OpenSky

Category: Cloud Status: stable

Connects to the OpenSky Network public REST API for real-time aircraft tracking. Returns live ADS-B state vectors (positions, velocities, headings) for all visible aircraft worldwide.


Connection Settings

The adapter uses the public OpenSky REST endpoint:

https://opensky-network.org/api/states/all

Authentication

The public OpenSky API works without credentials. Authenticated accounts receive higher rate limits (see OpenSky API docs). The current adapter does not pass credentials — it always calls the unauthenticated endpoint.


Data Model

Each aircraft is returned as a state vector with fixed positional fields (OpenSky raw array format). The frontend and producer both parse this into:

Field Type Description
icao24 string Unique ICAO 24-bit transponder address
callsign string Flight callsign (trimmed)
origin_country string Country of registration
longitude float | null Decimal degrees
latitude float | null Decimal degrees
altitude float | null Barometric altitude, feet
velocity float | null Ground speed, knots
heading float | null True track angle, degrees
vertical_rate float | null Vertical speed, ft/min
on_ground bool true if aircraft is on the ground
last_contact Unix timestamp Last ADS-B message received
timestamp Unix timestamp Snapshot time from OpenSky

Only aircraft with known latitude and longitude are included in results.

Rate Limits

The public API enforces a 10-second minimum poll interval. The frontend auto-refresh fires every 30 seconds per user session (well within limits).


Frontend UI

The adapter is visualized via a split-panel component:

Left panel — aircraft list

Aircraft icons are color-coded by flight phase:

Color Condition
Grey On the ground
Orange Airborne, altitude < 10 000 ft
Teal Altitude 10 000 – 30 000 ft
Primary (purple) Altitude > 30 000 ft

Supports search by callsign, ICAO24, or country. Shows callsign (or ICAO24 if absent), altitude, and country/speed.

Right panel — two tabs

Auto-refresh toggle: polls every 30 seconds when enabled.

External Links