Tracking Features
A tracking feature can be enabled causing extra flight information to be recorded in the database.
The list of supported features:
track_tx_types
track_tx_types can be enabled to survey the ADS-B message types transmitted by an aircraft
during the flight.
The record of observed transmission types is stored as a uint8 on the sighting record.
Each bit position corresponds to a certain message type - the bit being set to 1 indicates
that this message type was observed.
Note this feature only works on messages received from a dump1090 instance.
| Bit | Message Type | Message description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | DF17 BDS 0,8 | ES Identification and Category |
| 1 | DF17 BDS 0,6 | ES Surface Position Message (Triggered by nose gear squat switch.) |
| 2 | DF17 BDS 0,5 | ES Airborne Position Message |
| 3 | DF17 BDS 0,9 | ES Airborne Velocity Message |
| 4 | DF4, DF20 | Surveillance Alt Message (Triggered by ground radar. Not CRC secured.) |
| 5 | DF5, DF21 | Surveillance ID Message (Triggered by ground radar. Not CRC secured.) |
| 6 | DF16 | Air To Air Message (Triggered from TCAS) |
| 7 | DF11 | All Call Reply (Broadcast but also triggered by ground radar) |
track_callsigns
track_callsigns controls whether the callsigns used by aircraft should be recorded.
When enabled, the sighting.callsign record will contain the latest callsign used by the aircraft.
sighting_callsign records are created every time the callsign changes, forming a journal of
all callsigns used and when the callsign was changed.
track_squawks
track_squawks controls whether the squawks used by aircraft should be recorded.
When enabled, the sighting.squawk record will contain the latest squawk used by the aircraft.
sighting_squawk records are created every time the squawk is changed, forming a journal of
all squawks used and when the squawk was changed.
track_kml
The track_kml feature makes the project record each position broadcast by the aircraft. Once
the sighting is closed, the journal of locations is processed into a KML file showing the movements
of the aircraft. If the reopen_sightings is true, and a processed sighting is reopened, the
location log will be updated once again, and a new KML produced when the sighting closes.
Upon each position update (altitude, latitude, longitude), a new log is added to the sighting_location
table. The KML file is kept in sighting_kml and is associated with the sighting.
Note this feature is required for map_produced notifications to be produced.
track_takeoff
Enabling track_takeoff doesn’t change what is tracked currently, although takeoff event notifications
are not emitted unless this feature is enabled.
geocode_endpoints
geocode_endpoints causes airtrack to try and determine the origin airport when the aircraft sighting
opens, and to determine the destination airport when the sighting closes. The aircraft must be within a
certain distance and altitude for the result to be accepted.
The locations are not saved currently but are included in some event notifications.