Live Flight Tracking.

Any Microsoft CLR .NET language should be usable to make requests to FlightXML 2.0, however this example is using C#. The procedure for using other languages may vary slightly. The steps described here use the command-line utilities to generate the WSDL stub and compile, but the steps can be adapted for use within the Visual Studio IDE.

• Microsoft Visual Studio 2003 or newer

Save the following file as test.cs, but substitute your actual username and API key:

using System.Net;
class test {
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        FlightXML2 df = new FlightXML2();
        df.Credentials = new NetworkCredential("sampleUser", "abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123");
        df.PreAuthenticate = true;

        // get the flights currently enroute.
        EnrouteStruct r = df.Enroute("KAUS", 10, "", 0);
        foreach (EnrouteFlightStruct e in r.enroute) {
            System.Console.WriteLine(e.ident);
        }

        // get the weather.
        System.Console.WriteLine(df.Metar("KAUS"));
    }
}
    

Run commands:

wsdl.exe http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2/wsdl

csc.exe test.cs FlightXML2.cs

test.exe
    

The built-in SoapClient provided in PHP5 supports modern Document/Literal SOAP services, like FlightXML2.

• PHP5 or above
• SoapClient
  • if building PHP from source, it must have been compiled with: ./configure --enable-soap
  • on Ubuntu or Debian based systems: sudo aptitude install php-soap
  • on RHEL/Fedora based systems: yum install php-soap

Save the following file as testsoap.php, but substitute your actual username and API key:

<?php

$options = array(
                 'trace' => true,
                 'exceptions' => 0,
                 'login' => 'sampleUser',
                 'password' => 'abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123',
                 );
$client = new SoapClient('http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2/wsdl', $options);

// get the weather.
$params = array("airport" => "KAUS");
$result = $client->Metar($params);
print_r($result);

?>
    

The NuSOAP toolkit for PHP can be used with FlightXML2.

• PHP4 or PHP5
• NuSOAP (tested with 0.7.3)
  • on RHEL/Fedora based systems: yum install php-nusoap
  • on FreeBSD systems: cd /usr/ports/net/nusoap && make install
  • otherwise download from the SourceForge project site listed above

Save the following file as testsoap.php, but substitute your actual username and API key:

<?php

require_once( "nusoap/nusoap.php" );

$username = 'sampleUser';
$apiKey = 'abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123';

$baseUri = "http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2";

date_default_timezone_set('UTC');
$client = new nusoap_client("$baseUri/wsdl",'wsdl');
$client->setCredentials($username,$apiKey);

if ( $client->getError() ) {
    die "Soap Constructor Error:" . $client->getError();
}

// get the weather.
$params = array("airport" => "KAUS");
$result = $client->call( "Metar", $params);
if ($client->fault) { //soap_fault
    die "Soap Fault: ". $client->fault->faultcode . "(" . $client->fault->faultstring . ")";
}
elseif ( $client->getError() ) {
    die "Soap Error: " . $client->getError();
}
else {
    print_r($result);
}

?>
    

The Perl CPAN module SOAP::WSDL is a modern SOAP client that fully supports Document/Literal services.

• Perl5 or above
• SOAP::WSDL (tested with 2.00.10)
  • On FreeBSD systems: cd /usr/ports/devel/p5-SOAP-WSDL && make install
  • On RHEL/Fedora based systems: rpm -Uvh perl-SOAP-WSDL-2.00-xx-y.zz.rf.noarch.rpm (from the RPMForge repository)
  • Otherwise: perl -MCPAN -e 'install SOAP::WSDL'

Save the following file as testwsdl.pl, but substitute your actual username and API key:

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use SOAP::WSDL 2.0;

my $username = "sampleUser";
my $apiKey = "abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123";

my $baseUri = "http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2";

sub SOAP::WSDL::Transport::HTTP::get_basic_credentials {
    return $username => $apiKey;
}
sub SOAP::Transport::HTTP::Client::get_basic_credentials {
    return $username => $apiKey;
}

# Check if the SOAP result is an exception.
sub is_fault ($) {
    my $result = shift;
    return !defined($result) || ref($result) eq 'SOAP::Fault' || !defined($result->result);
}

