracked.

Some controllers that fly will know exactly what you mean, others will be clueless so you may have to explain it.
 
Flight Following for Family

Flying again! said:
Flight following with a discreet transponder code is hit or miss as far as FlightAware. I use flight following and about 20% of the time I show on FlightAware. Not sure why it is not all the time.

TJ
Click to expand...

I've never had vfr flight following show up on Flight Aware. You already have an iPad. For less than $20 a year you could use SkyChartsPro and turn on "breadcrumbs" in the Setup section. Enter an email your family has and they can track each leg of your trip. It looks a lot like Spot's display only I personally think it's a little better. At each reporting point you get info like coordinates, airspeed, altitude, etc.
Go to the App Store and read all about it.
 
mrreddick said:
I've never had vfr flight following show up on Flight Aware. You already have an iPad. For less than $20 a year you could use SkyChartsPro and turn on "breadcrumbs" in the Setup section. Enter an email your family has and they can track each leg of your trip. It looks a lot like Spot's display only I personally think it's a little better. At each reporting point you get info like coordinates, airspeed, altitude, etc.
Go to the App Store and read all about it.
Click to expand...

Yes, I also pointed this out in a previous post on this thread. However I don't think it's better than a Spot, since the iPad cannot be expected to maintain constant 3G contact while flying, which would be required for near real-time reporting. Spot relays the info by satellite and thus avoids this issue. On the plus side, currently SkyCharts costs a flat $20 - the annual subscription has not been enforced to date. Not sure how long that will last, and also not sure how long SkyCharts will be able to continue to operate given that their free access to digital sectionls is coming to an end. Enjoy while you can.

Erich
 
tkatc said:
If you want to be tracked on flight aware, request that the controller providing flight following put you in "the machine". If the controller does this it will kick out a discreet transponder code and you will be tracked the entire flight so long as you are receiving flight following.

The controller has the option to issue you a "local" transponder code. If he does that, you will NOT show up on flight aware. I good rule of thumb to determine if you are on a "local" code or a "machine" issued code is if your first digit is a 0, you are more than likely on a local code. Any other digit and you are most likely IN the machine and will be tracked.

Some controllers that fly will know exactly what you mean, others will be clueless so you may have to explain it.
Click to expand...

not true around here.

45xx 42xx 43xx are ours and satellite arts codes for vfrs
 
I think if you actually FILE a flight plan and pick it up in the air (vs just requesting flight following), you will show up on FlightAware.
 
Brian,

Another option might be an app called IBCNU. It's APRS from an iPhone, and should work from an iPad. I've run it side by side with my APRS, and it does "OK". It caches position if not in a 3G service volume, then puts out the cache when back in range. Track can be viewed on aprs.fi, but let the fam know it might not be real time, so no one worries! Might be worth a try for fun on this trip. Good luck in the race!!

Cheers,
Bob
 
On my trip yesterday I filed a VFR flight plan but didn't "open" it. I just got flight following with a squawk. Maybe if I had "opened" it all would have worked fine.

Maybe that's how I did it in Dec and why it worked that time. Next go, I'll try it.
 
Filing a VFR flight plan has nothing to do with ATC or transponder codes. The onl thing that does is start a timer (when opened) and send a search party if you do not close that plan in a specified time period. So filing will NOT get you onto flight aware.
 
Houston-FtWorth tracking

My experience is that calling HOU APPRCH while flying near Sugarland for VFR flight following to FTW I will get a code for the entire trip, and that flight and the return flight consistently appears in FlightAware. My wife has received emails that I took off from SGR and landed at FTW, even though my flight was actually KLVJ to T67. No previous VFR or IFR flight plans filed. Computer/controller assumes I departed KSGR and when I divert to T67 I get "squawk 1200, freq change approved". It all makes sense.
 
rvmills said:
Brian,

Another option might be an app called IBCNU. It's APRS from an iPhone, and should work from an iPad. ...
Click to expand...

Bob, I tried finding "IBCNU" in iTunes today and I couldn't find it. I found the web site okay, but I couldn't buy it for my iPhone. Any suggestions?

P.S. When I got home, I tried to access it on iTunes via my PC, and the reply was "The iBCNU app is not currently available in the U.S. through the iTunes store." Or something like that. :-(
 
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Don,

I looked in my iTunes when I read your post, and though its still there, it hasn't been updated since 4/10. It's listed as an iPhone/iPodTouch app, and not as an iPad app. It's not showing on my new 4GS, so I'll see if I can get it to boot on my old 3G...see what it says.

The info tab shows the artist as Luceon, copywrite David Ponevac, if that helps in a search.

I'll see what I can find out, and hopefully I didn't throw y'all a curve ball! :eek:

Cheers,
Bob
 
flytoday said:
My experience is that calling HOU APPRCH while flying near Sugarland for VFR flight following to FTW I will get a code for the entire trip, and that flight and the return flight consistently appears in FlightAware. My wife has received emails that I took off from SGR and landed at FTW, even though my flight was actually KLVJ to T67. No previous VFR or IFR flight plans filed. Computer/controller assumes I departed KSGR and when I divert to T67 I get "squawk 1200, freq change approved". It all makes sense.
Click to expand...

they could ammend it but if it's close to your destination, they'll just terminate you like you said.

either way, unless you're "in the machine" you're not in the NAS computer, which is what is tracked on Flight Aware. Flight plans are for search and rescue. NAS flight plans are for ATC purposes. They do not correlate with eachother.
 
Getting picked up by FlightAware

Here's what I usually do when I go on a cross country:
After I depart my home airport and after I request VFR flight following with the nearest approach, which for me is Huntsville, I then request they arrange a handoff with Memphis Center. I also inform them that I have filed a VFR flightplan that I've just activated. Seems I've always been picked up by FlightAware using this method. Works for me. :)
 
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Brian made it to Texas

Brian the original poster according to Doug's front page today made it to Texas. It will be interesting to read his experience flying from Montana to Texas.
 
Flight Aware Tracking

I have noticed that Flight Aware picks up a local VFR flight (Class B or C departure or approach controll) only about 50% of the time! However.............. If your flight involves being handed off to "Center" or originates with a call to a "Center", Flight Aware always gets it.

Hope this helps,
 
rvmills said:
Don,

I looked in my iTunes when I read your post, and though its still there, it hasn't been updated since 4/10. It's listed as an iPhone/iPodTouch app, and not as an iPad app. It's not showing on my new 4GS, so I'll see if I can get it to boot on my old 3G...see what it says.

The info tab shows the artist as Luceon, copywrite David Ponevac, if that helps in a search.

I'll see what I can find out, and hopefully I didn't throw y'all a curve ball! :eek:

Cheers,
Bob
Click to expand...

Bob, I was surfing around in iTunes last night and found "OPENAPRS" and for 4.99, I thought I'd try it. It was easy to set up and I tried it going to work today. This stuff is amazing...and sorta scary. :eek:
 
I use Glympse to let my wife know where I am in the car...and once or twice I've tried it at a couple thousand feet in the airplane and it seemed to work. You can set it to transmit your position from once (momentary on start) to minutes to hours.
 
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