How do the Object and Description table and JSON Output of flight tracker API created by Aviation Edge work?

The Aviation Edge flight tracker API allows users to retrieve flight data in two formats: object table and JSON. In this article, I will provide a detailed explanation of the object table and JSON output specifically. I will describe the structure and format of the data, as well as the types of information that can be found in each format. Additionally, I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of using each format, and provide examples of how the data can be used in different contexts. This will enable readers to make an informed decision about which format to use for their particular use case, and understand the data in a more meaningful way.

API Object Table

1. aircraft

   • The aircraft object in the Aviation Edge flight tracker API provides information about the aircraft being tracked, such as the aircraft's IATA code, ICAO code, ICAO24 code, and registration number.

2. airline

   • The airline object in the Aviation Edge flight tracker API provides information about the airline operating the flight, such as the airline's IATA code and ICAO code.

3. arrival

   • The arrival object in the Aviation Edge flight tracker API provides information about the arrival airport of the flight, such as the IATA code and ICAO code.

4. departure

   • The departure object in the Aviation Edge flight tracker API provides information about the departure airport of the flight, such as the IATA code and ICAO code.

5. flight

   • The flight object in the Aviation Edge flight tracker API provides information about the flight number plain, IATA and ICAO version.

6. geography

   • The geography object in the Aviation Edge flight tracker API provides information about the location of the aircraft, such as its altitude, direction, latitude and longitude.

7. speed

   • The speed object in the Aviation Edge flight tracker API provides information about the speed of the aircraft, such as horizontal speed, vertical speed and speed against the ground in km/h.

8. system

   • The system object in the Aviation Edge flight tracker API provides information about the flight such as Squawk and last update time in Epoch format.

The information in the table provided is useful because it gives a detailed overview of the different types of data that can be retrieved from the Aviation Edge flight tracker API. Each object in the table represents a specific aspect of a flight, such as the aircraft, the airline, the departure and arrival airports, and flight numbers. This information can be used in a variety of ways. For example, the aircraft and airline codes can be used to identify the specific aircraft and airline operating a flight, while the departure and arrival airport codes can be used to determine the route of the flight. The flight numbers, geography and speed objects could be used to track a flight, report flight status to users, check flight history and also to perform some analytics on the data. Additionally, the Squawk and last update time in Epoch format provide information about the systems and update status. Overall, the objects in the table offer a comprehensive view of the information available through the API, which can be used for a wide range of applications such as flight tracking, flight planning and reporting, and data analysis.

Explaining the JSON

The JSON output provided is a representation of flight data returned by the Aviation Edge flight tracker API. The data is organized into a collection of objects, each of which contains properties that provide information about a specific aspect of the flight. The properties in the JSON output corresponds to the objects in the table from previous question, it starts with aircraft object, which includes the following information:

• iataCode: The IATA code for the aircraft, a standard code system used by airlines to identify the different types of aircrafts.

• icao24: The ICAO24 code for the aircraft, a 24-bit address used by the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system

• icaoCode: The ICAO code for the aircraft, another code system used by airlines to identify the different types of aircrafts

• regNumber: The registration number of the aircraft

Then the airline object includes the following properties:

• iataCode: The IATA code for the airline operating the flight

• icaoCode: The ICAO code for the airline operating the flight

The arrival object includes the following information:

• iataCode: The IATA code for the arrival airport

• icaoCode: The ICAO code for the arrival airport

The departure object includes the following information:

• iataCode: The IATA code for the departure airport

• icaoCode: The ICAO code for the departure airport

The flight object includes the following information:

• iataNumber: The IATA flight number

• icaoNumber: The ICAO flight number

• number: The plain flight number

The geography object includes the following information:

• altitude: The altitude of the aircraft in feet

• direction: The direction of the aircraft in degrees

• latitude: The latitude of the aircraft

• longitude: The longitude of the aircraft

The speed object includes the following information:

• horizontal: The horizontal speed of the aircraft in km/h

• isGround: if the aircraft is on the ground or not

• vspeed: The vertical speed of the aircraft in ft/min

The system object includes the following information:

• squawk: The squawk code assigned to the flight

• updated: The last time the data was updated in Epoch format

Finally, there is status property indicating the status of flight that is en-route, giving an idea of where the aircraft is in it's journey. Overall, this JSON output provides a wealth of information about the flight, including its aircraft, airline, route, location, speed, and system status.

[
{"aircraft":
{
"iataCode":"B77W",
"icao24":"C0173A",
"icaoCode":"B77W",
"regNumber":"C-FIUR"
},
"airline":
{"iataCode":"AC",
"icaoCode":"ACA"
},
"arrival":
{"iataCode":"YYZ",
"icaoCode":"CYYZ"
},
"departure":
{"iataCode":"GRU",
"icaoCode":"SBGR"
},
"flight":
{"iataNumber":"AC91",
"icaoNumber":"ACA091",
"number":"91"
},
"geography":
{"altitude":10363.2,
"direction":342.0,
"latitude":23.36,
"longitude":-70.37
},
"speed":
{"horizontal":820.436,
"isGround":0.0,
"vspeed":0.0},
"status":"en-route",
"system":
{"squawk":null,
"updated":1643111484}
}
]

Closing up

Today, I provided detailed information about the object table and JSON output of the Aviation Edge flight tracker API. The object table and JSON are two formats in which flight data can be retrieved from the API. The object table provides the data in a tabular format, making it easy to read and analyze, while the JSON output provides the data in a structured format that can be easily read and parsed by computer programs. The table and the json output provides information such as aircraft information, airline, departure, arrival airport, flight number, location, speed, system status, and flight status which can be used for a wide range of applications such as flight tracking, flight planning and reporting, and data analysis. I also highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of each format and provided examples of how the data can be used in different contexts. It was aimed to provide readers with enough information to make informed decisions about which format to use for their particular use case and understand the data in a more meaningful way.

Reference

The Aviation Edge flight tracker API is a service that allows users to access real-time flight data such as flight numbers, departure and arrival airports, aircraft and airline codes, location, speed, system status and flight status. Access to the API is typically granted on a subscription basis.

One way to access this API is through the data marketplace Worldindata, which provide a platform for users to easily subscribe and gain access to a wide range of APIs, including the Aviation Edge flight tracker API.

By subscribing to the API through Worldindata, you can get access to the API that provides real-time flight data and have a more convenient and streamlined way of accessing the API and manage your usage, billing and data access, which can help you to improve your application performance.