# Singleton arrays are changed by SOAP::WSDL into scalars, making you handle either type.
sub coerce_arrayref ($) {
    my $val = shift;
    my @result = (ref($val) eq 'ARRAY' ? @$val : $val) if defined($val);
    return @result;
}

my $soap = SOAP::WSDL->new( wsdl => "$baseUri/wsdl" );

my $enroute = $soap->call('Enroute', EnrouteRequest => {'airport' => "KSMO", 'howMany' => 10, 'filter' => "", 'offset' => 0});
die if is_fault($enroute);

print "Aircraft en route to KSMO:\n";

my @flights = coerce_arrayref($enroute->result->{enroute});

foreach my $flight (@flights) {
   print $flight->{'ident'} . " (" . $flight->{'aircrafttype'} . ") \t" .
       $flight->{'originName'} . " (" . $flight->{'origin'} . ")\n";
}
    

Run commands:

./testwsdl.pl
    

The Perl CPAN module SOAP::Lite is an old and well-known SOAP client for Perl, however it is not especially well-suited for modern "Document/Literal" SOAP services. However, it can be used if you are willing to make calls to explicitly declare the types of all function arguments using the SOAP::Data method. The "stubmaker.pl" utility and the SOAP::Lite WSDL support cannot be used.

• Perl5 or above
• SOAP::Lite (tested with 0.710.10)
  • On RHEL/Fedora based systems: yum install perl-SOAP-Lite
  • On FreeBSD systems: cd /usr/ports/net/p5-SOAP-Lite && make install
  • Otherwise: perl -MCPAN -e 'install SOAP::Lite'

Save the following file as testlite.pl, but substitute your actual username and API key:

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use SOAP::Lite;

my $username = "sampleUser";
my $apiKey = "abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123";

my $baseUri = "http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2";

sub SOAP::Transport::HTTP::Client::get_basic_credentials {
    return $username => $apiKey;
}

my $soap = SOAP::Lite->default_ns($baseUri)->proxy("$baseUri/op")->autotype(0);

my $enroute = $soap->call("Enroute",
    SOAP::Data->name("airport" => 'KSMO'),
    SOAP::Data->name("howMany" => 10),
    SOAP::Data->name("filter" => ''),
    SOAP::Data->name("offset" => 0)
);
die if !defined($enroute) || $enroute->fault;

print "Aircraft en route to KSMO:\n";
    
my $flights = $enroute->result->{enroute};
    
foreach my $flight (@$flights) {
   print $flight->{'ident'} . " (" . $flight->{'aircrafttype'} . ") \t" .
       $flight->{'originName'} . " (" . $flight->{'origin'} . ")\n";
}
    

Run commands:

./testlite.pl
    

• Java 1.5
• Apache Axis 1

Save the following file as test.java, but substitute your actual username and API key:

import com.flightaware.flightxml.soap.FlightXML2.*;

class test {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        try {
            FlightXML2Locator locator = new FlightXML2Locator();
            FlightXML2Soap df = locator.getFlightXML2Soap();
            FlightXML2SoapStub stub = (FlightXML2SoapStub)df;
            stub.setUsername("sampleUser");                                                                                                                                                                             
            stub.setPassword("abc123abc123abc123abc123");                                                                                                                                                              

            // Get the list of enroute aircraft.
            EnrouteStruct r = df.enroute(new EnrouteRequest("KAUS", 10, "", 0)).getEnrouteResult();
            for (EnrouteFlightStruct e: r.getEnroute()) {
                System.out.println(e.getIdent());
            }

            // Get the weather.
            System.out.println(df.metar(new MetarRequest("KAUS")).getMetarResult());
        } catch (javax.xml.rpc.ServiceException x) {
            System.err.println(x);
        } catch (java.rmi.RemoteException x) {
            System.err.println(x);
        }
    }
}

    

Run commands (Win32):

set CLASSPATH=axis-1_4\lib\axis-ant.jar;axis-1_4\lib\axis.jar;axis-1_4\lib\commons-discovery-0.2.jar;
  axis-1_4\lib\commons-logging-1.0.4.jar;axis-1_4\lib\jaxrpc.jar;axis-1_4\lib\log4j-1.2.8.jar;
  axis-1_4\lib\saaj.jar;axis-1_4\lib\wsdl4j-1.5.1.jar;.

wget -O wsdl2.xml http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2/wsdl

java org.apache.axis2.wsdl.WSDL2Java wsdl2.xml

javac test.java

java test
    

• Java 1.5
• Apache Axis2

Save the following file as test2.java, but substitute your actual username and API key:

import com.flightaware.flightxml.soap.flightxml2.*;
import org.apache.axis2.transport.http.*;

class test2 {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        try {
            HttpTransportProperties.Authenticator auth = new HttpTransportProperties.Authenticator();
            auth.setUsername("sampleUser");
            auth.setPassword("abc123abc123abc123abc123");

