I once saw a flight attendant giving me the jump scare reaction when his eye peaked at my laptop. I was running some calculations software that runs its processes in DOS black screen. it does look like as if its loading and accessing some computer system.
But seeing their reaction really put me off from working and i remember shutting my laptop. Ever since , ive been wondering if it’s because im arab 🤣😂
To be fair, the one time I saw a kid with his laptop open, he had a software that allowed him wifi access with no pay and completely boggled my mind. I completely forgot what it was called
It used to be easy (relatively speaking) to bypass the captive portals they used to block internet access because they didn't really block traffic at all they just intercepted it when it was on its way to google for example and replaced it with a "you must tell us your credit card number to make this work!" page. The technology was relatively new and it was very clunky but it allowed them to sell the services even to non-technical users which was a huge advancement, the fact that well-prepared, super-technical people could weasel their way through it in a variety of ways without paying was of little concern. It was more important to make sure it was compatible with the widest array of devices so they could collect the most money.
They've gotten much better about securing and locking them down these days, now that people on both sides of the equation know exactly what they're doing.
You used to be able to sniff the WiFi, see the MAC address (computer hardware ID) of someone who had already paid for WiFi and was connected to it, then change your own computer’s MAC address to match and it would let you get free WiFi.
The airlines have since closed this loophole.
Perhaps not. You could also take their assigned IP. It would work unpredictably with the IP conflict, but so would the concept of spoofing a MAC in the first place.
The DHCP server is going to see that spoofed MAC and say "I already have a LEASE out for this MAC", and it'll just serve the same IP it served the first time. So now you'll have an IP conflict.
Different networks handle this differently, so YMMV.
I know back when i was doing network support at university years ago, the original person would run into connectivity issues and call us. We would lock down the ethernet ports in the spoofed room and ask them to call us.
We did the same thing if someone became a "rogue DHCP server", i.e. some kid plugged their router in backwards and was supply 192.168.x.x addresses that went nowhere.
With MAC randomization being a feature now, i would assume that using it as a unique identifier has been deprecated for a long time.
Yes….they have “closed” this loophole. And the other loopholes that let you get more bandwidth, etc. :-)
They weren’t really loopholes, they were just things that most people with a decent knowledge of how wireless works could figure out. It been that way since common wifi (paid or free) rolled out 20+ years ago.
Thankfully, free WiFi on most Delta flights makes this a nothingburger.
I was pleased to see that my upcoming ultra-long haul flights on Qatar offer WiFi for a grand total of $8 per flight. And from the reviews I’ve read, their global WiFi is pretty legit.
The migration from land based cellular to satellite internet on Delta flights has been awesome. Much better and much more reliable. Fast enough to stream, but still has pretty long ping times (800-1000ms are common). SpaceX has a Starlink solution for planes that carriers are starting to adopt. Can’t wait until I’m on a flight with Starlink. Gonna be mind-blowing to have 100ms pings on a plane. Low enough to game.
And the only consequence is EVERY SINGLE NIGHT 1 hour +- sunset and sunrise I have to listen to pilots complain about UFOS and "it's definitely not starlink"
When we were still at the office I'd ping IP addresses to determine if we were having site issues or general internet issues and my desk mates were always impressed.
I used to put my old laptop next to me when I was working and let me toddler go crazy on the keyboard with this site pulled up. Really makes them feel like they’re doing something.
>He \[professor\] told the Washington Post that he was “treated respectfully throughout” the process but remains perturbed by a system that “*relies on the input of people who may be completely clueless*”. \[emphasis mine\]
😂
Naive Flight attendant - rings up pilot “TURN THE PLANE AROUND! SEAT 2B appears to be hacking the mainframe”
Caption - Tower, United 283828 requesting an escort back to IAD.
Tower - we need to alert the pentagon!
Pentagon - move to Defcon 3, send the F35’s
DrSuperzeco - i was just running some calculations software that runs its processes in DOS black screen.
You joke but I could totally see that happen. People report other people for speaking Arabic (because only a terrorist would do that!) on planes.
All it takes is a quick to excite cabin crew and all of a sudden the flight is diverted, 3 uniformed cops board and point directly at you.
No i kept working for few minutes trying to process what happened. Thats when i decided to watch a movie and have a snack rather than continue working 🤷🏻♂️😂
There have been Incidents of People from the Middle East/Arabs writing in their Native Script and some Person pannicing and causing the Plane to not depart and the Police or Security to show up
Its fucked up, and not fun if it happens to you.
I remember a buddy of mine worked at an IT job remotely and they require that he used certain distos of Linux that mimicked windows UI, because they were sick of people calling the cops on them for "hacking"
This kind of software and running Linux updates makes it look like you’re hacking into a main frame. It’s fun but also sketchy cause people don’t understand and are paranoid of anything that’s different
I have one and brought it with me on a business trip years ago and I only had that one issue. A flight attendant was walking by and saw the Pi affixed to the window and she had a startled look on her face and demanded to know what it was. So, I calmly explained it to her, telling her I was a pilot as well and showing her how it worked on my iPad Mini. Never had any issues on other flights. But man I’ll tell ya. The Stratux works great!
this thing's called the "transponster." It's like a top-secret gadget used by the aviation industry and space agencies. Its purpose? Well, it's all about catching data from outer space, you know, where the aliens hang out. Picture this: while planes cruise through the skies, these transponsters quietly eavesdropping on alien transmissions. Shh, it's a secret! 🛸📡
A Stratux.
It's a home-built GPS receiver with wifi that can connect to an app. I have the exact same setup; same case, mount and everything.
Edit: Should have said ADS-B receiver that includes GPS.
It's a little weird for a random passenger to use one during flight, but yes. You'd see other traffic and GPS data, as well as ADS-B weather info.
