In the event of a significant global disruption, elite individuals with access to private aviation often receive information before the general public.
This project monitors private aircraft activity in near real-time and compares it against historical baselines.
An emergency level from 1–5 is calculated based on deviations from normal movement patterns.
Emergency Level
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—Aircraft Airborne
—Change vs Baseline
—Historical Baseline
—Estimated Fleet Capacity
Live Aircraft Positions
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Mid-size jet
Ultra-long range
Turboprop
Showing tracked business jets with ADS-B transponders active. Positions update every 5 minutes.
Coverage is best over North America and Europe; some jets fly without broadcasting.
Aircraft Airborne Now
Ultra-long range
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Mid-size
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Light jets
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Turboprops
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Type
Family
Count
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Click a row to highlight that model on the map.
Traffic Archive
Current Activity
Historical Baseline
±1 std dev
Emergency Level Reference
Level Reference
1
Normal
Activity within expected range.
2
Watch
Minor increase above normal levels.
3
Elevated
Elevated activity. Worth monitoring.
4
High
Significant increase. Unusual compared to historical patterns.
5
Emergency
Extreme increase. Rare event requiring attention.
About
What is this?
Something's Up is a public monitoring project that tracks private aircraft activity and compares it against historical trends.
The premise is simple: when people with access to private aviation become concerned, their travel patterns may change before information reaches the broader public. This site measures those changes and presents them as a single emergency indicator.
Does this detect military activity?
No. The system tracks civilian private aircraft only. Military aircraft generally do not broadcast the data required for public tracking and are excluded from the analysis.
Why private aviation?
Private aircraft are frequently used by executives, investors, government officials, advisors, and other individuals with access to information networks unavailable to the general public.
The goal is not to determine why aircraft move. The goal is simply to identify when movement patterns deviate significantly from normal behavior.
How is the emergency level calculated?
The score compares current private aircraft activity against a weekly baseline — the historical average for the same 30-minute window on the same day of the week. Higher scores indicate larger deviations from historical norms.
The baseline adjusts around U.S. federal holidays so predictable seasonal travel does not register as anomalous activity.
What aircraft are included?
The system monitors common business aviation aircraft including Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, Embraer, Cessna Citation, Beechcraft, Pilatus, Learjet, Hawker, and similar types — 38 ICAO type codes in total.
Commercial airline traffic is excluded.
How often is the data updated?
Flight data is collected every 5 minutes via adsb.lol, a community-run ADS-B receiver network. The emergency score is recalculated with each collection cycle.
Is this reliable?
The system measures observable aircraft activity. It does not predict specific events, identify causes, or claim insider knowledge.
ADS-B coverage is strongest over North America and Europe. Some aircraft operate without broadcasting. Elevated readings can result from holidays, major events, or data gaps — the Traffic Archive allows you to review historical readings in context.
Does a high level mean something is happening?
Not necessarily. Emergency levels represent statistical deviations in observed aircraft activity. A level 5 reading can be caused by holidays, major sporting or political events, or data artifacts.
This site reports when private aviation behavior differs meaningfully from historical norms. Interpretation is left to the reader.
