What is this flight tracker?
This map shows live aircraft activity over Lawton and Southwest Oklahoma. Each icon represents a real airplane broadcasting its position using a system called ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast). Our antenna and receiver pick up those signals and plot them on the map in near real time.
How does ADS-B work?
Modern aircraft continuously transmit information such as:
- Position (latitude/longitude)
- Altitude
- Ground speed and direction
- Callsign or flight number
That data is sent over public radio frequencies, which means anyone with the right equipment can receive it. The Lawton Town Crier runs its own local receiver and software to turn those raw signals into the map you see here.
Why is this important?
Tracking local air traffic helps our community:
- Understand what’s happening overhead – training flights, airline traffic, med-evac flights, and more.
- Add transparency to the activity in our skies, just like we do with city government and public safety on the ground.
- Provide context for news coverage – when aircraft play a role in breaking news or ongoing stories, we have our own independent data source.
This tool is provided for public awareness and curiosity only and should not be used for navigation, flight planning, or emergency decision-making.