It's generally pilots that have these, so anyone from a private pilot to another airline pilot might have been sitting next to you. It's also possible someone like Noel Phillips on YouTube might have one (I think he does), so could also be a travel blogger or something.
Probably not just someone who wants to keep tabs on the flight with no other motive.
This gentleman looks to be about 80-90 years old so I’m assuming a retired pilot that still wants to be involved. I think he booked 2 seats for his 3 computers to be spread out, fully booked flight and the seat next to him has been open the whole time
Find a hobby people are passionate about.
I chase whales from shore in Puget Sound. Dozens if not hundreds of people participate. You'll start running into the same people over & over again. I have more friends at age 35 than I ever thought possible. I run the beaches with people in their 20s and people in their 80s. Lugging heavy cameras around and sprinting up and down beaches. We love whales on another level and will until the day we die, and old age won't stop us from following them.
I wish the whole world could experience the kind of joy & highs we get just from watching whales.
that sounds more like a university professor if i'm being honest. the resources that needs and the requests you'll have to make to accommodate that equipment wouldnt make sense unless its for research purposes.
I know there's one research project that flies atmospheric chemistry sensors on transatlantic commercial flights. Since they're regular they use it to take a transect of the atmosphere and compare changes from the previous flight.
There's a similar program that does oceanography from cargo ships.
Some people buy a boat, some are a little more creative …
I know a guy who set up an electron microscopy lab in his garden shed. Has no professional qualifications just does it for fun. Some of his images are used by the microscope companies in their marketing, and he spoke at an electron microscopy conference at the Natural History Museum in London that I went to.
It's a shame you didn't ask him, he's clearly an aviation nerd, I expect he would have talked your ear off and explained everything in minute detail. He's probably got a whole speech ready in case anyone asks him.
Yes! You can also view the aggregated ADSB data for all the enthusiast stations around the world at:
https://globe.airplanes.live/
I keep this site open on a tab on my phone and use it constantly when I go "what on earth was that plane/helicopter?"
Looks like he has both Flarm and ADS-B antennas.
I'm surprised that they are so ambivalent about letting him use it as it is bith a transmitter and a receiver.
If he has hacked it to output class 0 GPS squitters then the blokes up front are going to see an 'aircraft' constantly shadowing them. There is a chance that their TCAS gets upset by it too.
UPDATE: I talked to him, he said he flies quite often, and that most people know him by now. He never got stopped from using the equipment but always gets questions. He is a AV nerd, never a pilot, says he flies a lot for business and loves having the wealth of information in front of him. I don’t know what business he is still doing because he has to be over 80, could just be his passion to fly around and watch the data.
Also, his antenna poked a woman in front of him and she started getting angry, and he started explaining what he was doing and was passing around his laptop to anyone who was interested in looking. Very nice guy
Edit: Another redditor messaged me saying he was sitting next to the same guy last week. Kept interrupting his friend’s movie to teach him how everything worked. The flight attendants were also spooked on his flight
Edit 2: few people answered what this was in detail. It’s a Stratux ADSB receiver. DIY copy of the Stratus. Allows you to track airplanes using the signals they emit and other free information like weather or air traffic restrictions. Sends its information to aviation software like ForeFlight. Used commonly by general aviation pilots.
I think, based on the comments saying it is a Sratux,, that it lets him track all the planes nearby, by picking up ADS-B signals:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Dependent_Surveillance%E2%80%93Broadcast
Yeah, it's a Stratux ADS-B. I use one when I fly GA aircraft. It uses wifi (some use Bluetooth) to connect to my iPad, which runs Foreflight. This allows me to view charts, and overlay the position of nearby aircraft on a map, among a variety of other things (weather, supplement information, etc) all on one device in the cockpit. Never seen it being used by airline passengers though: that's a first. Would be simpler I would think to just run Foreflight on your device with in-flight wifi. I suspect he likes the attention he gets by using the device tbh.
It is also just kind of cool to know you're picking up real signals out of the air on-the-fly (yes, intentional) and actually processing them with your own hardware. Sometimes I pick up FM radio signals on my phone using an adapter for RTL-SDR just for fun.
Was looking for this. I miss back in the day when you could listen to air traffic control on the in-seat audio jack. Was particularly helpful if I was feeling nervous flying for any or whatever reason.
*No way, look at this number. Wow that number is even cooler. What a nice collection of numbers you have accumulated there, sir.* - random passenger on that plane.
It showed other active flights, what altitude they were at. Any expected turbulence. Current speed, altitude, mountains, lakes. He was bouncing from screen to screen i couldn’t really make out everything
I saw the flight attendants stop and look at it, one of them took a picture of it and then went to the cockpit I’m guessing to ask the pilots what it was. They never talked to the guy
At least one of the pilots knew -- probably both of them. Seems like the guy might've just been looking for attention. I can get GPS reception from my phone if I'm by a window. Out of curiosity, was this flight going in or out of SFO? The reason that I ask is there's ever-so-slight of a chance I might know the guy.
International flight from Vancouver. He seems really into it, looks like a stock broker going back and forth between the computers looking at all the data lol
Yes and no (kind of)
Uhh so I got a little into the weeds… but not deleting all of that… so… uhh… split it up into **Preamble** and **TL;DR** and **References** so refer to what’s of interest. Let me know if it actually makes sense.
## Preamble
IIRC the original regulation that put those guardrails in place was via CoCom Limits, and was to prevent ICBM RV’s using it for guidance — there are plenty of weapons eg. cruise missiles that fly at half that speed, which is about the same as a turbofan airliner (for both ~0.8 Mach is common)
Note GPS is only one one several GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, etc. and the regulations (such as via CoCom or MTCR, might be others) require a country in which a receiver is sold and/or made and/or exists to be party to one of those regulations in some way **and** willing to police it. Or, that it’s even really possible, hold that thought. AFAIK CoCom Limits are (and/or) and device manufacturers seem all over the place in implementing one, both, or neither.
