GODSEYES Open the live map
  1. Globe
  2. Flights
  3. Military flight tracker

Live · military aircraft

Military flight tracker: what's broadcasting right now

Right now 64 military and government aircraft are broadcasting a position worldwide, 23 of them over the United States: 2 tankers, 22 transports, 8 helicopters and 32 others, as of .

Broadcasting worldwide
64
Over the US
23
In the air
62
Heard, no position
47

Live military aircraft

Map: military aircraft broadcasting over the lower 48 states now
Over the lower 48 states · one dot per aircraft · map © Natural Earth

By type

  • Tankers2
  • Transports22
  • Helicopters and tiltrotors8
  • Patrol, surveillance and command1
  • Government and VIP transport4
  • Trainers11
  • Utility and liaison3
  • Other or unlisted types13

Where

  • Germany6
  • Alabama, United States5
  • Texas, United States5
  • Italy3
  • North Atlantic Ocean3
  • North Sea3
  • Tyrrhenian Sea3
  • Florida, United States2
CallsignTypeCategoryAltitudeSpeedOverHeard
RCH4565C-17 Globemaster III C17Transports30,000 ft438 ktWisconsin, United States
AEEFBBUnlistedOther or unlisted types28,000 ft325 ktGeorgia, United States
BLZR266BAE Hawk HAWKTrainers28,000 ft292 ktNorth Carolina, United States
BLZR245BAE Hawk HAWKTrainers27,975 ft301 ktNorth Carolina, United States
DERBY82C-130J Super Hercules C30JTransports26,000 ft296 ktIndiana, United States
AE68ADDornier 328 (C-146) D328Transports23,925 ft313 ktMassachusetts, United States
POSSE09C-130 Hercules C130Transports22,900 ft344 ktMontana, United States
DERBY83C-130J Super Hercules C30JTransports21,325 ft310 ktKentucky, United States
HAWK294UnlistedOther or unlisted types12,775 ft332 ktTexas, United States
HAWK278BAE Hawk HAWKTrainers9,950 ft256 ktTexas, United States
C2706C-27J Spartan C27JTransports9,750 ft252 ktFlorida, United States
BOMR741T-6 Texan II TEX2Trainers8,875 ft251 ktTexas, United States
BOMR776T-6 Texan II TEX2Trainers8,875 ft292 ktTexas, United States
BB071T-6 Texan II TEX2Trainers8,375 ft187 ktAlabama, United States
RN113T-6 Texan II TEX2Trainers8,100 ft232 ktAlabama, United States
RN107T-6 Texan II TEX2Trainers5,650 ft170 ktUnited States
BB096T-6 Texan II TEX2Trainers5,525 ft230 ktAlabama, United States
7422401UH1Helicopters and tiltrotors4,650 ft78 ktAlabama, United States
TALON15BAE Hawk HAWKTrainers1,050 ft109 ktAlabama, United States
C6579AS365 Dauphin (MH-65) AS65Helicopters and tiltrotors300 ft85 ktFlorida, United States
C6065H-60 Black Hawk or Seahawk H60Helicopters and tiltrotors150 ft90 ktCalifornia, United States
HAWK235BAE Hawk HAWKTrainers—338 ktTexas, United States
VADER08C-130 Hercules C130TransportsOn the ground19 ktNevada, United States
IAM1496Gulfstream V (C-37A) GLF5Government and VIP transport43,000 ft424 ktNorth Atlantic Ocean
SVF662GLEXOther or unlisted types43,000 ft449 ktMediterranean Sea
BAH11B738Other or unlisted types39,000 ft502 ktUnited Arab Emirates
MRS0303B738Other or unlisted types38,000 ft461 ktSpain
RRR2301Airbus A330 (military) A332Transports37,000 ft551 ktTyrrhenian Sea
XBNWDCL60Other or unlisted types36,000 ft437 ktZacatecas, Mexico
IWY326UnlistedOther or unlisted types36,000 ft431 ktNorth Atlantic Ocean
AE062CKC-135R/T Stratotanker K35RTankers36,000 ft483 ktAegean Sea
SAM207Boeing 737 (C-40 or similar) B737Transports35,000 ft428 ktNorth Atlantic Ocean
RCH5001C-5M Super Galaxy C5MTransports34,000 ft410 ktNetherlands
ASY809C-17 Globemaster III C17Transports34,000 ft424 ktGermany
KAF3203C-17 Globemaster III C17Transports33,000 ft519 ktTyrrhenian Sea
GAF708A21NGovernment and VIP transport32,550 ft424 ktGermany
RCH4033C-5M Super Galaxy C5MTransports32,000 ft434 ktNorth Sea
RRR4953Airbus A400M Atlas A400Transports32,000 ft348 ktGermany
CNV6614Boeing 737 (C-40 or similar) B737Transports31,225 ft524 ktItaly
BRIO66CL60Other or unlisted types31,000 ft362 ktRomania
RCH4163C-17 Globemaster III C17Transports30,000 ft444 ktBering Sea
RCH9207C-17 Globemaster III C17Transports30,000 ft505 ktNetherlands
CTM2010Airbus A400M Atlas A400Transports29,975 ft368 ktHungary
RCH313C-17 Globemaster III C17Transports29,000 ft448 ktNorth Sea
RUBIK33King Air 200 (C-12) BE20Utility and liaison28,000 ft243 ktCroatia
AE5FA6Boeing 767 (military) B762Transports27,500 ft594 ktUnited Arab Emirates
FAF9212King Air 350 (C-12 or MC-12) B350Utility and liaison24,000 ft303 ktHungary
CFC2520C-130J Super Hercules C30JTransports23,000 ft241 ktQuébec, Canada
VM204King Air 350 (C-12 or MC-12) B350Utility and liaison22,000 ft266 ktGermany
AE0629KC-135R/T Stratotanker K35RTankers19,000 ft428 ktIsrael
BOOSTERHRONOther or unlisted types18,800 ft92 ktIsrael
IAM1490P180Other or unlisted types11,550 ft183 ktTyrrhenian Sea
NATO42E-3 Sentry (AWACS) E3TFPatrol, surveillance and command11,425 ft317 ktNorth Sea
30532A148Other or unlisted types9,600 ft268 ktRussia
CTM1435UnlistedOther or unlisted types9,325 ft251 ktFrance
MAI339EC35Helicopters and tiltrotors8,625 ft108 ktRomania
GAF830A319Government and VIP transport6,700 ft277 ktGermany
PNC0494B212Helicopters and tiltrotors6,125 ft94 ktColombia
ANX1231DH8BOther or unlisted types4,900 ft194 ktJalisco, Mexico
SAVER50AW101 Merlin EH10Helicopters and tiltrotors4,425 ft145 ktNorway

