ADS-B Flight Tracker & Airspace Monitoring Dashboard
Custom Real-Time Aviation Data Visualization System
Project Overview
This project involved designing and developing a real-time flight tracking system using ADS-B aviation broadcasts combined with a custom web-based monitoring dashboard.
The goal of the system was to capture live aircraft telemetry from nearby airspace, process the data locally, and visualize it in a clear, actionable interface for monitoring flight activity.
The project demonstrates skills in hardware integration, data processing, real-time visualization, and full-stack web development.
The system combines radio hardware with web technologies to convert raw aircraft transmissions into a structured dashboard.
Hardware Layer
Aircraft broadcast their position and telemetry using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals at 1090 MHz.
The system captures these signals using:
• RTL-SDR USB radio receiver
• ADS-B antenna
• Local computer running decoding software
This setup continuously receives aircraft transmissions within approximately 100–250 miles, depending on antenna placement.
Data Processing Layer
Raw radio signals are decoded using ADS-B decoding software which extracts structured telemetry data including:
• Aircraft callsign
• ICAO identifier
• Latitude / longitude
• Altitude
• Ground speed
• Heading
• Vertical rate
This data stream updates every few seconds as aircraft transmit their location and status.
The decoded data is then made available locally through a JSON data feed, allowing it to be consumed by the dashboard application.
Dashboard Application
To visualize the data, I built a custom web dashboard that pulls live aircraft telemetry and renders it in a clear monitoring interface.
The dashboard includes:
• Real-time aircraft table
• Live flight updates
• Airspace monitoring view
• Aircraft filtering and sorting
• Structured telemetry display
The interface allows users to quickly view nearby flight activity and track aircraft movement across the region.
Development Stack
The system integrates both hardware and web technologies.
Hardware / Signal Processing
• RTL-SDR receiver
• ADS-B antenna
• Local signal decoding software
Backend / Data Handling
• Local data stream from ADS-B decoder
• JSON telemetry processing
Frontend Dashboard
• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• Dynamic table rendering
The architecture allows the dashboard to update automatically as new aircraft telemetry is received.
Key Features
Real-Time Flight Monitoring
Aircraft data updates continuously as ADS-B broadcasts are received, allowing near-real-time airspace visibility.
Local Data Processing
All signal capture and processing occurs locally, eliminating reliance on external tracking services.
Structured Flight Data
Telemetry is parsed and organized into a readable dashboard format for easy monitoring.
Expandable System
The platform is designed so additional features can be added, including:
• aircraft map overlays
• altitude filtering
• aircraft type identification
• flight history logging
• alert systems for specific aircraft
Challenges & Solutions
Processing High-Frequency Data
Aircraft broadcast frequently, generating a constant stream of telemetry.
Solution:
Efficient parsing and refresh cycles were implemented to keep the interface responsive without overwhelming the browser.
Hardware & Software Integration
Combining RF signal capture with a web interface required bridging radio decoding software with frontend visualization.
Solution:
The decoded data was exposed as a structured feed that could be consumed by the web dashboard in real time.
Results
The completed system successfully provides:
• Real-time airspace monitoring
• Local aircraft telemetry capture
• Clean dashboard visualization of live flights
• Expandable architecture for future features
The project demonstrates the ability to combine radio hardware, signal processing, and web development into a practical monitoring platform.
Skills Demonstrated
• Full-stack web development
• Real-time data processing
• Hardware integration
• aviation telemetry systems
• dashboard UI development
• system architecture design