ACARS is basically a log of aircraft that have operated flights. You need to know the flight number for the easiest use but you can enter an arrival/departure airport and traul through for the flight you are looking for. I must warn however, that it can't always be accurate as to what future flights will be operated by. It is usually a web-based application like ACARSD. You may also need to know the callsign. For example:

Flight number: BY0034

is

Callsign: TOM34

each airline has a flight code and a callsign Thomson Airways is:

Flight Code: BY Callsing: TOM

The callsign is what you are usually given on all your paperwork but they call it a flight number to make it easier for passenegers. The site I use is this as I find it easier to use and it searched multiple sites. You do have to make sure you put a flight number shown on an airline booking/website such as TOM34 in the callsign box and not the flight number box otherwise you will get no results!

Alasdair

onetruenutta,

ACARS is basically a log of aircraft that have operated flights

It's a little more complicated and useful than that! ACARS is the acronym for Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System - a kind of text messaging service for aircraft enabling text communication without tying up radios. You can access an online datalog of ACARS transmission (for example ACARSD.org, or if you want to receive transmissions yourself, you'll need radio (VHF) receiving equipment and decoding software (I have an SBS-1 to get live information).

Darren

Thank you both for your replys.
I have looked at the sbs-1 on the net, i first seen it operational at man airport viewing park, very nice piece of kit and comes at a cost too. Know of anywhere that sell the it cheap or second hand?

onetruenutta wrote:

Know of anywhere that sell the it cheap or second hand?

Two main places for SBS-1 kits (between £300-400); virtualradar.com and Airnavsystems.com (plus others if you do a search).

Darren