]
Flight Traffic Mapping uses animation to depict flight traffic. The mapping of flights
in real-time is based on a sophisticated air traffic control system that was developed for North America. The air traffic control system is a complex combination of electronics and people that helps guide planes from departure to destination. In 1991, data on the location of aircraft was made available by the
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
to the airline industry. The
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the
General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the
Helicopter Association International
The Vertical Aviation International (VAI) is a not-for-profit professional trade association of over member organizations in more than 68 nations. In 2024, Helicopter Association International (HAI) rebranded into Vertical Aviation International ...
, and the
National Air Transportation Association petitioned the FAA to make
ASDI information available on a "need-to-know" basis. Subsequently,
NBAA advocated the broad-scale dissemination of flight traffic data.
The Aircraft Situational Display to Industry (
ASDI) system now conveys up-to-date information on flights to the airline industry and the public. Multiple companies distribute
ASDI information including
FlightStats,
FlightAware,
FlightExplorer,
FlightView, and
FlyteComm. Each company maintains a website that provides free updated information to the public on flight status and
flight tracking. FlyteTrax, a product of FlyteComm, is a Windows-based program for displaying the geographic location of airborne
IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) air traffic anywhere in the FAA air traffic system. Positions are reported for both commercial and general aviation traffic. The program can overlay air traffic with a wide selection of maps such as, geo-political boundaries, air traffic control center boundaries, high altitude jet routes, satellite cloud and radar imagery.
References
{{reflist
*FlyteTrax, Inc. (2002) FlyteTrax 2002 Manual.
*Peterson, Michael P. (1993) Interactive Cartographic Animation. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, 1993, Vol. 20, No. 1, 1993, pp. 40–44.
* Volpe Center (2000) Aircraft Situational Display to Industry: Functional Description and Interface Control Document, Automation Application Division, Cambridge, Mass., August 4, 2000.
External links
Flight Traffic AtlasExample Flight Animation of Atlanta
Air traffic control
Radar
Cartography