How Aircraft Tracking Works in COTAK
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All COTAK users have access to a channel called “Aircraft Tracking” which updates every 10 seconds with the latest locations of firefighting, medevac, and known law enforcement aircraft. This is a read-only channel in TAK, meaning users who turn this channel on do not share their location with others via this channel.
The technology behind how aircraft are tracked by COTAK is called ‘ADS-B’ and is mandated for use onboard most aircraft to enable air traffic control. ADS-B signals can also be decoded by hobbyists, and adsbexchange.com is one of several platforms that aggregate the signals from hobbyist receivers to form a real-time picture of air traffic. The COTAK team has received access free-of-charge to the data from adsbexchange.com and filters their data to provide the locations of public safety aircraft into TAK.
This system is only able to locate an aircraft if at least one sensor serving data to adsbexchange.com has line-of-sight to it. As a result, low-flying aircraft, particularly in mountainous areas of Colorado may be tracked only intermittently by this system. A map of the general location of these sensors is available here: https://map.adsbexchange.com/mlat-map/
If you operate in an area with less than two sensors in the vicinity, the COTAK team would be interested in working with you to improve ADS-B coverage. The team has a limited number of sensors to provide free-of-charge to COTAK members who would be willing to host them. These sensors require electrical power and a Wi-Fi or ethernet internet connection to operate, and perform best when mounted on a tower or other high point. Contact the COTAK team at support@cotak.gov if you are interested in hosting one of these sensors.
