LiveTraffic uses the AITFC format, which has always been lacking some info like accurate airborne flag, proper heading info on the ground, or any way of distinguishing ground vehicles from aircraft.
Suggested Solution
With RealTraffic v9, a new format RTTFC will become available, which offers a lot more fields and accuracy.
reliable gnd flag
Heading information is available in 3 fields, based on preliminary analysis the following should be the order of priority to use:
track (filled when airborne)
true_heading (filled on the ground)
mag_heading (also filled on the ground, would require correction for compass deviation)
category field provides type of vehicle info:
"C1" and "C2" would be ground vehicles
any other sender of category "C" should probably be excluded (similar to #223)
alt_geom should be carfully verified, at first sight looks more useful than existing baro_alt (which requires correction for local barometric pressure, which is prone to error), but there were warnings to its using WGS84 ellipsoid references.
RTTraffic format
Info from a mail by RealTraffic's author:
This format contains almost all information we have available from our data sources. The format is:
· hexid
· lat = latitude
· lon = longitude
· baro_alt = barometric altitude
· baro_rate = barometric vertical rate
· gnd = ground flag
· track = track
· gsp = ground speed
· cs_icao = ICAO call sign
· ac_type = aircraft type
· ac_tailno = aircraft registration
· from_iata = origin IATA code
· to_iata = destination IATA code
· timestamp = unix epoch timestamp when data was last updated
· source = data source
· cs_iata = IATA call sign
· msg_type = type of message
· alt_geom = geometric altitude (WGS84 GPS altitude)
· IAS = indicated air speed
· TAS = true air speed
· Mach = mac number
· track_rate = rate of change for track
· roll = roll in degrees, negative = left
· mag_heading = magnetic heading
· true_heading = true heading
· geom_rate = geometric vertical rate
· emergency = emergency status
· category = category of the aircraft
· nav_qnh = QNH setting navigation is based on
· nav_altitude_mcp = altitude dialled into the MCP in the flight deck
· nav_altitude_fms = altitude set by the flight management system (FMS)
· nav_heading = heading set by the MCP
· nav_modes = which modes the autopilot is currently in
· seen = seconds since any message updated this aircraft state vector
· rssi = signal strength of the receiver
· winddir = wind direction in degrees true north
· windspd = wind speed in kts
· OAT = outside air temperature / static air temperature
· TAT = total air temperature
· isICAOhex = is this hexid an ICAO assigned ID.
· Augmentation_status = has this record been augmented from multiple sources
· Authentication = authentication status of the license, safe to ignore.
Alternatives
Keep things as they are, the AITFC format remains available.
Benefits
More accurate data, especially nearing and on the ground.
Additional context
Mail exchange with RealTraffic's author in FEB-2022.
Current Situation / Problem
LiveTraffic uses the AITFC format, which has always been lacking some info like accurate
airborneflag, proper heading info on the ground, or any way of distinguishing ground vehicles from aircraft.Suggested Solution
With RealTraffic v9, a new format
RTTFCwill become available, which offers a lot more fields and accuracy.gndflagtrack(filled when airborne)true_heading(filled on the ground)mag_heading(also filled on the ground, would require correction for compass deviation)categoryfield provides type of vehicle info:alt_geomshould be carfully verified, at first sight looks more useful than existingbaro_alt(which requires correction for local barometric pressure, which is prone to error), but there were warnings to its using WGS84 ellipsoid references.RTTraffic format
Info from a mail by RealTraffic's author:
Alternatives
Keep things as they are, the AITFC format remains available.
Benefits
More accurate data, especially nearing and on the ground.
Additional context
Mail exchange with RealTraffic's author in FEB-2022.