Flight Explorer

[David Ramsay]

For those who are not familiar with it, Flight Explorer is a real time flight tracking package using data uploaded from a number of national air traffic control systems, including the US and NZ. Flights in Australian airspace have never been included.

The company which supplies Flight Explorer has this week been acquired by Sabre Airline Solutions. Yesterday, they issued this press release.

Sabre Introduces First Real-Time Flight Tracking and Aircraft Situation Display Solutions for Australian Aviation Market


Airservices Australia to deploy Flight Explorer in new National Operations Center

SOUTHLAKE, Texas – Sept. 18, 2008 – Sabre Airline Solutions announced today the launch of its newly acquired Flight Explorer solution to the Australian commercial and business aviation market. This is a major development for the Australian aviation community because real-time flight tracking has not been available to the majority of Australian operators until now.

Sabre’s Flight Explorer is the world’s leading supplier of flight tracking and aircraft situation display (ASD) solutions. Flight Explorer integrates flight tracking data with powerful decision-support tools to provide the Australian aviation community information required to improve operational efficiency and business performance. By incorporating multiple data feeds, dynamic weather overlays, situational alerts, detailed maps and forecast weather, Sabre’s Flight Explorer product is an indispensable flight operations management tool.

Airservices Australia will deploy Sabre’s Flight Explorer in its new National Operations Center (NOC).

"Sabre’s Flight Explorer really stands out as a leading global ASD with its extensive features, functionality and systems flexibility," said Matt Shepherd, optimisation manager for Airservices Australia ATM. "Sabre’s Flight Explorer Professional will provide the Australian aviation community with a great new tool to increase the safety, efficiency and performance of their flight operations."

The Australian market for Sabre’s Flight Explorer services include airlines and cargo carriers, charters and corporate flight departments, airports, fixed-based operators (FBOs), ground transportation operators, and pilots and aviation enthusiasts.

Flight Explorer was acquired by Sabre Holdings last week and is now part of the Sabre Airline Solutions portfolio of airline products and services. Flight Explorer products are in the process of being integrated into Sabre’s Airline Solutions’ portfolio including its Dispatch Manager solution, part of Sabre’s Flight Planning suite. Flight Explorer products will also be offered as stand-alone solutions by Sabre Airline Solutions.

“This is exciting for Sabre as we launch our newly acquired Flight Explorer ASD services to the Australian commercial and business aviation community,” said Ilia Kostov, vice president of Operations Solutions for Sabre Airline Solutions. “We know that Sabre’s new Flight Explorer solution will provide an invaluable service to airlines around the world.”

With the addition of Australia flight tracking data, the Sabre Flight Explorer product has expanded its international range of flight data in its core application to include the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom and New Zealand. Additional flight tracking coverage is provided worldwide via ACARS, Satellite/GPS Tracking and data link integration.

Sabre’s Flight Explorer suite of products includes its principal product Sabre FE Professional. It also provides various web products – Sabre FastTrack and Snapshot - and flight and airport activity reports for historical arrival and departure information. For more information or a free evaluation visit FE's new Australian web page http://www.flightexplorer.com/au/


Sabre’s Flight Explorer ASD will be on display in booth 28 at the Regional Australian Aviation Association’s Annual Conference September 17-19 in Coolum, Australia. http://www.raaa.com.au/Convention/Convention.html


About Sabre Airline Solutions

The world's leading provider of integrated solutions and services for airlines and airports, Sabre Airline Solutions helps companies generate more revenue by optimizing performance in 14 key areas of airline operations. More than 200 leading carriers and 100 airports use Sabre Airline Solutions to better market their schedules, sell their products, serve their customers and operate efficiently. Sabre Airline Solutions was founded in 1960. For more information on Sabre Airline Solutions, please visit http://www.sabreairlinesolutions.com


About Airservices Australia

Airservices Australia is a Government owned organisation responsible for the safe and efficient management of air traffic across 11 per cent of the world's air space. Services include air traffic control, airspace management, aeronautical information, radar communications, radio navigation aids, aviation maintenance and engineering, environmental management and aviation rescue and firefighting. Airservices website: http://www.airservicesaustralia.com

I have posted this for information only and am not advertising or endorsing the product.

[David Ramsay]

After some email correspondence with them this morning, it appears that the Australian data is only going to be available to users of their high end professional products, not the lower end "Personal" and "Pilot" editions.

Maybe some gentle pressure from the Australian enthusiast/spotter/geek community could result in them changing their minds.

I've gotta say they were very prompt in responding to my enquiry.

[NickN]

Just get PlanePlotter instead. for $25 Euros it would probably be cheaper than the one mentioned and the data is sourced from a private users so nobody is going to screw you for a dollar.

[Adam P.]

it appears that the Australian data is only going to be available to users of their high end professional products,

Yep! We've had I think a trial version for a number of months now. Once you work out how to drive it it's a good situational awareness tool.

The version for industry groups is very near real-time, the 'spotter' version is apparently on a 5-minute delay.

[David Ramsay]

The US data is delayed five minutes, the NZ data is real time (less paranoia here). I can see aircraft here on FE before I hear them call on the departure frequency.

[Carsten Bauer]

Originally Posted by NickN

Just get PlanePlotter instead. for $25 Euros it would probably be cheaper than the one mentioned and the data is sourced from a private users so nobody is going to screw you for a dollar.

Does it track ALL flights in Australia without the need for your own ADS-B receiver etc?

[Carsten Bauer]

Originally Posted by David Ramsay

After some email correspondence with them this morning, it appears that the Australian data is only going to be available to users of their high end professional products, not the lower end "Personal" and "Pilot" editions.

Maybe some gentle pressure from the Australian enthusiast/spotter/geek community could result in them changing their minds.

I've gotta say they were very prompt in responding to my enquiry.

Hi David,

I'm trialling the Pro version for work, as they want a way of tracking flights.
I'm pretty impressed with it so far, but just wondering how much it will cost

[David Ramsay]

No idea what the Pro version is worth. I pay US$14.95 a month for the Pilot version, the more basic Personal version is US$9.95. I imagine the Pro version is way more.

It's a nice package.

[Steve Jones]

It tracks all aircraft squawking a transponder code EXCEPT all military aircraft that are blocked.