Author Topic: Can I follow a flight from start to finish on live ATC?  (Read 5175 times)

Offline pilecarls8

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Can I follow a flight from start to finish on live ATC?
« on: May 04, 2020, 11:58:40 AM »
Hello! In my attempts to get more familiar with ATC and using the radios, I want to try and get a better picture of everything to expect on a typical flight.

My idea is to go on flightaware, find a flight that's getting ready to push back and listen to their every correspondence with ATC starting with clearance delivery, ground, tower -- etc. I would listen and when they get handed off, start listening to the next frequency that they were told to switch to so I can get the whole picture of that flight and a better idea of how it all works. I think an idea of the "big picture" will be better for me during my IFR training instead of living through it all in the moment which tends to overwhelm me a bit.

Is this possible to do on Live ATC? I'm hoping all the feeds I need are there.


If so, how can I plan ahead and know who they are going to be handed off to in advance so I can load up all the streams and have them all set to go?

Thanks!!
« Last Edit: September 02, 2020, 03:59:03 AM by Fryy »



Offline Velvis

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Re: Can I follow a flight from start to finish on live ATC?
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2020, 12:00:12 PM »
I would love to be able to do that as well.

Offline tyketto

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Re: Can I follow a flight from start to finish on live ATC?
« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2020, 02:01:01 PM »
Hello! In my attempts to get more familiar with ATC and using the radios, I want to try and get a better picture of everything to expect on a typical flight.

My idea is to go on flightaware, find a flight that's getting ready to push back and listen to their every correspondence with ATC starting with clearance delivery, ground, tower -- etc. I would listen and when they get handed off, start listening to the next frequency that they were told to switch to so I can get the whole picture of that flight and a better idea of how it all works. I think an idea of the "big picture" will be better for me during my IFR training instead of living through it all in the moment which tends to overwhelm me a bit.

Is this possible to do on Live ATC? I'm hoping all the feeds I need are there.

If so, how can I plan ahead and know who they are going to be handed off to in advance so I can load up all the streams and have them all set to go?

Thanks!!

Here's one thing that needs to be thought about when it comes to LiveATC. LiveATC isn't relative to the flight (meaning, following the entire flight in the air), but is more relative to ATC (meaning, the controllers), and those are static, as you are listening to the frequencies the controllers use, not what the pilot changes to throughout the course of the pilot's flight.

With that said, yes, you can cover an entire flight from start to finish, depending on two conditions:
  • the departing and arriving airports are covered by LiveATC, with all appropriate frequencies (DEL, Ground, TWR, APP/DEP).
  • the en-route sectors between the airports are covered by LiveATC, with all appropriate frequencies between those sectors.

For example, take the KLAS-KLAX run, and we'll go both ways. From Vegas:
ATIS: 132.4. Covered by LiveATC.
Clearance Delivery: 118.0. Covered by LiveATC.
Ground: 121.1 (east of runways 19L/R), and 121.9 (west of runways 19L/R). Covered by LiveATC.
Tower: 119.9, 118.75. Covered by LiveATC.
Approach/Departure: 125.9, 133.95, 125.6, 125.02, 118.4, 119.4, 135.0. Covered by LiveATC.
LA Center, Barstow sector Low: 134.65. Not covered by LiveATC.
LA Center, BARSTOW sector High: 133.55. Not covered by LiveATC.
SOCAL Approach, Feeder sector: 124.05. Covered by LiveATC.
SoCal Approach, LAX: 124.9, 128.5. Covered by LiveATC.
LAX Tower: 120.95, 133.9. Covered by LiveATC.
LAX Ground: 121.65, 121.75, 121.4. Covered by LiveATC.
LAX Delivery: 120.35. covered by LiveATC.
LAX ATIS: 133.8, 135.65. Covered by LiveATC.

For what you are asking, you're not going to get a full flight, start to finish, on this flight, because some of the en-route frequencies are not covered. The reason for this is that a provider must be able to host their feed with line of sight to the transmitter for that frequency to get communications between the controller and pilot. By nature of flights being in the air, it's going to be easier to have line of sight with the flight, but not with the transmitter. In this case, the transmitter for this is somewhere in the desert between Las Vegas and Baker, CA, as it is on the other side of the mountains from Las Vegas.

So for what you're looking for, you'll need to be sure that every sector is covered between the departing airport and destination airport to get what you need.

BL.

Offline JetScan1

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Re: Can I follow a flight from start to finish on live ATC?
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2020, 03:15:42 PM »
The best LiveATC coverage is in the northeast USA - Boston and New York FIR's. There are multiple routes where all frequencies are covered, BOS-LGA for example. (It's easier to find a flight that has already operated and then use the LiveATC archives to listen to it).

As for enroute monitoring, Boston and New York publish ARTCC sector charts (via NOTAM) that you can use as a basic reference to cross-check LiveATC coverage.

https://notams.aim.faa.gov/lta/main/viewlta?lookupid=2197368844475962878

https://notams.aim.faa.gov/lta/main/viewlta?lookupid=1821149122581763478

Enter ZBW or ZNY in the "Airport/ARTCC code" box on the LiveATC home page to get a listing of all Center feeds currently available.

JS

Offline AeroBill

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Re: Can I follow a flight from start to finish on live ATC?
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2020, 05:58:04 PM »
Pilecarls8,

   I agree with Jetscan. Best to use the East Coast corridor between Boston and Washington to start with. Most all the frequencies are covered by LiveAtc.
   Also go to the ARTCC/FIR/Tracon section in the Forums. Print out Jetscan's excellent ARTCC boundaries map, "Eastern Seaboard High Altitude".
   It's on the first page. You can use Flightaware, Planefinder or Flightradar 24 to get departure times for flight you are interested in and then
   use either of the three to track the flight. Just note that Flightaware gives you the flight plan for the aircraft before it departs. Very helpful in
   setting up to follow the fight as it switches from airport to enroute to destination airport. Even if there is a gap in frequency coverage on Liveatc,
   you can find by the altitude and flight plan the next frequency the flight will most probably use that is covered by Liveatc.
   I have been able on occasion to track a flight from Boston or New York all the way down to Florida with just a few frequency gaps, especially if the
   flight stays just off the East Coast.
   Enjoy the experience.
   Bill
   
   

Offline JetScan1

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Re: Can I follow a flight from start to finish on live ATC?
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2020, 11:34:09 PM »
Quote
go to the ARTCC/FIR/Tracon section in the Forums. Print out Jetscan's excellent ARTCC boundaries map, "Eastern Seaboard High Altitude".

I just posted an updated chart. See "High Altitude - ZNY, ZDC, ZJX, ZMA" in the "ARTCC/FIR/TRACON Maps" forum.

Offline wiedehopf

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Re: Can I follow a flight from start to finish on live ATC?
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2020, 11:08:01 AM »
FlightAware has too much delay in their processing system and/or in the way they display flights.

FR24/planefinder/adsbexchange will be much better suited for this purpose.

Offline AeroBill

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Re: Can I follow a flight from start to finish on live ATC?
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2020, 05:14:32 PM »
Hi Jetscan,

Thanks much for the updated East Coast map. And also for the 2nd map on the ZBW/ZNY/ZOB, etc.
Great maps and I have found them very accurate. I draw on the Hi Altitude Jet Routes and with those on,
the map really helps in tracking.
Thanks again for the time it must take to work these up.
Bill