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Using Airframes

The Airframes web application at app.airframes.io is where you can explore the ACARS data collected by the global feeder network. This guide covers the main features of the application.

Live Messages​

The Messages page shows ACARS messages as they arrive in real-time from feeders around the world. Each message includes:

  • Timestamp — When the message was received
  • Flight — The flight number or callsign
  • Tail — The aircraft registration (tail number)
  • Label — The ACARS message label indicating its type (e.g., H1 for message acknowledgment, SA for weather)
  • Text — The decoded message content
  • Source — Which feeder station received the message and on which medium (ACARS, VDL2, HFDL, etc.)

You can filter messages by text content, flight number, tail number, or message label.

The Historical Messages page lets you search through past messages with the same filtering options. This is useful for researching specific flights, aircraft, or events.

Flights​

The Flights page shows active flights that have been seen via ACARS data. Unlike ADS-B-based flight trackers, Airframes tracks flights based on their ACARS communications — this means you can see flights that are communicating over HFDL or satellite links even when they're over oceans and outside ADS-B coverage.

Live Map​

The flights map plots aircraft positions derived from ACARS position reports, ADS-C surveillance data, and other location-bearing messages. This provides a complementary view to ADS-B, especially for oceanic and polar routes.

Stations​

The Stations page shows all active feeder stations. For each station you can see:

  • Station ID — The feeder's identifier
  • Location — Where the station is located (if provided)
  • Message counts — How many messages have been received in the last 24 hours, broken down by type
  • Last seen — When the station last sent data

This page is useful for:

  • Verifying your own feed — Search for your station ID to confirm Airframes is receiving your data
  • Checking coverage — See where feeders exist and identify gaps in coverage
  • Finding frequencies — See what frequencies other feeders in your region are using

Airframes​

The Airframes section provides aircraft data. You can look up individual aircraft by:

  • Tail number (registration) — e.g., N842UA
  • ICAO hex code — The Mode S transponder address

Each aircraft record shows associated ACARS messages and flight history as seen through the Airframes network.

Airlines​

The Airlines section lets you browse airlines by ICAO or IATA code and see the ACARS message activity associated with each carrier.

About Page​

The About page contains current information about the Airframes project, including links to resources for setting up feeders, common frequencies by region, and community links.

Tips​

  • Bookmark specific filters — The URL updates as you apply filters on the Messages page, so you can bookmark a filtered view (e.g., all messages for a specific tail number) for quick access later.
  • Time zones — All timestamps in the application are displayed in UTC. Keep this in mind when correlating with local flight schedules.
  • Message labels — ACARS message labels like H1, SA, 5Z, etc. indicate the message type. See the Glossary for common terms or explore the ACARS message documentation for label details.