ADS-B Exchange · Example Payload

Getapiaircraftv2Traces

Returns the trace file for the aircraft with the specified ICAO code. The trace file contains aircraft position history starting 00:00 UTC today. Must begin with 'trace_recent_' or 'trace_full_' and end with '.json'. Folder name must be the last 2 characters of the aircraft ICAO code. Example: to request trace file for aircraft with ICAO code 'A1B2C3': ``` GET /api/aircraft/v2/traces/c3/trace_recent_a1b2c3.json ``` The trace file is a JSON file with the following structure: ``` { icao: "a1b2c3", // hex id of the aircraft timestamp: 1609275898.495, // unix timestamp in seconds since epoch (1970) trace: [ [ seconds after timestamp, lat, lon, altitude in ft or "ground" or null, ground speed in knots or null, track in degrees or null, (if altitude == "ground", this will be true heading instead of track) flags as a bitfield: (use bitwise and to extract data) (flags & 1 > 0): position is stale (no position received for 20 seconds before this one) (flags & 2 > 0): start of a new leg (tries to detect a separation point between landing and takeoff that separates flights) (flags & 4 > 0): vertical rate is geometric and not barometric (flags & 8 > 0): altitude is geometric and not barometric , vertical rate in fpm or null, aircraft object with extra details or null (see aircraft.json documentation, note that not all fields are present as lat and lon for example already in the values above), // the following fields only in files generated 2022 and later: type / source of this position or null, geometric altitude or null, geometric vertical rate or null, indicated airspeed or null, roll angle or null ], [next entry like the one before], [next entry like the one before], ] } ``` Example of the response: ``` { "icao":"a1b2c3", "r":"N11Y22", "t":"P123", "dbFlags":0, "desc":"Gulfstream G650", "ownOp":"SOME CORP", "year":"2021", "timestamp": 1712275200.000, "trace":[ [76863.35,41.279114,-70.128967,2500,118.4,326.7,5,704,{"type":"adsr_icao","track":326.71,"geom_rate":704,"nic":8,"rc":186,"nac_v":0,"alert":0,"spi":0},"adsr_icao",null,704,null,null], [76870.59,41.282455,-70.131775,2600,119.0,328.0,4,384,null,"adsr_icao",2150,384,null,null], [76877.88,41.286804,-70.135376,2700,117.7,328.2,4,640,null,"adsr_icao",2250,640,null,null], [76885.92,41.290512,-70.138489,2800,118.5,328.5,4,448,null,"adsr_icao",2350,448,null,null], ... ] } ```

AviationFlight TrackingADS-BAircraftReal-TimeMilitaryMLAT

Getapiaircraftv2Traces is an example object payload from ADS-B Exchange, with 7 top-level fields. It illustrates the shape of data this provider's APIs accept or return.