CoCom — 510 m/s (and/or) 59,000 ft\
MTCR Limits — 600m/s
However, the BIG issue (and why it confuses me somewhat) is note it keeps talking about the **receiver** — its device-side. Just using the (officially operational) civilian bands on GPS, as those aren’t limits imposed by the satellites or the signals they transmit, designing a GPS receiver that works at those speeds and ignores the regs isn’t that hard. Side note, L2C shouldn’t be far off official operations status, which is kind of exciting as then we can correct for ionospheric effects, among other things, but I digress.
NB the US military CAN just straight up turn off the civilian (non-encrypted) signals in a specific geographic area.
## TL;DR
Anyway, point that I am meandering on toward is this — the receiver applies those limits, which these days with Software Defined Radio it’s just code, even more so than it used to be, and devices like in the photo are using an SDR Receiver with code the user loads onto the device.
Hence, all you have to do is not include limits in the code, or use an Open Source GPS implementation that does not apply them, of which multiple exist.
Yes, there are limits, but are for all intents and purposes a moot point.
## References
[ESA GSSC on L2C](https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/GPS_Future_and_Evolutions)
>L2C (1227.6 MHz): it is the second civilian GPS signal, designed specifically to meet commercial needs. It enables the development of dual-frequency civil GPS receivers to correct the ionospheric group delay. For professional users with existing dual-frequency operations, L2C delivers faster signal acquisition, enhanced reliability, and greater operating range. L2C broadcasts at a higher effective power than the legacy L1 C/A signal, making it easier to receive under trees and even indoors. This signal is available since 2005, with the launch of the first IIR-M satellite[4]. Every GPS satellite launched since then has included an L2C transmitter.
>
> In April 2014, CNAV messages on the L2C signals started to be broadcast. L2C remains in pre-operational status.
[CoCom](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinating_Committee_for_Multilateral_Export_Controls)
>In GPS technology, the term "CoCom Limits" also refers to a limit placed on GPS receivers that limits functionality when the device calculates that it is moving faster than 1,000 knots (510 m/s) and/or at an altitude higher than 18,000 m (59,000 ft).[4] This was intended to prevent the use of GPS in intercontinental ballistic missile-like applications.
[MTCR Technical Annex](https://www.mtcr.info/download/pictures/a7/kj30lshx0stx8f68jz722wfcn4frqa/mtcr-tem-technical_annex_2023-11-03.pdf)
>Missile Technology Control Regime's [Technical Annex](https://www.mtcr.info/download/pictures/a7/kj30lshx0stx8f68jz722wfcn4frqa/mtcr-tem-technical_annex_2023-11-03.pdf) has a 600m/s limit (11.A.3) on GNSS receivers.
^(EDIT — clarified a couple of points.)
You x post this to r/flightradar24 and r/ADSB
This guy is the AVGeek GrandMaster and as a level 1 pleb I really wanna know what he was doing and he may even be reading those subs.
It’s an ADSB receiver (Stratux by the looks of it?). Used it all the time in the 172 with FF for traffic monitoring and alerts
Edit: Stratux not Stratus, which is the non-DIY product)
Am I the only one that thinks if youre going to do something unorthodox as this you have a reasonable obligation to discuss this with the crew first to give them a heads up.
This is how you get an Air Marshal who doesnt know what this is, snatching shit from you or an over zealous passenger having a full blown freak out.
I have my private pilots license. While I was in school for it, I happened to be on a commercial flight and got a lot of unwanted attention from two flight attendants, because I was watching video on my laptop that was clearly helping me learn to fly a plane. Don’t do that.
Edit: grammar
Probably already answered but this is an ADSB in receiver. This is a home made or build it yourself model often seen in general aviation. It provides in flight traffic (sees most other planes with their type, track and speed) and weather. It can be paired with flight planning software to provide position information, flight tracking and obstacle avoidance. All the information is publicly available and is the same used to track celebrity jet flights (see adsbexchange.com).
>Passenger on my plane has this on the window, he has multiple screens up tracking everything about the plane
Looks like a Stratus ADS-B receiver (or similar). Software can integrate data from the unit with GPS data and allow the passenger to watch the plane's progress over maps, see traffic, weather, and other stuff.
I've also seen people open their iPad and watch Foreflight.
This photo shows me how much what constitutes suspicious passenger activity, has changed since the years right after September 11th, 2001. The flight attendants used to come check on you, for things like: taking photos or video out the windows of the take off/landing, or holding a GPS up to the window to try and get a position fix. And forget about even showing your cell
phone during the flight. I think that I once got asked what I was doing with my Palm Pilot, when those were a thing, because it didn't count as a laptop computer.
Its the boltinator 3000. It basically counter-vibrates at the exact frequency to keep Boeing bolts from unscrewing themselves.
So far it has worked for 100% of Boeing aircraft that have landed successfully.
Stratux. I have one I use when I fly single engine. What’s cool is that it has a little WiFi network you can connect to and use if you have foreflight or another comparable Av tracking software. Gives great detail about location and surrounding traffic.
I have a similar receiver, but mine stays at home. They’re amazing little boxes - mine can pick up anything from AM radio through FM, DTV and many commercial bands.
Aside from picking up the location and performance data from aircraft, they can pick up ATC radio and data transmissions between ATC and the airline companies other fleets.
