Clues About the Lost Malaysia Flight Found on Rooftop Antennas
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In the chaos immediately following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a crucial source of data came from four rooftop antennas installed by aviation enthusiasts living near the flight path. The volunteers, who host the gizmos for a Houston-based company called FlightAware, captured clues aiding the search for the plane that went missing more than a month ago.
FlightAware provides real-time flight tracking that’s licensed by companies and accessed by consumers via free mobile apps. The nine-year-old company mainly aggregates data from air-traffic-control organizations and airlines, but it’s able to fill in some holes using the trackers it distributes to anyone willing to climb on top of their houses.