There is definitely something intriguing about access to public data – from the civilian radio station to ISS tracking, Raspberry Pi proved to be a capable choice for tinsmiths with a hunger for information. But for those interested in local space activities, you’ll need a Raspberry Pi aircraft monitoring platform created by manufacturer Dr2mod!
Most aircraft use ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) technology to transmit location data to control stations in real time while in flight. This data is also available to anyone who uses the correct receiver. Dr2mod accesses this data using the Raspberry Pi 3 B + along with the HackRF One Software Defined Radio (SDR).
The data is displayed in a 3.5-inch Waveshare LCD SPI screen. Each open aircraft is presented as an arrow pointing in the direction of flight, superimposed on a map.
To get the best signal, the antenna should be fully extended and close to a window. Where possible, externally mounted antennas will provide the best results. The signal requirements will vary depending on the local topography.
The the best Raspberry Pi projects are the ones you can recreate yourself and this one is suitable for a summer endeavor. Visit the original project thread at Reddit for more details and a closer look at how it all goes together.