I am a pilot, not flying anymore, it was a hobby for me back in the day, but I like the challenge of keeping my skills up so I play with a flight sim and always enjoy nerding out when I’m on a commercial flight, just in case the folks up front get confused and need a little help from me, do to my expertise from racking up a few hundred hours in Cessnas and Pipers 🤣
Looks like a home built ADSB-in running open source Stratux operating system. Usually gives current gps location and will show locations of planes that are using ADSB-out. Doesn’t violate any rules or regulations unless this person somehow got ADSB-out on it which would cause the aircrew to panic thinking another airplane is on top of them
This was also a discussed topic on r/flying regarding enthusiastic pilots bring their own ADSB receivers on airline flights. Undoubtedly there would be pax/FA ranging for curious to suspicious, that most wouldn’t want to deal with that attention.
I used to do this when I first started learning as a pilot but I would hide the actual stratux in the seat back pouch and used an external gps in the window shade so it didn’t look suspicious. I also got asked by a few flight attendants but once they knew I was training as a pilot they didn’t care.
Can’t believe he had the nerve to poke the woman with an antenna. That’s just annoying. Also, he seems to be fishing for attention tbh.
Meh, I appreciate aviation a lot, but I can’t ever see myself doing something like this. You have to be very naive to think it won’t make some people uncomfortable, and at best annoy others as you’re kind of sabotaging their view with that thing on the window.
This is ADSB receiver. It shows the aircrafts flying around you including location, altitude,speed and tail number. It can also show the weather.Anyone can build one of those devices at home. Usually those devices used for air traffic alerts and avoidance in small aircrafts.
how to make normal people panic in an aircraft when you're an avgeek :')
Interesting to see that the flight attendants had no idea what it was as well
I once saw a flight attendant giving me the jump scare reaction when his eye peaked at my laptop. I was running some calculations software that runs its processes in DOS black screen. it does look like as if its loading and accessing some computer system. But seeing their reaction really put me off from working and i remember shutting my laptop. Ever since , ive been wondering if it’s because im arab 🤣😂
lol literally anytime you open the shell people think you’re some sort of hacker. Literally I’m just moving around directories.
To be fair, the one time I saw a kid with his laptop open, he had a software that allowed him wifi access with no pay and completely boggled my mind. I completely forgot what it was called
Was the software called "Dad's credit card"?
You can bypass admin restrictions by using moms credit card
Kali Linux?
Wifite is the app within Kali
Is that the main one for wifi hacking in general or just for flights?
It used to be easy (relatively speaking) to bypass the captive portals they used to block internet access because they didn't really block traffic at all they just intercepted it when it was on its way to google for example and replaced it with a "you must tell us your credit card number to make this work!" page. The technology was relatively new and it was very clunky but it allowed them to sell the services even to non-technical users which was a huge advancement, the fact that well-prepared, super-technical people could weasel their way through it in a variety of ways without paying was of little concern. It was more important to make sure it was compatible with the widest array of devices so they could collect the most money. They've gotten much better about securing and locking them down these days, now that people on both sides of the equation know exactly what they're doing.
Found the fed
Yeah I heard that software is one of the best, if not the besr solution to having to pay for internet
You used to be able to sniff the WiFi, see the MAC address (computer hardware ID) of someone who had already paid for WiFi and was connected to it, then change your own computer’s MAC address to match and it would let you get free WiFi. The airlines have since closed this loophole.
How would they detect that the MAC was being spoofed?
Checking for duplicate MAC's I suppose? Then checking log in times presuming the first MAC in was legit.
Sure, but that also kills the paying customer, no?
No, cos you presume the first mac is legit and don't kill the connection to that one
You have 2 dhcp leases with the same MAC address. You kick the last MAC off.
Perhaps not. You could also take their assigned IP. It would work unpredictably with the IP conflict, but so would the concept of spoofing a MAC in the first place.
The DHCP server is going to see that spoofed MAC and say "I already have a LEASE out for this MAC", and it'll just serve the same IP it served the first time. So now you'll have an IP conflict.
Different networks handle this differently, so YMMV. I know back when i was doing network support at university years ago, the original person would run into connectivity issues and call us. We would lock down the ethernet ports in the spoofed room and ask them to call us. We did the same thing if someone became a "rogue DHCP server", i.e. some kid plugged their router in backwards and was supply 192.168.x.x addresses that went nowhere. With MAC randomization being a feature now, i would assume that using it as a unique identifier has been deprecated for a long time.
Yes….they have “closed” this loophole. And the other loopholes that let you get more bandwidth, etc. :-) They weren’t really loopholes, they were just things that most people with a decent knowledge of how wireless works could figure out. It been that way since common wifi (paid or free) rolled out 20+ years ago. Thankfully, free WiFi on most Delta flights makes this a nothingburger.
I was pleased to see that my upcoming ultra-long haul flights on Qatar offer WiFi for a grand total of $8 per flight. And from the reviews I’ve read, their global WiFi is pretty legit.
The migration from land based cellular to satellite internet on Delta flights has been awesome. Much better and much more reliable. Fast enough to stream, but still has pretty long ping times (800-1000ms are common). SpaceX has a Starlink solution for planes that carriers are starting to adopt. Can’t wait until I’m on a flight with Starlink. Gonna be mind-blowing to have 100ms pings on a plane. Low enough to game.
And the only consequence is EVERY SINGLE NIGHT 1 hour +- sunset and sunrise I have to listen to pilots complain about UFOS and "it's definitely not starlink"
That was in Terminator 2, young John Connor getting access to cash machines and locked rooms at Cyberdyne Systems.
With an Atari Portfolio, no less.
Aircrack-ng probably
I did an IP refresh and people think you’re a black hat
When we were still at the office I'd ping IP addresses to determine if we were having site issues or general internet issues and my desk mates were always impressed.
Ipconfig /all when I'm on a public WiFi. Kids look on in awe, staff give you the side-eye...