Top-level fields

operationIdsummarydescriptionmethodpathparametersresponses

Example Payload

Raw ↑
{
  "operationId": "GetApiAircraftV2Traces",
  "summary": "Get recent trace file",
  "description": "Returns the trace file for the aircraft with the specified ICAO code.\n\nThe trace file contains aircraft position history starting 00:00 UTC today.\nMust begin with 'trace_recent_' or 'trace_full_' and end with '.json'.\nFolder name must be the last 2 characters of the aircraft ICAO code.\n\nExample: to request trace file for aircraft with ICAO code 'A1B2C3':\n```\nGET /api/aircraft/v2/traces/c3/trace_recent_a1b2c3.json\n```\n\n\nThe trace file is a JSON file with the following structure:\n```\n{\n    icao: \"a1b2c3\", // hex id of the aircraft\n    timestamp: 1609275898.495, // unix timestamp in seconds since epoch (1970)\n    trace: [\n        [ seconds after timestamp,\n            lat,\n            lon,\n            altitude in ft or \"ground\" or null,\n            ground speed in knots or null,\n            track in degrees or null, (if altitude == \"ground\", this will be true heading instead of track)\n            flags as a bitfield: (use bitwise and to extract data)\n                (flags & 1 > 0): position is stale (no position received for 20 seconds before this one)\n                (flags & 2 > 0): start of a new leg (tries to detect a separation point between landing and takeoff that separates flights)\n                (flags & 4 > 0): vertical rate is geometric and not barometric\n                (flags & 8 > 0): altitude is geometric and not barometric\n             ,\n            vertical rate in fpm or null,\n            aircraft object with extra details or null (see aircraft.json documentation, note that not all fields are present as lat and lon for example already in the values above),\n            // the following fields only in files generated 2022 and later:\n            type / source of this position or null,\n            geometric altitude or null,\n            geometric vertical rate or null,\n            indicated airspeed or null,\n            roll angle or null\n        ],\n        [next entry like the one before],\n        [next entry like the one before],\n    ]\n}\n```\n\n\nExample of the response:\n```\n{\n\t\"icao\":\"a1b2c3\",\n\t\"r\":\"N11Y22\",\n\t\"t\":\"P123\",\n\t\"dbFlags\":0,\n\t\"desc\":\"Gulfstream G650\",\n\t\"ownOp\":\"SOME CORP\",\n\t\"year\":\"2021\",\n\t\"timestamp\": 1712275200.000,\n\t\"trace\":[\n\t\t[76863.35,41.279114,-70.128967,2500,118.4,326.7,5,704,{\"type\":\"adsr_icao\",\"track\":326.71,\"geom_rate\":704,\"nic\":8,\"rc\":186,\"nac_v\":0,\"alert\":0,\"spi\":0},\"adsr_icao\",null,704,null,null],\n\t\t[76870.59,41.282455,-70.131775,2600,119.0,328.0,4,384,null,\"adsr_icao\",2150,384,null,null],\n\t\t[76877.88,41.286804,-70.135376,2700,117.7,328.2,4,640,null,\"adsr_icao\",2250,640,null,null],\n\t\t[76885.92,41.290512,-70.138489,2800,118.5,328.5,4,448,null,\"adsr_icao\",2350,448,null,null],\n        ...\n\t]\n}\n```",
  "method": "GET",
  "path": "/traces/{folder}/{jsonFile}",
  "parameters": [
    {
      "name": "folder",
      "in": "path",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Last 2 characters of ICAO code.",
      "schema": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "x-position": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "jsonFile",
      "in": "path",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Name of the JSON file. Must be in the format 'trace_[recent|full]_{ICAO}.json'.",
      "schema": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "x-position": 2
    },
    {
      "type": "string",
      "name": "Accept-Encoding",
      "in": "header",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The encoding type the client will accept in the response. API call must use compression.",
      "default": "gzip",
      "example": "gzip"
    }
  ],
  "responses": {
    "200": {
      "description": "JSON response with the contents of the trace file.",
      "content_type": "application/json",
      "schema": {
        "$ref": "#/components/schemas/TraceResponse"
      },
      "example": {}
    },
    "402": {
      "description": "Payment Required",
      "content_type": "application/json",
      "schema": {
        "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiUnauthorizedResponse"
      },
      "example": {}
    },
    "403": {
      "description": "Forbidden",
      "content_type": "application/json",
      "schema": {
        "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiForbiddenResponse"
      },
      "example": {}
    },
    "404": {
      "description": "Trace Not Found",
      "content_type": "application/json",
      "schema": {
        "$ref": "#/components/schemas/TraceNotFoundResponse"
      },
      "example": {}
    },
    "429": {
      "description": "Rate Limit Exceeded",
      "content_type": "application/json",
      "schema": {
        "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiTooManyRequestsResponse"
      },
      "example": {}
    },
    "500": {
      "description": "Server Error",
      "content_type": "application/json",
      "schema": {
        "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ProblemDetails"
      },
      "example": {}
    }
  }
}

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