Frequently Asked Questions

PlaneTrack is a real-time aircraft tracking platform. We collect ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) messages from aircraft transponders and partner receivers, enrich the stream in transit, and serve the results on the free live map. The archive currently holds 10.4B+ position datapoints.

Paid tiers add API access, historical data, and commercial licensing for companies and developers. The map and core tracking remain free.

Most aircraft broadcast their position, altitude, speed, and identity every second via ADS-B transponders. Ground receivers pick up these messages. We run our own receiver network and accept feeds from home receivers, all integrated in real time.

On top of the raw feed we run analytics that fill coverage gaps with predicted positions. Not every aircraft carries ADS-B and reception varies by region, so predicted segments are exactly that: predictions. They improve as coverage grows.

Not all aircraft are visible, for several reasons:

• Some aircraft don't have ADS-B transponders (especially older or smaller aircraft)
• Military aircraft often disable or encrypt their transponders
• Some private aircraft operators request their data be filtered
• Coverage gaps exist in areas without ground receivers (remote areas, oceans)

The pipeline streams 24/7. New messages reach the map, analytics, and APIs within 4 seconds of receipt, 2 seconds on average. We keep the full history, 261 days of it so far, which powers historical playback, extracts, and enrichment.

Live data is real-time on every tier, including Free, with no artificial delays, typically 1-3 seconds from receipt. Paid tiers differ by rate limits, history depth, and commercial-use rights rather than by latency.

Yes. Email [email protected].

Current work is focused on two areas: adding ADS-B sources to increase coverage, and expanding the analytics, map, and API enrichment capabilities. Map updates ship weekly, so reports on rough edges are useful and usually acted on quickly.

No, you can view the live map without an account. A free account adds features like saving favorite aircraft, setting alerts, and using the API.

The free tier includes:

• Access to the live map
• Aircraft search
• Basic aircraft information
• 100 API calls per day
• Real-time data, no artificial delay

If you run an ADS-B receiver and feed your data to PlaneTrack, you receive full Premium access at no cost. See the pricing page for details.

Yes, you can cancel at any time from your dashboard. Access continues until the end of the current billing period. We don't offer prorated refunds for partial months.

1. Create an account at planetrack.ai/signup
2. Go to your dashboard
3. Click "Create New Key" in the API Keys section
4. Copy and securely store your API key

Note: API keys are only shown once, at creation time.

Rate limits vary by tier:

• Free: 1 request/second, 100/day
• Starter: 10 requests/second, 10,000/day
• Professional: 100 requests/second, 100,000/day
• Enterprise: unlimited

See the API documentation for details.

Yes, commercial use is allowed on all paid tiers. The Free tier is limited to personal and non-commercial use. For large-scale commercial deployments, we recommend the Enterprise plan, which includes dedicated support and custom SLAs. See the Commercial Use page for more information.

Yes, tracking aircraft using publicly broadcast ADS-B signals is legal in most countries. ADS-B signals are intentionally broadcast for safety purposes and are not encrypted. We comply with applicable regulations and honor operator requests for data filtering.

Your personal data is encrypted and never sold to third parties. We only collect what's necessary to provide our services. For full details, read the Privacy Policy.

Yes, aircraft operators can request their aircraft be filtered from public display. Contact [email protected] with proof of ownership or operation and your aircraft registration or ICAO hex code.