Some projects developed with Google Maps that allow anyone to follow the routes of scheduled flights in real time with all the details are really interesting and innovative. It makes a certain impression because everything is in real time so, if I were in an airplane that goes to Paris, I could follow the route from the computer (if there was a network inside the ship).
Even better then, if a friend or relative took a plane, I could check from my computer where he is, when he left and when he will arrive, perhaps to pick him up at the airport at the right time.
However, without always looking for a practical utility, following the travel routes of air flights on Google Maps is a new thing that cannot fail to amaze.
PlaneFinder is a web application that shows the routes of airplanes in Europe, in Italy and all over the world, from all airports.
For each plane, you can click and see the information on the aircraft, where it started, reporting altitude, speed and also the route followed on the geographical map, the city of origin, the city of destination, the flight number, the road traveled, the road ahead, estimated time for landing, scheduled landing.
The beauty is seeing the planes move in real time, step by step, also zooming in on Google Maps.
PlaneFinder also exists as an iPhone and Android application .
For each plane there is a photo and an indication of the model.
As for the others, the data are not really in real time, but delayed by 4 minutes, while the tracks of the routes concern only the last 30 minutes.
To see these sites for good, it is recommended to use a Firefox, Chrome or Opera browser (not Internet Explorer).
To see the routes of the planes in real time on the map, the best site is FlightRadar24 which shows the routes and journeys of all the planes of Europe, including those that fly over Italy .
The monitored planes are those that have an ADS-B sensor and are marked with a yellow icon.
When you open the site, you will see the sky covered by planes and it can be difficult to understand what you want to control.
You can then go to the filters located on the right side of the page and write the flight number in the CallSigns field.
For example, to see RyanAir's planes, just write as RYR.
You can also see only the planes detected by specific radars or by altitude or speed.
Information on the model, airline and cruising speed is available for each airplane.
FlightRadar24 is also an app for Android phones and smartphones, for iPhone and also for Windows 10 .
To expand the vision of air traffic a bit, however, you must go to the Radar Virtuel website which indicates the position and the route of planes flying over some states of the world and which have departed from airports in Italy, France, England, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Hungary, Cyprus, Romania, the United States, Canada, Brazil and South Africa.
This time the data comes from and is shared on the internet by an ADS-B receiver.
Here there are no photos but, for each plane, you can know the flight number, where it was leaving, where it is going, what company it is, the speed and all the position and route data.
The Flight Stream website shows an overview of all planes flying around the world with a 3D view of the Earth.
The Italian website FlightAware allows you to search for a flight by number or airline and view every detail on its position, on the departure and arrival time and even if a flight is canceled.
This is one of the sites to view online arrivals and departures of planes to any airport .
Finally, if you want to follow the route of your plane while traveling, you can do it without connecting the phone to the internet.
The only thing to do is to save maps in Google Maps to view them offline, at the appropriate zoom level, of your itinerary in Google Maps.
From Google Maps you can then activate the GPS to follow your position on the map, while you are on the plane, by touching the ball icon.
With the GPS TEST app you can force the connection to the satellite with the GPS receiver and then you can see the cruising speed and altitude.
