Getting Started with ADS-B Data

ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) is a surveillance technology where aircraft broadcast their position, altitude, speed, and other data. This data is freely available to anyone with the right equipment.

What is ADS-B?

ADS-B is a key component of the FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Unlike radar, which requires ground-based equipment to interrogate aircraft, ADS-B relies on aircraft to broadcast their own position data.

There are two types of ADS-B:

• ADS-B Out: Aircraft broadcast their position to ground stations and other aircraft
• ADS-B In: Aircraft receive traffic and weather information from ground stations

Setting Up Your Own Receiver

Building an ADS-B receiver is surprisingly affordable. Here's what you need:

1. A Raspberry Pi or similar single-board computer
2. An RTL-SDR USB dongle (~$30)
3. A 1090 MHz antenna
4. Software like dump1090 or readsb

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install dump1090-mutability

Once installed, you can access the web interface to see aircraft in your area.

Processing the Data

Raw ADS-B messages are transmitted in a binary format called Mode S. Each message contains:

• ICAO 24-bit aircraft address (unique identifier)
• Position (latitude/longitude)
• Altitude (barometric or geometric)
• Velocity and heading
• Aircraft identification (callsign)

Building Applications

With a steady stream of ADS-B data, you can build applications like:

• Flight tracking dashboards for airports or FBOs
• Noise monitoring systems for communities near airports
• Fleet management tools for aircraft operators
• Historical analysis of flight patterns

Data Quality Considerations

ADS-B data isn't perfect. Some things to keep in mind:

• Not all aircraft have ADS-B equipment (especially older aircraft)
• Position accuracy can vary based on GPS quality
• Some aircraft use privacy features that limit data broadcast
• Range is limited by line-of-sight to your antenna

Next Steps

In upcoming posts, we'll cover:

• Integrating ADS-B data with weather information
• Building a simple flight tracking API
• Storing and querying historical flight data

Have questions? Reach out to us at andrew@weflyhq.com.