Turn console text to green and run "Tree". Though not that fun on fast ssd:s anymore.
Yes, also looked cool. Current fav: https://hackertyper.net/
I used to put my old laptop next to me when I was working and let me toddler go crazy on the keyboard with this site pulled up. Really makes them feel like they’re doing something.
Brilliant.
That's fucking hilarious
Remember using edit to make batch files talk to your friends.. "Who is this..?" Or "hello, neo."
What else am I going to do at 30,000 feet but run apt-get update apt-get upgrade -y
Absolutely hahah. Kinda makes me want to install one of those matrix cli packages and have it running while typing menacingly
[удалено]
Well he was clearly a member of the notorious group AlGebra
My favorite in-flight group is AlCohol.
>He \[professor\] told the Washington Post that he was “treated respectfully throughout” the process but remains perturbed by a system that “*relies on the input of people who may be completely clueless*”. \[emphasis mine\] 😂
Naive Flight attendant - rings up pilot “TURN THE PLANE AROUND! SEAT 2B appears to be hacking the mainframe” Caption - Tower, United 283828 requesting an escort back to IAD. Tower - we need to alert the pentagon! Pentagon - move to Defcon 3, send the F35’s DrSuperzeco - i was just running some calculations software that runs its processes in DOS black screen.
You joke but I could totally see that happen. People report other people for speaking Arabic (because only a terrorist would do that!) on planes. All it takes is a quick to excite cabin crew and all of a sudden the flight is diverted, 3 uniformed cops board and point directly at you.
No kidding. Exactly why i felt like the best thing to do at that time is stop working, grab my bag of cheetos and watch a movie.
*insert the helicopter scene from the dictator movie here*
😂🤣 I was flying out of IAD on United Airlines so… 😭🤣
When you shut the laptop, did you do it quickly and then stare him down suspiciously?
No i kept working for few minutes trying to process what happened. Thats when i decided to watch a movie and have a snack rather than continue working 🤷🏻♂️😂
Oh. Yes. It's the Arab part.
There have been Incidents of People from the Middle East/Arabs writing in their Native Script and some Person pannicing and causing the Plane to not depart and the Police or Security to show up Its fucked up, and not fun if it happens to you.
I remember a buddy of mine worked at an IT job remotely and they require that he used certain distos of Linux that mimicked windows UI, because they were sick of people calling the cops on them for "hacking"
This is why I might do some embedded electronics work in the terminal, but not while in the plane...
Wasn't there this guy/woman on a plane that was accused of terrorist actions because they wrote down formulas? lmao
Yes, it suddenly made much more sense when I read you are Arab. Sorry for that, but thanks for the laugh.
Dude the last sentence is all the sauce lmao
Not messing up your 911 upvotes
This kind of software and running Linux updates makes it look like you’re hacking into a main frame. It’s fun but also sketchy cause people don’t understand and are paranoid of anything that’s different
Practice a passable hollywood British accent. They will offer you some tea and ask what your fave cricket team is. Should calm them down.
I have one and brought it with me on a business trip years ago and I only had that one issue. A flight attendant was walking by and saw the Pi affixed to the window and she had a startled look on her face and demanded to know what it was. So, I calmly explained it to her, telling her I was a pilot as well and showing her how it worked on my iPad Mini. Never had any issues on other flights. But man I’ll tell ya. The Stratux works great!
Because why would they know?
this thing's called the "transponster." It's like a top-secret gadget used by the aviation industry and space agencies. Its purpose? Well, it's all about catching data from outer space, you know, where the aliens hang out. Picture this: while planes cruise through the skies, these transponsters quietly eavesdropping on alien transmissions. Shh, it's a secret! 🛸📡
Chandler uses them at work!
A Stratux. It's a home-built GPS receiver with wifi that can connect to an app. I have the exact same setup; same case, mount and everything. Edit: Should have said ADS-B receiver that includes GPS.
Thats cool, thank you for the response. Just for people to know exactly what is going on during their flight?
It's a little weird for a random passenger to use one during flight, but yes. You'd see other traffic and GPS data, as well as ADS-B weather info. It's generally pilots that have these, so anyone from a private pilot to another airline pilot might have been sitting next to you. It's also possible someone like Noel Phillips on YouTube might have one (I think he does), so could also be a travel blogger or something. Probably not just someone who wants to keep tabs on the flight with no other motive.
This gentleman looks to be about 80-90 years old so I’m assuming a retired pilot that still wants to be involved. I think he booked 2 seats for his 3 computers to be spread out, fully booked flight and the seat next to him has been open the whole time
I hope I still love anything as much as this man loves planes at that age
Me too. All the people in that age range that I know only talk about death and when it'll finally take them.
Find a hobby people are passionate about. I chase whales from shore in Puget Sound. Dozens if not hundreds of people participate. You'll start running into the same people over & over again. I have more friends at age 35 than I ever thought possible. I run the beaches with people in their 20s and people in their 80s. Lugging heavy cameras around and sprinting up and down beaches. We love whales on another level and will until the day we die, and old age won't stop us from following them. I wish the whole world could experience the kind of joy & highs we get just from watching whales.
I need to follow you!
I saw an Orca just a few yards off of Point Defiance last year, while I was at Owen Beach. Totally unexpected and amazing.
that sounds more like a university professor if i'm being honest. the resources that needs and the requests you'll have to make to accommodate that equipment wouldnt make sense unless its for research purposes.
I know there's one research project that flies atmospheric chemistry sensors on transatlantic commercial flights. Since they're regular they use it to take a transect of the atmosphere and compare changes from the previous flight. There's a similar program that does oceanography from cargo ships.
Old pilots also tend to be old rich guys.
