The Random thought thread

[octave]

You can also type an aircraft's registration on FlightAware for example VH-*** for historic data.

[onetrack]

O.K., that's good info - but if you don't have a flight number, tail number, airline, or any of those details, how do you just find a mystery aircraft that flew overhead last night?

 

[octave]

I am not sure if you can do that or not on the free versions of FR24 or Flight Aware but there is a site run by Air Services Australia called WebTrak. II think its main purpose is for reporting aircraft noise. You can go back 3 months, I think, only for capital cities, though

 

https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/community/environment/aircraft-noise/webtrak/

 

 

Edited March 6 by octave

[octave]

Here you go OT. Flight Radar 24 historic flights.

 

 

 

[rgmwa]

42 minutes ago, onetrack said:

O.K., that's good info - but if you don't have a flight number, tail number, airline, or any of those details, how do you just find a mystery aircraft that flew overhead last night?

 

I tapped the history icon on the screen menu, entered the date and time (4 March, 17:20Z) and it replayed the flights around that time. If you tap on the aircraft symbol on the map it brings up all the aircraft details. One flight left Perth and headed to Singapore and passed the incoming aircraft which I assume was the one you heard. 

Edited March 6 by rgmwa

[old man emu]

I use the free version for a quick check to see what's making the noise overhead. Most of teh heavies are heading to China and Korea. It is a funny route. A straight line from Sydney to just southeast of my place, then a bit of a right hand turn to pass over the top of me at 30,000 ft. I like to use he program to see what the odd flights are. A lot of RFDS transport flights. 

[old man emu]

This morning I was listening to music on my radio. The music was mainly orchestral and the radio is mono. The thought struck me what a wonderful device the radio's speaker is. It can reproduce the wide range of pitch and tone  produced by a number if instruments playing at the same time simply by an electrical current causing a fibre cone to vibrate. 

[octave]

I also use both Flight Radar 24 and Flight Aware when my wife has been away on a solo trip. This happens about 4 times a year. We have the pickup down to a fine art.  I park at a large service station a couple of KMs from the airport (free). I can then find her flight on either of these apps. and see exactly where it is.  This means I can get to the pickup zone at just the right time.

 

Another purpose I use it for is following other people's flights.  Recently, my son and partner spent 3 weeks in China.  I tracked all of their flights, not out of concern but out of interest. 

 

[nomadpete]

I use FR24 free app to find out what is flying past. Jets are pretty rare this far south. Many of the jets do not show up on FR24, I suspect military activity. One that was lowish, maybe under 10k, was grey, coming from due south. Others too high to see clearly. You'd expect them to have transponders on at least when overflying a capital city.

[nomadpete]

It's a bit mind bending to view the track from Aukland to Dubai. It flies via southern Tassie. I guess the great circle route is a straight line, but Mercator's projection makes the track appear ridiculously curved.

Edited March 7 by nomadpete
FFS

[facthunter]

Mercators is Not orthomorphic or conformal. One NZ  flight  regularly passes about 80nm north of Melbourne, at very high altitude. Some days you can see the contrails.  When the Poles appear as big as the equator there's a lot of distortion.   A string on a globe between ant 2 points will be a great circle.  All lines of Longitude are great circles as is the equator. Nev

[red750]

Hypothetical dilemma.

 

You start to drive up a long sloping road, two lanes wide (one each way) divided by double white lines. You come across a cyclist, riding at about 5 kph. You have to stay 1 metre clear of him but can't pass without crossing the double line. Behind you, there is a police car, followed by a building line of traffic slowed by the cyclist. What do you do?

[Marty_d]

Pull over and see what the cop does.

[red750]

And if the verge is too narrow to allow you to pull over?

[willedoo]

I'm fairly sure our laws here in Queensland are that you can cross the double line if it is safe to do so to maintain the one meter distance from a cyclist.

[red750]

I put the same question to the AI search bot on my browser in relation to Victoria. Here is the answer -

 

Yes, in Victoria, you can cross double white lines to pass a slow cyclist, but only under specific conditions. 

Key rules for crossing double lines to pass a cyclist:

You must have a clear view ahead of any oncoming traffic. 
The manoeuvre must be safe and only done when necessary to maintain the required minimum passing distance. 
You must give at least 1 metre of clearance when passing a cyclist on roads with a speed limit of 60 km/h or less, and 1.5 metres on roads with a speed limit over 60 km/h. 
This rule applies to all motor vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. While crossing double lines is permitted for overtaking cyclists, it is not allowed for overtaking other vehicles unless it is safe and legal. 

Always remember: if it’s not safe to pass, slow down and wait.  The priority is ensuring the safety of the cyclist and other road users.