            FlightXML2Stub stub = new FlightXML2Stub();
            stub._getServiceClient().getOptions().setProperty(HTTPConstants.CHUNKED, false);
            stub._getServiceClient().getOptions().setProperty(HTTPConstants.AUTHENTICATE, auth);


            // Get the list of enroute aircraft.
            FlightXML2Stub.EnrouteRequest req1 = new FlightXML2Stub.EnrouteRequest();
            req1.setHowMany(10);
            req1.setAirport("KAUS");
            req1.setFilter("");
            req1.setOffset(0);
            FlightXML2Stub.EnrouteRequestE req1e = new FlightXML2Stub.EnrouteRequestE();
            req1e.setEnrouteRequest(req1);
            for (FlightXML2Stub.EnrouteFlightStruct e: 
                    stub.enroute(req1e).getEnrouteResults().getEnrouteResult().getEnroute()) {
                System.out.println(e.getIdent() + " (" + e.getAircrafttype() + ") \t" + 
                       e.getOriginName() + " (" + e.getOrigin() + ")");
            }

            // Get the weather.
            FlightXML2Stub.MetarRequest req2 = new FlightXML2Stub.MetarRequest();
            req2.setAirport("KAUS");
            FlightXML2Stub.MetarRequestE req2e = new FlightXML2Stub.MetarRequestE();
            req2e.setMetarRequest(req2);
            System.out.println(stub.metar(req2e).getMetarResults().getMetarResult());

        } catch (java.rmi.RemoteException x) {
            System.err.println(x);
        }
    }
}
    

Run commands (UNIX):

export CLASSPATH=$(echo . axis2-1.5.1/lib/*.jar | tr ' ' ':')

./axis2-1.5.1/bin/wsdl2java.sh -S . -uri http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2/wsdl

javac test2.java

java test2
    

• TCL 8.5
• TCLws (tested with 1.3.0)

Save the following file as test.tcl, but substitute your actual username and API key:

#!/bin/env tclsh8.5

package require WS::Client 1.3.0
package require base64

# uncomment these lines for debugging output
#::log::lvChannelForall stderr
#foreach lev [::log::levels] { ::log::lvSuppress $lev 0 }

set username "sampleUser"
set apiKey "abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123"
set baseUri "http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2"

set wsdl [::WS::Client::GetAndParseWsdl "$baseUri/wsdl"]
set apiname [::WS::Client::LoadParsedWsdl $wsdl]
set authheader [list Authorization "Basic [::base64::encode $username:$apiKey]"]


proc get_weather {airport} {
    global apiname authheader
    array set result [::WS::Client::DoCall $apiname Metar [list airport $airport] $authheader]

    puts "Weather for $airport:"
    puts $result(MetarResult)
}

proc get_flights {airport} {
    global apiname authheader
    array set result [::WS::Client::DoCall $apiname Enroute [list airport $airport howMany "10" fiter "" offset "0"] $authheader]
    array set flights $result(EnrouteResult)
    puts "Aircraft en route to $airport:"

    foreach flightdata $flights(enroute) {
        array unset flight
        array set flight $flightdata
        puts "$flight(ident) ($flight(aircrafttype)) $flight(originName) ($flight(origin))"
    }
}

get_weather "KSMO"
get_flights "KSMO"
    

Run commands:

tclsh8.5 test.tcl
    

• Python 2.5 or above
• SOAPpy

Save the following file as test.py, but substitute your actual username and API key:

#!/usr/bin/env python

from SOAPpy import Config, HTTPTransport, SOAPAddress, WSDL

username = 'sampleuser'
apiKey = 'abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123'
wsdlFile = 'http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2'

# This is a custom HTTP transport that allows Basic Authentication.
class myHTTPTransport(HTTPTransport):
    username = None
    passwd = None

    @classmethod
    def setAuthentication(cls,u,p):
        cls.username = u
        cls.passwd = p

    def call(self, addr, data, namespace, soapaction=None, encoding=None,
             http_proxy=None, config=Config):

        if not isinstance(addr, SOAPAddress):
            addr=SOAPAddress(addr, config)

        if self.username != None:
            addr.user = self.username+":"+self.passwd

        return HTTPTransport.call(self, addr, data, namespace, soapaction,
                                  encoding, http_proxy, config)


# Make a FlightXML server request.
myHTTPTransport.setAuthentication(username, apiKey)
DF = WSDL.Proxy(wsdlFile, transport=myHTTPTransport)

enroute = DF.Enroute('KSMO',10,'',0)

flights = enroute['enroute']

print "Aircraft en route to KSMO:"
for flight in flights:
    print "%s (%s) \t%s (%s)" % ( flight['ident'], flight['aircrafttype'],
                              flight['originName'], flight['origin'])
    

