Do you want to build your own ADS-B flight tracking receiver?
FlightAware is a digital aviation company and operates the world's largest flight tracking and data platform. With global connectivity to every segment of aviation, FlightAware provides over 10,000 aircraft operators and service providers as well as over 12,000,000 passengers with global flight tracking solutions, predictive technology, analytics, and decision-making tools.
ADS-B receivers are electronic devices that listen for radio signals from ADS-B aircraft transponders and decodes them to determine aircraft positions. FlightAware has created an open source software solution called PiAware to make aircraft data accessible to everyone. PiAware uses low-power hardware like a Raspberry Pi, a Pro Stick (an inexpensive USB adapter), and an antenna to receive signals from aircraft. Together, the software and hardware decipher and display the 1090MHz ADS-B data in SkyAware, FlightAware’s web-based map interface that allows users to view aircraft positions on a local network. The receiver also sends the data to FlightAware to provide free flight-tracking on flightaware.com.
Easy-to-follow instructions are available that detail the process of purchasing, assembling, and setting up of a PiAware ADS-B receiver. It takes about 2 hours to set up a receiver and track flights in real-time (hardware costs around USD100/EUR80).
If you already have a Raspberry Pi, it takes less than 5 minutes to install the PiAware software on it and start sharing live ADS-B with FlightAware.