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Aran Islands flights not visible - blocked? no coverage?

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  • Aran Islands flights not visible - blocked? no coverage?

    Hello,

    Aer Arann Islands runs regular flights to the Aran Islands in Ireland. Short-range, low-altitude propeller flights. I've been there and seen the planes fly. I was surprised to not find them on FR24 as they happily flew over my head.

    On their website (I am not allowed to post a link) the registration of one of the planes is in full view as EI-AYN. A google reveals it is a Britten Norman BN2A-8 Islander, made in 1974.

    I did read the FAQ and "how it works" but I would appreciate clarification:

    - Is it blocked? I could not find Aer Arann Islands in the list of blocked flights. I would honestly be surprised. These are civilian passenger flights.

    - No ADS-B transponders? But other propeller flights in Ireland are often visible, from ATR-42/72 to private Cessna planes. (I mean, probably not all Cessnas but I remember noticing one or two).

    - No coverage as such in the area? Long-range flights flying over it are visible, but perhaps, as these propeller planes fly at lower altitudes, they would only be covered by a receiver in the immediate vicinity and one does not exist?

  • #2
    Almost certainly lack of ADS-B and/or no FR24 feeders within range. There would be very few BN Islanders anywhere with ADS-B. It costs serious money to retro install on older commercial planes and is probably not a mandatory requirement for that type in the area where it is operating. There are far more Cessnas and other private lighties with ADS-B because many owners can afford it and they don't have the necessity to make a profit like commercial operators. Also, some hirers of light planes have installed ADS-B for no better reason than it allows the owners, like Aero Clubs, to track their members and student pilots.

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    • #3
      Thanks. This makes sense - Aer Arann Islands might be running on a shoestring budget. I have googled further, they very nearly lost the contract last year, and the possibility of loss of contract is still there. And, they are flying passengers on a 1974 plane.

      But if they have neither ADS-B nor FLARM, there must still be some kind of flight control? Radar, or something?

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      • #4
        Originally posted by ramendik View Post
        Thanks. This makes sense - Aer Arann Islands might be running on a shoestring budget. I have googled further, they very nearly lost the contract last year, and the possibility of loss of contract is still there. And, they are flying passengers on a 1974 plane.

        But if they have neither ADS-B nor FLARM, there must still be some kind of flight control? Radar, or something?
        There is little ADS-B coverage over the oceans and polar regions so while major airlines are increasingly installing sophisticated satellite tracking technology, especially since MAS370, trans oceanic (an even some trans continental) flights are still tracked by a mix of radar, satellite and regular radio contact between aircraft and ATC centres. Some of the radio contact is spoken and some is sent as encoded data eg ACARS = Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System. It's worth pointing out that in countries that have not yet fully mandated ADS-B for commercial flights eg North America there are many airliners operated by large airlines flying around without ADS-B. You can see many American Boeings, Airbuses, Embraers etc on FR24 that show up as being detected by MLAT rather than a designated feeder. These are nearly always planes without ADS-B.

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