How to learn which ADS-B towers are out

[NoHeat]

Today, as I flew from Iowa to St Louis and back, and I was dodging thunderstorms with keen interest in knowing where they were, I found that I received no towers anywhere from St Louis northward for 200 miles. Farther north, no problem.

Receiving towers has never before been a problem for me on this route, which I’ve often flown. I can only assume that several towers were out of commission — but that made me realize that I don’t know how to detect such a problem, in advance of the flight.

Is ADSB tower failure something that appears in a briefing somewhere?

 

[BillTIZ]

I’m not sure if they show up in NOTAMS or not.

Sapt.faa.gov for predictability

 

[denverpilot]

I’ve been looking for ADS-B outage NOTAMs and not finding them.

Then I realized... it’s a surveillance system. Not a safety system.

As Intel and other spook friends would say, “You don’t tell anyone when you’re not looking.”

OPSEC and all that.

I doubt the nice little “Safety” system the FAA wants us to believe it was built for, will ever have outage NOTAMs issued against any of it.

Just a guess. If y’all find one, I’ll be mildly surprised. But it’ll mean something else is listening for the transmissions by then.

 

[Shepherd]

What's ADS-B?
Is that some electrickity powered thingy for airplanes?

 

[Sundancer]

Reason 31 not have an electrical system. . .my goal goal is wings, a place to sit between them, a stick, to never use Flight Following or file IFR again, always be NORDO, and stay at or below 3K AGL. I will velcro an iPad to the panel, however. Long way to go to reach my goals - right now our airplane has dual nav/comms, G-530, autopilot, GTX-345, etc., etc. WIl sell my share on retirement, and likely forget everything (ADS-B, VFR cruising altitudes, calling flight service, and how to file any kind of flight plan). You guys stay above 3K AGL, and you'll be safe from me. . .

 

[Shepherd]

Reason 31 not have an electrical system. . .my goal goal is wings, a place to sit between them, a stick, to never use Flight Following or file IFR again, always be NORDO, and stay at or below 3K AGL. I will velcro an iPad to the panel, however. Long way to go to reach my goals - right now our airplane has dual nav/comms, G-530, autopilot, GTX-345, etc., etc. WIl sell my share on retirement, and likely forget everything (ADS-B, VFR cruising altitudes, calling flight service, and how to file any kind of flight plan). You guys stay above 3K AGL, and you'll be safe from me. . .

Yup.