Run commands:

./test.py
    

• Python 2.5 or above
• Suds 0.3.3 or higher
  • on RHEL/Fedora based systems: yum install python-suds

Save the following file as test.py, but substitute your actual username and API key:

#!/usr/bin/python

import sys
from suds import null, WebFault
from suds.client import Client
import logging


username = 'sampleUser'
apiKey = 'abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123'
url = 'http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2/wsdl'


logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
api = Client(url, username=username, password=apiKey)
#print api

# Get the weather
result = api.service.Metar('KAUS')
print result

# Get the flights enroute
result = api.service.Enroute('KSMO', 10, '', 0)
flights = result['enroute']

print "Aircraft en route to KSMO:"
for flight in flights:
    print "%s (%s) \t%s (%s)" % ( flight['ident'], flight['aircrafttype'],
                                  flight['originName'], flight['origin'])

    

Run commands:

./test.py
    

• Ruby 1.8 or above
• soap4r
• flightxml2-client-ruby

Save the following file as test.rb, but substitute your actual username and API key:

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
require 'FlightXML2Driver.rb'

username = 'sampleuser'
apiKey = 'abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123'

$api = FlightXML2Soap.new(username, apiKey)

result = $api.enroute(EnrouteRequest.new('KSMO',10,'',0))

flights = result.enrouteResult.enroute

print "Aircraft en route to KSMO:\n"
flights.each { |flight|
    print "#{flight.ident} (#{flight.aircrafttype}) \t#{flight.originName} (#{flight.origin})\n"
}
    

Run commands:

./test.rb
    

• Ruby 1.8 or above
• Heavy metal Ruby SOAP client library (savon): homepage, github
  • gem install savon

Save the following file as test.rb, but substitute your actual username and API key:

#!/usr/bin/env ruby

require 'rubygems'
require 'savon'

SOAP_URL = 'http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2/wsdl'
USERNAME = 'sampleuser'
API_KEY = 'abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123'

client = Savon::Client.new do
  wsdl.document = SOAP_URL
  http.auth.basic USERNAME, API_KEY
end

result = client.request(:enroute) do
  soap.body = {
    :airport => 'KSMO',
    :how_many => 10,
    :filter => '',
    :offset => 0
  }
end

flights = result.to_hash[:enroute_results][:enroute_result][:enroute]

print "Aircraft en route to KSMO:\n"
flights.each { |flight|
  print "#{flight[:ident]} (#{flight[:aircrafttype]}) \t#{flight[:origin_name]} (#{flight[:origin]})\n"
}
    

Run commands:

./test.rb
    

• ColdFusion 8 or newer

Save the following file as test.cfm, but substitute your actual username and API key:

<cfscript>
    stAuth = structNew();
    stAuth.username = "sampleuser";
    stAuth.password = "abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123abc123";
    ws = createObject("webservice", "http://flightxml.flightaware.com/soap/FlightXML2/wsdl", stAuth);

    stEnroute = structNew();
    stEnroute.airport = "KSFO";
    stEnroute.howMany = 15;
    stEnroute.filter = "";
    stEnroute.offset = 0;

    aEnrouteStruct = ws.Enroute(stEnroute);
</cfscript>
<cfset EnrouteFlights = aEnrouteStruct.getEnrouteResult().getEnroute()>

<cfloop from="1" to="#ArrayLen(EnrouteFlights)#" index="i">
    <cfset dtime = DateAdd("s",EnrouteFlights[i].actualdeparturetime,DateConvert("utc2Local", "January 1 1970 00:00"))>
    <cfoutput>#EnrouteFlights[i].ident# = #EnrouteFlights[i].aircrafttype# departed at #dtime#<br></cfoutput>
</cfloop>

This example is a static HTML page using JavaScript and jQuery to access FlightXML2 over its JSON interface. We recommend that this technique be only used in protected Intranet environment, since embedding your FlightXML API key in public web pages will allow other users to copy your key and make unauthorized use against your account.