And 4 more on the live map.

"Heard" is how long ago a receiver last picked up its position. Types come from the aircraft database; an aircraft we can't type is shown by its code or as unlisted.

Military aircraft on the live map

Black Clearance is $9.99 a month or $79 a year. Compare plans

Activity over the last 7 days

  • Mon, Nov 92,420
  • Tue, Nov 102,700
  • Wed, Nov 111,429
  • Thu, Nov 122,547
  • Fri, Nov 132,513
  • Sat, Nov 14851
  • Sun, Nov 15440

Different military aircraft we saw broadcast a position each day (UTC), worldwide. The last seven days.

Most common types this week

  • H60879
  • TEX2467
  • EC45259
  • T38258
  • C30J197
  • H47183
  • C17165
  • PC21134

Is there a flight tracker that shows military planes?

Yes, but only the military aircraft that switch on ADS-B, and many don't. Some trackers hide them; others show what is broadcast. This page shows every military and government aircraft broadcasting a position right now, live and free to read. On the live map, the Military layer adds trails, following and the 3D globe for Black Clearance members.

Why don't most military planes show up?

Military aircraft don't have to broadcast ADS-B when it would get in the way of a mission or security, so many fly with it off or send only a code without a position (the "heard, no position" number above). Others fly where no receiver can hear them. What any public tracker shows is a small, self-selected slice: mostly transports, tankers, helicopters and training flights near home bases.

Why are military planes flying over my house today?

Usually for routine reasons: training near a base, a low-level training route, a flyover for a game or ceremony, aircraft on their way to an air show, or transports moving between bases. Practice approaches and holding patterns can make jets circle. If it seems unusual, check the nearest base's news page or the FAA's flight restrictions list. To see what is above you now, try what's flying over me.

What do RCH and other military callsigns mean?

Callsigns tell controllers who is flying. "RCH", spoken "Reach", is used by US Air Force Air Mobility Command transports and tankers. Many other units use their own word plus numbers, and some change callsigns often. A callsign alone does not tell you the mission, so we sort aircraft by type, not by guessing from the callsign.

Which military aircraft broadcast most often?

In our log this week, the military types broadcasting most often were H60 (879 aircraft), TEX2 (467 aircraft), EC45 (259 aircraft). Transports and tankers fly long, routine legs through civil airspace, where ADS-B is normal, so they dominate every public tracker. Trainers and helicopters near their bases come next.

Can you track Air Force One or the doomsday plane?

Sometimes, when they broadcast. Our Air Force One tracker says whether the presidential VC-25A or the C-32A fleet is broadcasting now and when it last was, and the doomsday plane page does the same for the E-4B and E-6B.

Is it legal to track military aircraft?

In the US, receiving public radio broadcasts such as ADS-B is generally lawful, and many hobbyists do it. What matters is how the information is used. We publish only what aircraft broadcast openly, sort them by type, never guess where they are going, and hold back aircraft whose owners opted out of display. This isn't legal advice.

Our rules: what we show and what we hold back

  • We show only what aircraft broadcast openly on 1090 MHz and volunteer receivers pick up. Nothing here is secret or hacked.
  • Military and government aircraft that broadcast are shown live. Aircraft whose owners opted out of public display through the FAA's LADD or Privacy ICAO Address programmes never are.
  • We never predict or infer where an aircraft or a person is going, and we don't label missions. Aircraft are sorted by type.
  • We name aircraft, not people. Registrations and owners are not shown.
  • If you think something here should not be, email [email protected].

How this page is built

Positions come from adsb.lol's open list of aircraft its volunteer receivers mark as military, the same list behind the app's Military layer. Our server reads it at most every few minutes and shares one copy with everyone. Each aircraft is placed in a category by its ICAO type code (helicopters by their ADS-B category), and its state, country or sea comes from public-domain Natural Earth boundaries. "Military" here means military or government: the address blocks and database flags include some state aircraft that are not strictly military.

Related

Last reviewed . Corrections: [email protected].

Live data can be late, incomplete or wrong. Not for navigation or safety decisions.

Flight positions: ADS-B and MLAT from the volunteer receivers of adsb.lol (ODbL 1.0) · Map and place names: Natural Earth (public domain). All data sources.