See the latest from the FlightAware ADS-B Network, a community of aviation enthusiasts hosting a network of over 34,000 receivers in almost 200 countries and on all seven continents. If you're interested in joining or adding to our network, you can learn more about hosting a receiver here, or use the link below to check out our PiAware kits, which make it easy to get started.

Hello FlightAware network!

In this month’s newsletter:

• A quick note on Raspberry Pi 5 Support and Debian Bookworm

• FlightFeeder Throwback

• Featured Site of the month: Attic installation
  
  

Raspberry Pi 5 Support and Debian Bookworm

We’ve received some questions from our hosts asking whether our latest PiAware 8.2 SD card image is compatible with the Raspberry Pi 5. The PiAware 8.2 image is built on Debian Bullseye OS and is not supported by the Raspberry Pi 5, which requires Debian Bookworm. We are currently working on some internal projects but hope to have a new Bookworm PiAware SD card image around the holidays.

To get FlightAware’s ADS-B software running on a Pi 5, you can install the standard Raspberry Pi Bookworm OS and use the Debian package installation method to install piaware and dump1090-fa. We have built Bookworm-compatible packages for these.

FlightFeeder Throwback

We’re nearing the 10-year anniversary of one of the original FlightFeeder models that helped expand our global network. Take a look at this photo from its release back in 2014. Many of these units are still performing reliably a decade later! If you’re one of the hosts still using one, we’d love to see some photos of your setup in action.

Specifications:

• Enclosure: Cut plastic

• Computer: RPi 2 B/B+

• Radio: Mode S Beast

• BS-1105 Base Station antenna

• First 50 had regular SD cards and then we began using micro SD card adapters

• Serial Numbers: 999 - 1165
  
  

Featured Host of the Month

This month’s featured PiAware setup comes from creas002, who hosts a dual-channel 1090 and 978 MHz PiAware near Roanoke, Virginia. He shared photos of his clean attic installation, which can track up to 4,000 aircraft on good days.

Two Stormflex 141 18GHz Microwave cables 920-5050-030 connected to Nooelec SAWbird+ ADS-B: Premium, Dual-Channel 1090 MHz and 978 MHz, Cascaded Ultra-Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) & Filter

🛠️ Quick Tip on Attic Installations 🛠️

Would you like to be featured in our monthly newsletter?

Help increase our coverage!

Our ADS-B network spans across 194 countries on all 7 continents thanks to you all. Our goal is to expand our terrestrial ADS-B coverage across the entire world, especially around airports to improve our surface coverage. If you or someone you know has connections to airports and FBO’s or live in areas where we lack coverage, we’d love to send you a FlightFeeder! You can apply for one here. If we already have coverage in your area, you can still contribute to FlightAware by building your own PiAware. It’s a fun little weekend project!

STAY IN TOUCH

Click the link below to visit the ADS-B Flight Tracking discussion forum on our website, or follow us on social media to stay up to date with the latest news!