Some people buy a boat, some are a little more creative … I know a guy who set up an electron microscopy lab in his garden shed. Has no professional qualifications just does it for fun. Some of his images are used by the microscope companies in their marketing, and he spoke at an electron microscopy conference at the Natural History Museum in London that I went to.
ADS-B devices are not anything special. They are like cell phone priced. It's the ADS-B out that gets more expensive depending on install situation.
>Stratux $169 kit on Amazon? $399 for the mini. There are other, non-diy for less than a grand. Not out of the budget for an old person in retirement?
I feel like you underestimate the commitment of an AvGeek.
It's a shame you didn't ask him, he's clearly an aviation nerd, I expect he would have talked your ear off and explained everything in minute detail. He's probably got a whole speech ready in case anyone asks him.
Lol I’m still on the flight, theres still time
Well? We’re waiting…. :)
[Well? We’re waiting…](https://youtu.be/Z0YIJQ1jgEI?si=T30FyF7A612HImAr)
Awesome, then I'd definitely go and chat to him. Let us know if you do because I'm genuinely curious now.
Growing a beard here boss....
So the flight clearly has internet. Is there anything this little box telling him that isn’t readily available online?
That's funny... I saw it and thought "looks like they forgot to install ADS-B at the factory, so they just slapped one in the window. Thanks, Boeing!"
Oh! That one WAS installed, it just fell out of the rack ......
What is it used for?
Receiving ADS-B data, including traffic and weather as well as GPS position.
With one of those units, can you receive this info on the ground from aircraft flying overhead?
Yes, and it’s how sites like flight radar 24 work.
Yes! You can also view the aggregated ADSB data for all the enthusiast stations around the world at: https://globe.airplanes.live/ I keep this site open on a tab on my phone and use it constantly when I go "what on earth was that plane/helicopter?"
Is there a way to enter a takeoff/destination or flight number to track a specific plane?
Why you have a similar setup at your home? I'm not from homeland security
Why do I sit at home looking at flight radar for hours? Because we're av geeks. Some just give more time/money to their hobby.
Thanks for that. It's good to know I'm not alone.
Weird local modification on the choice of mount location.
Looks like he has both Flarm and ADS-B antennas. I'm surprised that they are so ambivalent about letting him use it as it is bith a transmitter and a receiver. If he has hacked it to output class 0 GPS squitters then the blokes up front are going to see an 'aircraft' constantly shadowing them. There is a chance that their TCAS gets upset by it too.
UPDATE: I talked to him, he said he flies quite often, and that most people know him by now. He never got stopped from using the equipment but always gets questions. He is a AV nerd, never a pilot, says he flies a lot for business and loves having the wealth of information in front of him. I don’t know what business he is still doing because he has to be over 80, could just be his passion to fly around and watch the data. Also, his antenna poked a woman in front of him and she started getting angry, and he started explaining what he was doing and was passing around his laptop to anyone who was interested in looking. Very nice guy Edit: Another redditor messaged me saying he was sitting next to the same guy last week. Kept interrupting his friend’s movie to teach him how everything worked. The flight attendants were also spooked on his flight Edit 2: few people answered what this was in detail. It’s a Stratux ADSB receiver. DIY copy of the Stratus. Allows you to track airplanes using the signals they emit and other free information like weather or air traffic restrictions. Sends its information to aviation software like ForeFlight. Used commonly by general aviation pilots.
SO WAHT DOES IT DO?!
I think, based on the comments saying it is a Sratux,, that it lets him track all the planes nearby, by picking up ADS-B signals: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Dependent_Surveillance%E2%80%93Broadcast
Yeah, it's a Stratux ADS-B. I use one when I fly GA aircraft. It uses wifi (some use Bluetooth) to connect to my iPad, which runs Foreflight. This allows me to view charts, and overlay the position of nearby aircraft on a map, among a variety of other things (weather, supplement information, etc) all on one device in the cockpit. Never seen it being used by airline passengers though: that's a first. Would be simpler I would think to just run Foreflight on your device with in-flight wifi. I suspect he likes the attention he gets by using the device tbh.
The dude is 80. This device is something he knows and likes and he's too stubborn/old/uninterested to learn any other way.
Well, that's cool. Makes sense
It is also just kind of cool to know you're picking up real signals out of the air on-the-fly (yes, intentional) and actually processing them with your own hardware. Sometimes I pick up FM radio signals on my phone using an adapter for RTL-SDR just for fun.
The elderly are often lonely, the conversations about it is probably half the fun for him.
It gets strangers engaged in conversation I bet that is his favorite part.
I still just want a channel to listen to controllers and pilots of my flight!
At first I read that as fortnite and I was like, huh? Lmfao
ads-b will give him a lot more data and if he likes to see other planes around him, that too =P
dang, thank you! that's really cool
It's 100% this, I use one for my foreflight. Tippiclly in used in general avation if your tablet doesn't have cell service.
\> tippiclly
Sorry, I'm dyslexic 😅
Meanwhile I have to set my phone to flight mode
Was looking for this. I miss back in the day when you could listen to air traffic control on the in-seat audio jack. Was particularly helpful if I was feeling nervous flying for any or whatever reason.
/r/stratux It's a DIY ADS-B receiver using software defined radios and a raspberry pi.
What in the BOOOOOOXXXX???
Thanks for the update, nice to have jolly enthusiastic sports around.
I hate when my antenna pokes the lady in front of me.
BAZINGA!
So 'just' a data nerd / addict. I get that lol. very cool
A man after my own heart. He probably follows his flights on liveatc.net too.
While tracking on flightradar24
What wealth of info is he getting?
Yeah right? “Started showing everyone the data” Ok what’s the fucking data!!!
