FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ADS-B stands for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast. It is a surveillance technology in which aircraft determine their position via satellite navigation (GPS) and periodically broadcast it on the 1090 MHz frequency along with identification, altitude, velocity, and other data. This signal is publicly receivable by anyone with an appropriate antenna and radio receiver. The FAA mandated ADS-B Out for most aircraft in controlled US airspace starting January 1, 2020.

AeroScope aggregates ADS-B data from multiple community receiver networks worldwide, including adsb.fi, adsb.lol, and OpenSky. This raw data passes through our proprietary 15-stage processing pipeline that deduplicates, enriches, classifies, and analyzes each aircraft. Results are streamed to your browser in real-time via WebSocket connections, with updates every 12 seconds. The entire process from aircraft broadcast to your dashboard typically takes under 15 seconds.

Yes. ADS-B signals are broadcast openly on public radio frequencies (1090 MHz). Receiving and processing these signals is legal in most jurisdictions, similar to listening to a public radio broadcast. AeroScope only processes publicly broadcast data and does not intercept private communications. However, some military and government aircraft may not broadcast ADS-B or may use filtered ICAO addresses, and certain jurisdictions may have specific regulations regarding the redistribution of flight tracking data.

AeroScope aggregates data from multiple community ADS-B networks: adsb.fi provides strong coverage across Scandinavia and Europe with a growing global network; adsb.lol serves as a global mirror network with broad coverage; and OpenSky Network is an academic research network based in Switzerland. By combining multiple sources, AeroScope achieves better coverage, redundancy, and data accuracy than any single source alone.

AeroScope refreshes aircraft data every 12 seconds. Data is streamed to your browser in real-time via WebSocket connections, so you see updates as soon as they are processed by our pipeline. The actual end-to-end latency from aircraft ADS-B broadcast to appearing on your dashboard is typically under 15 seconds, depending on the source network and your internet connection.

The threat score is a 0-100 automated assessment computed for every tracked aircraft using 8+ weighted factors: proximity to your observer location, altitude anomalies (very low or unusual altitudes), speed deviations from expected norms, flight pattern irregularities (circling, loitering), transponder behavior (intermittent signals, squawk changes), aircraft classification (military, helicopter, drone), historical behavior patterns, and geofence violations. The score is color-coded: green (0-30, routine), yellow (31-60, elevated), orange (61-80, high), and red (81-100, critical). It is a decision-support tool, not a definitive threat assessment.

Yes. AeroScope includes an AI-powered drone detection system that identifies potential UAVs based on flight characteristics such as low altitude (below 500 feet AGL), slow speed (under 60 knots), erratic movement patterns, and transponder behavior. Each detection includes a confidence score and classification rationale. Important caveat: not all drones transmit ADS-B signals. Detection is limited to ADS-B-equipped drones and RemoteID-broadcasting UAVs. Many consumer drones operating below 400 feet without ADS-B will not appear.

AeroScope can track any aircraft equipped with an ADS-B transponder, including: commercial airliners, private jets and business aviation, general aviation (Cessna, Piper, etc.), helicopters and rotorcraft, military aircraft (when transponders are active), cargo aircraft, air ambulances, law enforcement and surveillance aircraft, some drones and UAVs with ADS-B or RemoteID. Aircraft without active ADS-B transponders (some military, older general aviation) will not appear.

After logging in to AeroScope, navigate to the Settings panel accessible from the dashboard sidebar. You can enter your latitude and longitude coordinates manually, or use the built-in browser geolocation feature to automatically detect your position. Your observer location is used to calculate distances, bearings, and threat scores relative to your position. It is stored locally and is not shared with other users.

Yes. AeroScope supports data export in multiple formats: CSV for spreadsheet analysis, JSON for programmatic processing, and GeoJSON for geographic information systems. You can export current aircraft snapshots, historical track data, and analysis results. For automated or bulk data collection, use the REST API with over 50 endpoints. See the Research page and API Documentation for details on accessing data for academic work.

AeroScope provides a comprehensive REST API with 50+ endpoints covering: aircraft positions and telemetry, threat scores and analysis, pattern detection results, drone detection alerts, airspace complexity metrics, geofence management, historical data, and system statistics. A WebSocket API is also available for real-time streaming. All API access requires authentication via bearer token. See the API Documentation page for endpoint details and usage examples.

AeroScope is currently available as a free platform. Access requires authentication to prevent abuse and ensure service quality for all users. The platform is maintained as a community project and relies on publicly available ADS-B data from community receiver networks. There are no premium tiers or paid features at this time.

AeroScope works on all modern browsers including Google Chrome (recommended), Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge. The platform is fully responsive and works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. WebSocket support is required for real-time data streaming, which is available in all modern browsers. Internet Explorer is not supported.

In the AeroScope dashboard, navigate to the Geofence panel from the sidebar. Click on the map to set a center point for your geofence, then configure the radius (in nautical miles or kilometers), altitude filters (min/max), and notification preferences. You can create multiple geofences simultaneously. Alerts are triggered when aircraft enter, exit, or loiter within your defined boundaries, and appear as real-time notifications in the dashboard alert panel.