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AIBU?

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Original poster

To bloody hate flight radar

177 replies

witchofzog · 07/06/2018 14:34

I am away at the moment with friends in a house about half hour from the nearest airport. It's a huge European airport. They have all gone inside for a snooze and I am outside on a sun lounger to read my book.

Except I can't read my bloody book cos it turns out we are on the flight path and there are loads of planes passing over. I seem to have developed a bit of an obsession with wanting to know where planes are going and have come from so I can't even read more than a couple of pages without having to flick back to bloody flight radar to check. I do this at home too but the planes seem to be every hour or so there. Here it's relentless.

I have already broken off twice from this post to work out that the planes passing are from Munich and Gothenburg respectively. This enhances my life in no way at all yet I can't help myself.

It was Mumsnet who told me about Flight Radar. Who do I complain to?! Blush

OP posts:
Igneococcus · 09/06/2018 06:59

Dang, I wish I had found that Battle of Britain flight display site earlier.
I live next to an airport that is big enough to take large planes (was used during WW2) but most days only has small private planes and a handful of small passenger planes to and from the islands, occasionally large military planes and helicopters use it, the rescue services helicopters often fuel up there. A few years ago I was walking along the track between the runway and the shore when I saw 4 old planes which I'm fairly convinced were Spitfires, landing and taking off and flying formations over my head. A tourist couple that came the other way also watched and commented on it but we were the only people watching. I checked the airport FB page and the local newspaper and there was nothing about it, usually they make a big fuss if something more exciting than a Cessna is coming to the airport, but there was nothing at all about it. I bet they were practising for some big display. It was like having my own private air show.

FutureDays · 09/06/2018 07:01

I use marine traffic for work, I was at a beach recently and had to log on to find out which boats I could see on horizon, I also tracked my parents each day on their last few cruises.

Hassled · 09/06/2018 07:10

I absolutely see the appeal, but can't cope with the tension of tracking actual people I know and care about on planes. I started following DD on a flight back from Morocco, but spent the whole time fretting the plane would suddenly vanish from the screen in a MH370 sort of way.

Lollyb86 · 09/06/2018 07:17

My DH works at the local airport and we are under the flight path so he can tell me what each flight is that goes over what time it's due in etc...without looking at the radar...Grin

LemonRedwood · 09/06/2018 07:21

I've just downloaded the flighradar app and watched an A388 from Dubai land at Gatwick in 3D mode.

I'm now going to have to buy a subscription.

Damn you all to hell.

Grin
MoonsAndJunes · 09/06/2018 07:37

Oh dear God. I've just downloaded the apps... not sure I'll be getting out of bed this morning!

MoonsAndJunes · 09/06/2018 07:38

lolly I like your DH!! Grin

argumentativefeminist · 09/06/2018 08:13

Just watched a small light aircraft fly from Chad of all places to a small airfield near me... desperate to know the story!

Follyfoot · 09/06/2018 08:20

Apparently FR showed the new F35 fighter jets being delivered to RAF Marham. Devastated I missed that little treat...

I've infected someone I work with, she is now completely addicted. We have races to identify what has just flown overhead Grin

MoonsAndJunes · 09/06/2018 09:06

Watching planes ✈️ crossing paths within seconds of each other is stressing me out!

italiancortado · 09/06/2018 09:25

Watching planes ✈️ crossing paths within seconds of each other is stressing me out!

That does not happen.

italiancortado · 09/06/2018 09:29

Here's an interesting one, Beluga, heading to Harwarden

To bloody hate flight radar
italiancortado · 09/06/2018 09:36

live near an airport, and can hear them landing in. Sometimes they overshoot the runway, and have to take off again and redo the approach.

A go around. Happens for many reasons. Unstable approach, aircraft in front not clear of the runway etc.

rainbowstardrops · 09/06/2018 09:44

I've got Plane Finder on my phone because it gives more free useless information but I absolutely went to pieces when I was tracking DS's flight to New York a couple of years ago and it suddenly disappeared! I properly went to pieces until it thankfully reappeared near the coast of America!

I find it fascinating and stressful all rolled into one!

musicposy · 09/06/2018 10:21

Charingcross that's such a lovely story Flowers

NoParticularPattern lightningmaps is I think the best one. Also search for and ask to join UK & Ireland Weather Watchers on Facebook. It's a closed group but they'll let you join. Everyone talks weather, posts pictures, links to satellite maps etc.

We live near a private airfield, DH works at LGW and DD is right near LCY, so you can imagine we do an awful lot of geeky flight tracking!

I'm sorry OP, I love all this stuff and so cannot tell you YABU!

ISeeTheLight · 09/06/2018 10:22

There's also a boat equivalent, marinetraffic.com Wink

italiancortado · 09/06/2018 10:26

absolutely went to pieces when I was tracking DS's flight to New York a couple of years ago and it suddenly disappeared!

This is totally normal. FR24 doesn't have 24hr coverage over the Atlantic. It's really common to see nothing, or all of a flight, or the radar coverage drop and then come back after a few hours crossing.

CookPassBabtridge · 09/06/2018 10:29

I love it too, it makes me feel happy and comforted! We have moved to North Yorkshire where I see loads of planes in the distance but they are not on flightradar.. turns out we are near a private airport. Wonder what or who those planes are carrying..
Also near an RAF base so they're not on there either. Basically my flightradar is empty now!

user1495884620 · 09/06/2018 10:38

Damn you all! I am supposed to be making tonight's dinner and instead, I am looking for a bridge over the River Gambie in Senegal. Angry

UpstartCrow · 09/06/2018 10:45

Why, what's happening at the River Gambie in Senegal?

TressiliansStone · 09/06/2018 10:51

Hmm, that's interesting. I've just heard something small and low and noisy, but according to Flight Radar the nearest plane was a jet some minutes ago at 37,000 ft.

Harrumph. Don't make me take up hurtling into the garden again. It's bad for me 'ealth.

italiancortado · 09/06/2018 10:56

Hmm, that's interesting. I've just heard something small and low and noisy, but according to Flight Radar the nearest plane was a jet some minutes ago at 37,000 ft.

Lots of the low aircraft won't show, especially the older props used in flight school or the RAF grob tutors - noisy props but too low an altitude for FR to pick them up. Most military won't show, occasionally some will pop up, but it's not the norm.

user1495884620 · 09/06/2018 11:04

Your guess was 34m from the correct location. Oh yeah! Mako in Senegal.

CadyHeron · 09/06/2018 11:25

Watching planes ✈️ crossing paths within seconds of each other is stressing me out!

Some can look like they're crossing within seconds of each other, but look at the altitude which should be showing too.
There'll be several thousand feet difference between them but the yellow planes can look like they're on top of each other Grin

madvixen · 09/06/2018 12:28

Voyager is out and ready for the fly past

To bloody hate flight radar
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