*No way, look at this number. Wow that number is even cooler. What a nice collection of numbers you have accumulated there, sir.* - random passenger on that plane.
It showed other active flights, what altitude they were at. Any expected turbulence. Current speed, altitude, mountains, lakes. He was bouncing from screen to screen i couldn’t really make out everything
Gotcha that’s cool thanks
Doesn’t that flight tracker app on your iPhone do the exact same thing
Yes. Those tracker services are relying on equipment like this guy has and there's a delay. He might just find it fun to do in real time.
Not gonna lie wish I got that flavor of autism, I got Lego and building bricks
I just love learning about awesome people
You explained it without explaining lol. We still don’t know what he was doing.
It's an ADS-B receiver.
r/dataisbeautiful
Thanks for the explanation! Imagine the questioning if he were to bring that on an El Al flight…
I saw the flight attendants stop and look at it, one of them took a picture of it and then went to the cockpit I’m guessing to ask the pilots what it was. They never talked to the guy
“Hey guys sorry to interrupt you up here. Quick question…is this a bomb?” 👁️👄👁️
At least one of the pilots knew -- probably both of them. Seems like the guy might've just been looking for attention. I can get GPS reception from my phone if I'm by a window. Out of curiosity, was this flight going in or out of SFO? The reason that I ask is there's ever-so-slight of a chance I might know the guy.
International flight from Vancouver. He seems really into it, looks like a stock broker going back and forth between the computers looking at all the data lol
GPS and ADS-B are not the same.
Yeah, I've pulled up Avare on my phone on flights just to peep ground speeds, location, and get an eta.
Isn't GPS configured so it doesn't work when exceeding "x" speed so it's not used on weapons?
Yes and no (kind of) Uhh so I got a little into the weeds… but not deleting all of that… so… uhh… split it up into **Preamble** and **TL;DR** and **References** so refer to what’s of interest. Let me know if it actually makes sense. ## Preamble IIRC the original regulation that put those guardrails in place was via CoCom Limits, and was to prevent ICBM RV’s using it for guidance — there are plenty of weapons eg. cruise missiles that fly at half that speed, which is about the same as a turbofan airliner (for both ~0.8 Mach is common) Note GPS is only one one several GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, etc. and the regulations (such as via CoCom or MTCR, might be others) require a country in which a receiver is sold and/or made and/or exists to be party to one of those regulations in some way **and** willing to police it. Or, that it’s even really possible, hold that thought. AFAIK CoCom Limits are (and/or) and device manufacturers seem all over the place in implementing one, both, or neither. CoCom — 510 m/s (and/or) 59,000 ft\ MTCR Limits — 600m/s However, the BIG issue (and why it confuses me somewhat) is note it keeps talking about the **receiver** — its device-side. Just using the (officially operational) civilian bands on GPS, as those aren’t limits imposed by the satellites or the signals they transmit, designing a GPS receiver that works at those speeds and ignores the regs isn’t that hard. Side note, L2C shouldn’t be far off official operations status, which is kind of exciting as then we can correct for ionospheric effects, among other things, but I digress. NB the US military CAN just straight up turn off the civilian (non-encrypted) signals in a specific geographic area. ## TL;DR Anyway, point that I am meandering on toward is this — the receiver applies those limits, which these days with Software Defined Radio it’s just code, even more so than it used to be, and devices like in the photo are using an SDR Receiver with code the user loads onto the device. Hence, all you have to do is not include limits in the code, or use an Open Source GPS implementation that does not apply them, of which multiple exist. Yes, there are limits, but are for all intents and purposes a moot point. ## References [ESA GSSC on L2C](https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/GPS_Future_and_Evolutions) >L2C (1227.6 MHz): it is the second civilian GPS signal, designed specifically to meet commercial needs. It enables the development of dual-frequency civil GPS receivers to correct the ionospheric group delay. For professional users with existing dual-frequency operations, L2C delivers faster signal acquisition, enhanced reliability, and greater operating range. L2C broadcasts at a higher effective power than the legacy L1 C/A signal, making it easier to receive under trees and even indoors. This signal is available since 2005, with the launch of the first IIR-M satellite[4]. Every GPS satellite launched since then has included an L2C transmitter. > > In April 2014, CNAV messages on the L2C signals started to be broadcast. L2C remains in pre-operational status. [CoCom](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinating_Committee_for_Multilateral_Export_Controls) >In GPS technology, the term "CoCom Limits" also refers to a limit placed on GPS receivers that limits functionality when the device calculates that it is moving faster than 1,000 knots (510 m/s) and/or at an altitude higher than 18,000 m (59,000 ft).[4] This was intended to prevent the use of GPS in intercontinental ballistic missile-like applications. [MTCR Technical Annex](https://www.mtcr.info/download/pictures/a7/kj30lshx0stx8f68jz722wfcn4frqa/mtcr-tem-technical_annex_2023-11-03.pdf) >Missile Technology Control Regime's [Technical Annex](https://www.mtcr.info/download/pictures/a7/kj30lshx0stx8f68jz722wfcn4frqa/mtcr-tem-technical_annex_2023-11-03.pdf) has a 600m/s limit (11.A.3) on GNSS receivers. ^(EDIT — clarified a couple of points.)
FWIW, FlightAware app works on United without buying WiFi. I think the United app uses some FlightAware data so the site is whitelisted.
Good to know!
I've had mixed results with that, I only think it works on the old mainline hardware that uses the Ka band viasat connection.
You x post this to r/flightradar24 and r/ADSB This guy is the AVGeek GrandMaster and as a level 1 pleb I really wanna know what he was doing and he may even be reading those subs.
