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Real-time military aircraft positions and movement data.

Aircraft Stream

Stream ID: aircraft Update frequency: ~60 seconds Required tier: Standard (5,000 Hydra)

Real-time positions and metadata for military and high-interest aircraft globally.

Message Types

position_update

Fired when an aircraft's position is refreshed.

{
  "stream": "aircraft",
  "type": "position_update",
  "ts": 1710000000000,
  "data": {
    "icao": "AE1234",
    "callsign": "RCH123",
    "registration": "87-0027",
    "aircraftType": "C17",
    "operator": "USAF",
    "lat": 38.52,
    "lng": -77.01,
    "altitude": 35000,
    "speed": 480,
    "heading": 270,
    "squawk": "5762",
    "origin": "KDOV",
    "destination": "OJAI",
    "onGround": false,
    "lastSeen": 1710000000000
  }
}

pattern_detected

Fired when the correlation engine identifies a significant movement pattern.

{
  "stream": "aircraft",
  "type": "pattern_detected",
  "ts": 1710000000000,
  "data": {
    "pattern": "formation_flight",
    "severity": 3,
    "aircraft": ["AE1234", "AE5678", "AE9012"],
    "region": "Eastern Mediterranean",
    "lat": 35.0,
    "lng": 33.0,
    "description": "Three C-17s in formation, heading 090, unusual routing",
    "signalId": "clxxx..."
  }
}

Schema Reference

Field Type Description
icao string ICAO 24-bit hex identifier (unique per aircraft)
callsign string Flight identifier
registration string Tail number
aircraftType string ICAO aircraft type code
operator string Operator / military branch
lat number Latitude (decimal degrees)
lng number Longitude (decimal degrees)
altitude number Altitude in feet MSL
speed number Ground speed in knots
heading number Track in degrees (0–360)
squawk string Transponder code
origin string | null ICAO airport code
destination string | null ICAO airport code
onGround boolean Whether aircraft is on the ground
lastSeen number Unix ms timestamp of last position report

Pattern Types

Pattern Severity Description
formation_flight 2–3 Multiple aircraft, same heading, close proximity
tanker_rendezvous 3 Tanker matching course with receiver aircraft
loiter_orbit 2–3 Circular orbit pattern (ISR/surveillance)
unusual_routing 2 Flight avoiding normal airways
rapid_repositioning 3–4 Unusually fast repositioning of significant asset

Subscribing

ws.send(JSON.stringify({
  action: 'subscribe',
  streams: ['aircraft']
}))