FlightRadar24

[ChickenHouse]

I did follow quite some discussions in the past and actual on pprune. I am amazed of the view of some on Flightradar24 data. This is a volunteers (most probably, or told to us, or make us believe) network of unknown quality, mostly unknown operators with respect to many topics, publishing unverified data on the unvalidated internet. In the end it is a long chain of unknown people, unknown attitude, unknown aims, unknown manipulations, unknown quality at all. Estimating from stories told to us, it would not be difficult to feed any fake data you want and there is no way we are able to judge the validity of data as an individual (you remember the term?), but somehow so many believe. Do you pray to FR24 already?

[Kulverstukas]

Change "FR24" to "Wikipedia" and ask again ;)

[ChickenHouse]

The Internet is already the biggest religion with the fastest available propaganda communication methods and biggest mass manipulation potential of all times, so no reason to mention that.

[deptrai]

it would not be difficult to feed any fake data you want and there is no way we are able to judge the validity of data
Obviously FR24 and similar networks/sites have their limitations, which are well known.

I believe fake data is not one of them. Feeding fake data into the network, in an area with multiple receivers, would take quite a coordinated effort. First you would need to get a majority of receivers in the area under your control. Simplest way would be to deploy dozens of receivers yourself. Then track down the precise location of receivers not under your control, and jam them. An operation like this could spoof data in a very limited area along the flightpath of an aircraft. Unless you take out the majority of thousands of receivers globally (would hardly go unnoticed), and then deploy thousands of your own receivers.

Now consider - why would someone do this? What are probably motives? What could it achieve? How likely is it to happen?

Imho the "fake data through FR24" seems more like a movie plot, than a realistic scenario. Maybe this thread belongs in jet blast.

[AerocatS2A]

Anyone with half a brain or more knows that FR24 and its ilk has reliability issues. This is not new. This also doesn't take away from the fact that 99% of the time FR24 is a very useful tool for those who are interested in information about a particular flight. And yes, the same concept applies to Wikipedia. Ultimately every piece of information you acquire should be assessed for accuracy as much as practical and with due regard to the past reliability of the source, whether it comes from FR24, Wikipedia, the Encyclopedia Britannica, ATC, your flight instructor, or your mother. There would be far far less rubbish on the internet if the general population would apply even the most simplistic of critical thinking to the information they stumble upon.

[david1300]

Of course Flight Radar has it's (limited) uses. But consistent with the drivel that now populates this site whenever there is an accident or incident you will get people who ascribe to FR something it isn't - a comprehensive and accurate tracking of all commercial aircraft movements. It's great when you gave to travel an hour to collect someone on a long haul flight as you can time your arrival appropriately. But those ignorant enough to to use it for much more than that only give away their own limitations to critically analyse information.

[lurkio]

FR24 is good at what it was probably intended for and I am pretty sure that was not to replace the AAIB etc. I am getting pretty sick of (and I am not connected in any way) the small minded AAIB wannabees who constantly criticise it for not giving them everything included the pilot's inside leg measurement every time an aircraft has an accident.

Well I feel better now anyway.

[Una Due Tfc]

It's a spotters tool, nothing more. I'm an ATCO, my company uses it to fill a screen in our cantine to try and show off to visitors maybe? Anyway on my breaks I walk out and the picture is completely different to what was on my radar screen.

Is seems to only notice a fraction of biz jets, and the data relating to speed is only barely trustworthy if the aircraft you are looking at has been in level flight for several minutes over an area where several of the nerds who own the receivers live. Otherwise it gives you nonsense.

Before people argue with me I'll say it again, I regularly walk from a radar screen out to a FR24 tv in our cantine within about 2 minutes, and it's totally different, totally untrustworthy.