How it works

From a radio signal to this page

  1. Heard

    Every aircraft broadcasts its position, altitude and speed over ADS-B. Volunteer receivers around the world pick that signal up and share it.

  2. Followed

    The tracker picks the paddock's jets out of that stream and draws each flight as it happens, from takeoff to landing.

  3. Counted

    Every flight gets an estimate of the fuel it burned, what that fuel cost and the CO₂ it put out.

  4. Shared

    The map refreshes every few seconds, and each takeoff and landing is posted with a map of the route.

Questions

What people ask

Where does the data come from?

Aircraft broadcast their own position, altitude and speed over ADS-B, openly and unencrypted, several times a second. Networks of volunteer receivers pick those signals up and share them. Everything on this site comes from that public data; nothing is taken from the aircraft operators, the teams or anyone's private records.

Which jets are followed?

The private jets most closely tied to the paddock: those of drivers, team principals and teams. Right now that is Max Verstappen, Toto Wolff, Lawrence Stroll, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso and Racing Bulls. Each one has its own card on the fleet page.

Is a jet missing?

If you know of a jet that belongs to someone in the paddock and is not on the list, write to info@f1jettracker.com. Say whose it is and anything you know about it; every suggestion is looked at before a jet is added.

How often does the map update?

Every few seconds while a jet is in the air. Out over an ocean, or anywhere else without receivers nearby, its track pauses until it is heard again.

How is the CO₂ worked out?

Each flight's fuel burn is estimated from the aircraft type's typical burn rate and the time it spent in the air, and converted to CO₂ at 3.16 kg per kg of jet fuel. The cost uses IATA's weekly average jet fuel price. They are estimates: good for comparing flights and jets, not an audit of any one of them.

Is this site connected to Formula 1 or any team?

No. It is an unofficial, independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Formula 1, the FIA, any team or any driver.

Why are all the times in UTC?

These jets cross several time zones in a day. One clock for everything means a takeoff and a landing always read in the right order, wherever they happened.

Glossary

ADS-B
The signal an aircraft broadcasts with its position, altitude and speed.
FL450
Flight level: altitude in hundreds of feet on a standard pressure setting. FL450 is about 45,000 ft.
LFMN
An ICAO airport code; this one is Nice. Four letters, the first saying roughly where in the world.
kt
Knots: nautical miles an hour. 480 kt is about 890 km/h.
CO₂
Carbon dioxide from burning jet fuel: about 3.16 kg for every kg of fuel.