[AT] OT for those interested in aviation

[Ronald L. Cook]

Charlie,
         I am aware of the "tracking".  It has been available by 
subscription and downlink from a satellite for years.  Many corporate 
flight departments use it.  Cessna started tracking all their big airplanes 
they sold many years ago.  It is actually worldwide.  The web site is only 
showing domestic flights that are working within the FAA air traffic 
control operating under instrument flight rules and are assigned a discrete 
transponder code to transmit.  You are not seeing many other civilian 
flights nor are you seeing  very many, if any, military flights.  And there 
is "sufficient" lag to alleviate Danny's fears.  This is being recorded as 
it is happening and you are watching a replay.  It can be replayed at any 
time.  This was put into effect long before the Sept 11, 2001 hijackings 
which really raises more questions than answers.  I sat before a screen and 
watched the hijacked airplanes during part of their flights.  The endings 
were edited out on the replay that the public got to see.  I also watched 
the dots disappear from the screen as they grounded all of us.  Me 
included.  I do agree it is fascinating.  Or should I say, amazing!

Ron
>Ron,
>
>You need to log on that site and check it out.  The departure times and 
>arrival times match up almost exactly with the progress shown on the 
>flight. The screen updates every  minute if you click refresh.
>It's scary.  I looked this morning and they were tracking a 182 going out 
>of our local airport to Savanah.  It might have been a IFR but I'm not 
>sure of it.  I don't have a clue how they are getting their data but it's 
>close to correct.
>
>The flight I was looking at yesterday was being watched by a lot of folks 
>because of some sports news of considerable local interest.  There were 
>folks at RDU waiting for the plane we were tracking to touch down.  The 
>times were very close to right.  The plane we were watching was a 
>Gulfstream G100.  She was making 484 knts at one point on the way in (tail 
>wind).
>
>I don't doubt that the gov't is very much involved and is tracking IP 
>addresses of those of us that use the site.  I hope they are.
>
>Charlie