A question came up on another site I visit (Youtube) I was wondering if someone here knew the answer to. Does the flightplans defined on flightaware include the waypoints for SIDs/Stars the aircraft fly's, or is it just the enroute waypoints?ThanksTom

They will sometimes have the names of the SID/STAR but not the waypoints.JoeM

They will sometimes have the names of the SID/STAR but not the waypoints.JoeM

They will also very often not remotely match what you really got or flew.

I think they are only the filed flight plans to be modified later by ATC instructions.If you click on Decode, you can view the individual waypoints.

I think they are only the filed flight plans to be modified later by ATC instructions.If you click on Decode, you can view the individual waypoints.

Not even that. Sometimes they are the clearance you will get from atc and don't match what you filed, and sometimes neither. Direct sometimes shows up a NA. (After filing a plan I usually check though as sometimes the routing there will be what to expect from atc-if different from what I filed there is a good chance). I have also noticed the time of filed departure, estimated time enroute also don't always match.

Not even that. Sometimes they are the clearance you will get from atc and don't match what you filed, and sometimes neither. Direct sometimes shows up a NA. (After filing a plan I usually check though as sometimes the routing there will be what to expect from atc-if different from what I filed there is a good chance). I have also noticed the time of filed departure, estimated time enroute also don't always match.

In the USA it gets worse ...I often listen to KJFK tower over the internet. When the USA enroute network gets jammed up because of, for example, unpredictably bad afternoon summertime weather, it is commonplace for the tower controller to be issuing revised flight routings as worked up moments before by the national airways network managers in Washington, DC, who are effectively controllers of the controllers.For these situations the tower controller has ground areas that he owns where he can park, with their engines off, aircraft that are unable to depart immediately because they can't get destination landing slots just yet. Yes, the tower controllers at one of the world's busiest airports do a large part of the ground control operation, they control inbound and just-departed aircraft, and they often do clearance delivery as well. To listen to these people operate under conditions of high traffic load is simply amazing. To a man/woman they are all cool, calm, polite, and often very funny - - and they are happy to work single engine GA aircraft into the flow at even the businest times provided those aircraft are simply transiting KJFK airspace.I forgot to mention that in addition to their other duties they play departure controller from time to time, perhaps when the assigned controllers need bathroom breaks.We can be quite sure that these people are among the worldwide elite -- the best of the best.

The data is not that accurate. Definitely should not be relied on. I remember a friend of mine was flying from the eastern US to Ireland. Flightaware had his flight path going through South America, Africa and parts of Asia. It was hysterical to see. The estimated flight time was like 3 days or something. :( I wish I thought to take a screenshot of it.

Thanks, guys, that clears it up!!