Why do planes not have trackers?

Why don't planes have trackers? GPS transmitters, such as are used by the police or by business vehicle fleets, need to be within range of a receiver. An aircraft at any kind of cruise altitude would perforce need out of range of such receivers. Aircraft do have transmitters on them, though.



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Today, flight tracking is shifting to a surveillance system called Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast, or ADS-B. Most aircraft today (and virtually all commercial aircraft) are now equipped with an ADS-B transponder which shares every second its detailed position, altitude, and speed parameters with other ...

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Cockpit crews used to include a navigator, who would calculate position via maps, dead reckoning, later the LORAN radio system. Landmarks, both physical and radio. Also, with certain flight paths, there was even celestial navigation used (navigating using the stars).

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It is technically possible for airplanes to operate without being continuously tracked by radar, it is important to understand the context and limitations involved. Why do planes fly in a curved path? Are planes always on radar? Can a fighter jet's radar identify the type of airplane the target is flying?

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Modern-day technology on commercial airliners is so good that air traffic control can track the aircraft's position even when it's flying over an ocean.

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Planes have headlights so that pilots can see what is in front of them. Unfortunately, they are only effective during takeoffs and landings. Even with the slight illumination offered by the headlights, only darkness is visible when looking out the front window of a cockpit.

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Whether flying at night or during the day, pilots need to see some kind of horizon. They use this to determine the airplane's attitude. At night pilots will turn their gaze from outside to inside and use the artificial horizon. The artificial horizon is normally a simply globe split into two hemispheres.

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The most tracked flight consists of 4.79 million trackings and was achieved by ZZ177 RAF Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin, from Edinburgh, Scotland to London, England on 13 September 2022.

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While pilots can't actually see turbulence, they often know what is coming up, thanks to reports from other planes, weather reports, and radar equipment. However, clear air turbulence (severe turbulence occurring in cloudless areas) can sometimes catch pilots off guard.

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Airline pilots take turns using the bathroom nearest the cockpit during a flight. There are no bathrooms installed in the cockpit. For airplanes with a single pilot, diapers, catheters, or collection devices are used if they are unable to land to use the airport bathroom.

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The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.

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Pilots don't earn a flat annual salary like some professions. Instead, they're paid an hourly wage for each flight hour flown, along with per diem. Most airlines guarantee a minimum number of hours per month, so that pilots can count on at least a minimum amount of monthly income.

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Flight times within the duty periods are restricted to a maximum of 8 hours for flight crews consisting of one pilot and 10 hours for flight crews consisting of two pilots. The 8-hour and 10-hour flight time limitations include any additional commercial flying performed by the flight crew during the period.

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A dark scene spread with ground lights and stars, and certain geometric patterns of ground lights can provide inaccurate visual information, making it difficult to align the aircraft correctly with the actual horizon.

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Instrument approach procedures specify minimum flight visibility to land and minimum decent altitudes. If the clouds are too low or the visibility is very poor, a pilot still can't land. Flight visibility is just one factor, however. Rain can make it difficult to see out the windscreen.

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The most common reason is that there are no airstrips or airports on many of the small islands, so if a plane had to make an emergency landing, it would be difficult to find a place to land. Additionally, the Pacific Ocean is vast and remote, so if a plane were to go down, it would be very difficult to find.

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Since it is preferable to crash land on solid ground, and ideally close to an airport where emergency services are accessible, most airlines prefer to fly over land. Most flights are intended to spend as little time as possible over water, since storms are more common over the ocean than on land.

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Airliners are built for cold temperatures (it's –57°C at cruising altitude) and aviators welcome the denser air that comes with extreme cold. Frigid air at –40°C is about one third more dense than hot air at +40°C.

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A poll taken on A Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge, the largest network of airline staff on social media, revealed that most airline crew not only like turbulence, but they also enjoy it! That's a comforting thought to think about the next time you're worried when your plane starts shaking. '

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