• Web browser (tested with Firefox, Safari, Chrome. Not compatible with Internet Explorer)
• Web server (static HTML)

Save the following file as test.html, but substitute your actual username and API key:

<html>
  <head>

<!--
 This example uses:
 * the FlightXML2 FlightInfoEx and DecodeFlightRoute functions over REST:
      http://flightaware.com/commercial/flightxml/
 * Google Maps API:
      http://code.google.com/apis/visualization/documentation/gallery/map.html
 * jQuery, hosted by Google API
-->


<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/jsapi"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.5.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">

var fxml_url = 'http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_API_KEY@flightxml.flightaware.com/json/FlightXML2/';


google.load("visualization", "1", {packages:["map"]});


// When the button is clicked, fetch the details about the entered flight ident.
$(document).ready(function() {
    $('#go_button').click(function() {
    $.ajax({
       type: 'GET',
       url: fxml_url + 'FlightInfoEx', 
       data: { 'ident': $('#ident_text').val(), 'howMany': 1, 'offset': 0 },
       success : function(result) {
          // display some textual details about the flight.
          var flight = result.FlightInfoExResult.flights[0];
          $('#results').html('Flight ' + flight.ident + ' from ' + flight.origin + ' to ' + flight.destination);

          // display the route on a map.
          fetchAndRenderRoute(flight.faFlightID);
       },
       error: function(data, text) { alert('Failed to fetch flight: ' + data); },
       dataType: 'jsonp',
       jsonp: 'jsonp_callback',
       xhrFields: { withCredentials: true }
       });
   });
});


// Fetch the planned route for a specified flight_id.
function fetchAndRenderRoute(flight_id) {
   $.ajax({
       type: 'GET',
       url: fxml_url + 'DecodeFlightRoute', 
       data: { 'faFlightID': flight_id },
       success : function(result) {
           // Initialize a data table using the Google API.
           var table = new google.visualization.DataTable();
           table.addColumn('number', 'Lat');
           table.addColumn('number', 'Lon');
           table.addColumn('string', 'Name');

           // Insert all of the points into the data table.
           var points = result.DecodeFlightRouteResult.data;
           table.addRows(points.length);
           for (rowid = 0; rowid < points.length; rowid++) {
                table.setCell(rowid, 0, points[rowid].latitude);
                table.setCell(rowid, 1, points[rowid].longitude);
                table.setCell(rowid, 2, points[rowid].name + ' (' + points[rowid].type + ')' );
           }

           // Render the data table into a map using Google Maps API.
           var map = new google.visualization.Map(document.getElementById('map_div'));
           map.draw(table, {showTip: true, showLine: true, lineWidth: 3, lineColor: '#009900'});
       },
       error: function(data, text) { alert('Failed to decode route: ' + data); },
       dataType: 'jsonp',
       jsonp: 'jsonp_callback',
       xhrFields: { withCredentials: true }
   });
}


</script>
  </head>

  <body>

    <form onsubmit="return false;">
    <p>Enter a flight ident to track: 
    <input type="text" name="ident" id="ident_text" value="COA423" />
    <input type="submit" id="go_button" value="Go" />
    </p>
    </form>

    <div id="results"></div>
    <div id="map_div" style="width: 400px; height: 300px"></div>

  </body>
</html>
    

This example is a Node.JS console application written in Javascript that accesses FlightXML2 over its JSON interface.

• Node.JS (tested with v0.6.14)
• restler (also available through npm)

Save the following file as test.js, but substitute your actual username and API key:

/*
 * This requires: restler
 * To install, type 'npm install restler'
 * Tested with node.js v0.6.14
 */

var util = require('util');
var restclient = require('restler');

var fxml_url = 'http://flightxml.flightaware.com/json/FlightXML2/';
var username = 'YOUR_USERNAME';
var apiKey = 'YOUR_APIKEY';


restclient.get(fxml_url + 'MetarEx', {
    username: username,
    password: apiKey,
    query: {airport: 'KAUS', howMany: 1}
}).on('success', function(result, response) {
    // util.puts(util.inspect(result, true, null));
    var entry = result.MetarExResult.metar[0];
    util.puts('The temperature at ' + entry.airport + ' is ' + entry.temp_air + 'C');
});

restclient.get(fxml_url + 'Enroute', {
    username: username,
    password: apiKey,
    query: {airport: 'KIAH', howMany: 10, filter: '', offset: 0}
}).on('success', function(result, response) {
    util.puts('Aircraft en route to KIAH:');
    //util.puts(util.inspect(result, true, null));
    var flights = result.EnrouteResult.enroute;
    for (i in flights) {
      var flight = flights[i];
      //util.puts(util.inspect(flight));
      util.puts(flight.ident + ' (' + flight.aircrafttype + ')\t' + 
          flight.originName + ' (' + flight.origin + ')');
    }
});

    

Run commands:

node test.js