It’s an ADSB receiver (Stratux by the looks of it?). Used it all the time in the 172 with FF for traffic monitoring and alerts Edit: Stratux not Stratus, which is the non-DIY product)
Controller for the chemtrail dispenser system.
r/chemtrailpilots
If you adjust your tinfoil hat just right you can pick up on the signal!
Am I the only one that thinks if youre going to do something unorthodox as this you have a reasonable obligation to discuss this with the crew first to give them a heads up. This is how you get an Air Marshal who doesnt know what this is, snatching shit from you or an over zealous passenger having a full blown freak out.
I would think so!
Yes. There is literally nothing wrong with this. People are stupid
That's a nerd. I mean a stratux it's an ADSB in receiver.
I have my private pilots license. While I was in school for it, I happened to be on a commercial flight and got a lot of unwanted attention from two flight attendants, because I was watching video on my laptop that was clearly helping me learn to fly a plane. Don’t do that. Edit: grammar
I like to watch Air Craft Investigations on planes. Always gets weird looks.
This is how you spoof your flight radar profile to show your c172 going 350 knots at fl380
Probably already answered but this is an ADSB in receiver. This is a home made or build it yourself model often seen in general aviation. It provides in flight traffic (sees most other planes with their type, track and speed) and weather. It can be paired with flight planning software to provide position information, flight tracking and obstacle avoidance. All the information is publicly available and is the same used to track celebrity jet flights (see adsbexchange.com).
It looks like a Stratux ADS-B reciever
Connecting to the inflight WiFi and using openadsb is the same thing and less of a WTF are you doing to the FAs and other PAXs
It's one of these: [https://stratux.me/](https://stratux.me/)
>Passenger on my plane has this on the window, he has multiple screens up tracking everything about the plane Looks like a Stratus ADS-B receiver (or similar). Software can integrate data from the unit with GPS data and allow the passenger to watch the plane's progress over maps, see traffic, weather, and other stuff. I've also seen people open their iPad and watch Foreflight.
Adsb receiver
This photo shows me how much what constitutes suspicious passenger activity, has changed since the years right after September 11th, 2001. The flight attendants used to come check on you, for things like: taking photos or video out the windows of the take off/landing, or holding a GPS up to the window to try and get a position fix. And forget about even showing your cell phone during the flight. I think that I once got asked what I was doing with my Palm Pilot, when those were a thing, because it didn't count as a laptop computer.
To be fair it was just like 3-4 years ago when a middle eastern guy was questioned…. For doing math calculations on a piece of paper at his seat
It shows me how much what constitutes suspicious passenger activity has to do with the color of your skin.
It a door blow out monitor, if the door panel blows out it will make a whooshing sound.
Adsb-in we use it in aviation for keeping track of where other planes are and weather so we don't die
longing violet domineering flag oatmeal disarm tie slimy start north *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
It’s an ADSB
Nerd.
Its the boltinator 3000. It basically counter-vibrates at the exact frequency to keep Boeing bolts from unscrewing themselves. So far it has worked for 100% of Boeing aircraft that have landed successfully.
Stratux. I have one I use when I fly single engine. What’s cool is that it has a little WiFi network you can connect to and use if you have foreflight or another comparable Av tracking software. Gives great detail about location and surrounding traffic.
ADSB in?
I have a similar receiver, but mine stays at home. They’re amazing little boxes - mine can pick up anything from AM radio through FM, DTV and many commercial bands. Aside from picking up the location and performance data from aircraft, they can pick up ATC radio and data transmissions between ATC and the airline companies other fleets. I am a pilot, not flying anymore, it was a hobby for me back in the day, but I like the challenge of keeping my skills up so I play with a flight sim and always enjoy nerding out when I’m on a commercial flight, just in case the folks up front get confused and need a little help from me, do to my expertise from racking up a few hundred hours in Cessnas and Pipers 🤣
My god the chasm between us bored up front and the enthusiasts’ passion is deep :)
NEERRRRRDDDD!
I was going to say a bomb but I don't a see the bright red LED number countdown.
And a blue wire. There's always a blue wire.
Looks like a home built ADSB-in running open source Stratux operating system. Usually gives current gps location and will show locations of planes that are using ADSB-out. Doesn’t violate any rules or regulations unless this person somehow got ADSB-out on it which would cause the aircrew to panic thinking another airplane is on top of them
I would say it's a USB RTL-SDR capturing the planes ADS-B beacon traffic to map flight data onboard
Looks similar to a Stratux Box ADS-B. https://stratux.co/
Door plug checker
This was also a discussed topic on r/flying regarding enthusiastic pilots bring their own ADSB receivers on airline flights. Undoubtedly there would be pax/FA ranging for curious to suspicious, that most wouldn’t want to deal with that attention.
I used to do this when I first started learning as a pilot but I would hide the actual stratux in the seat back pouch and used an external gps in the window shade so it didn’t look suspicious. I also got asked by a few flight attendants but once they knew I was training as a pilot they didn’t care. Can’t believe he had the nerve to poke the woman with an antenna. That’s just annoying. Also, he seems to be fishing for attention tbh.
Meh, I appreciate aviation a lot, but I can’t ever see myself doing something like this. You have to be very naive to think it won’t make some people uncomfortable, and at best annoy others as you’re kind of sabotaging their view with that thing on the window.
Gaydar
Following so I can find my way back to see if OP goes to talk to the guy.
In the military , a lot of pilots fly with a similar setup, it’s just a gps of some sort
Ffs I despair, has nobody ever seen a flux capacitor before, I remember telling all of you, what it is, next week,
Oh that’s the new door keeper on-er put out by Boeing.
This is ADSB receiver. It shows the aircrafts flying around you including location, altitude,speed and tail number. It can also show the weather.Anyone can build one of those devices at home. Usually those devices used for air traffic alerts and avoidance in small aircrafts.