It all started when I applied for a free ADS-B receiver through Plane Finder, a UK based company that provides real-time flight tracking and statistics. Ever wonder how Plane Finder works? Planes flying overhead send ADS-B signals from takeoff to landing, containing various flight parameters such as speed, altitude, heading and barometric pressure. Receivers on the ground pick up these signals, decode the raw packets, and send them to various flight tracking providers such as Plane Finder, FlightAware, and FlightRadar24. This all happens in real time. But there’s one problem: there are not many receivers around to pick up all the signals from a whole flight, leading to gaps in the information. This is why Plane Finder sent me an ADS-B receiver for better coverage in the St. Cloud Minnesota Area. It took about 3 weeks from first email to shipment. It then took another week to plan and get installed. My thoughts on it? It work’s pretty great. Last night I messaged the St. Cloud Airport a