Gps

Sounds complicated. How is the GPS data received? Is it streamed live...? What does the data look like? What format?

If it's streamed live in a raw format, I wouldn't recommend relying on the web server to crunch the data themselves. If there isn't one already, write an off-server service that handles the incoming data and periodically sends the web service meaningful information (XML maybe?), that you can use to generate graphics with, using PHP and GD.

I don't know... I've never seen a GPS tracker on a web site before. I might not be understanding your question properly either. More details?

Google currently has a taxi tracker doohicky on their maps service which must use a similar thing.

It's going to be expensive. You need a GPS on each plane with the ability to upload data to a webserver. That would mean they would need some sort of satalite comminications or something on each plane so they could have an internet connection to transmit the data.

From there its a case of extracting the data from the GPS feed and converting it into co-ordinates that can be related to a position on the map. THEN you need to draw the map and position the icon showing the position of the plane dynamically.

This would be a LOT of work and require some serious hardware as well. Like I said... it aint going to be cheap. You would be talking a good couple of grand per plane to buy and fit the gear on the planes plus a server back at HQ and all the different internet connections.

For a job like that I would want at least a 2-3 thousand pounds just to draw up a system spec and locate the neccessary hardware.

I get the impression from his post that they already have GPS equipment on their aircraft. I presume that they also read a feed and maybe use some special software to track them.

If this is the case, and all they want is to publish the data online, you really only need to examine what the data looks like and, as Andy says, to convert it into a useful form so that you can use it to generate the maps.

If not, then Andy is quite right.

I doubt that the gps data is easily readable. It probably uses a proprietry system of some sort... first port of call would be the manufacturer to see if its even possible.

Newer planes have gps navigation installed, that means they use it for their own navigation, not a way of identifying the location of that plane. The Plane must have a beacon of some sort to transmit constant data to a local recieving end.

So heres the idea, in your ATO (Air Trasportation Office) they use multiple machines monitored by specialists, where certain planes are going as well as there location in a certain areas air space, this means every major city with an airport must have their own responsible air space which is monitored constantly more so to serve as ATC (Air Traffic Control)... Thats what towers at airports are there for. The main ATO Office recieves these data from these ATC towers, the planes are identified by certain code names, and they have a relatively constant predetermined path to follow as directed by the ATO. Now they can monitor a plane where it goes, and where it is currently, you just need to ask the ATO if they have the service to provide you these information so you could track your plane...

Sorry haven't got back to this for a while, doesn't look like the job is going ahead.

But it turns out that the planes transmit GPS data to the company's head office so that they can keep track of the flights. I'm pretty sure that the software they use must be able to export the data in a format that could be used on the web.

When I first asked about this I was thinking little icon on a map, like the the one you get on commercial flights. But as this is a pretty up market service I they actually wanted specifics like flying time and distance to destination.