Dataset. Commercial airplanes periodically send out radio messages containing their position details (plane identifier, flight number, latitude, longitude, height, speed, ...) . These ADS-B messages are picked up by enthusiasts and collected in systems such as the OpenSky network or Flightradar24. We have obtained ~200 GB of compressed ADS-B messages from September 2015 in a compressed format.

P4: Rescue Choppers. Investigate the use and coverage of rescue and medical helicopters. Where are such helicopters located? Which areas are effectively covered by these helicopters, and which are not? Can you relate these areas to population density and maybe suggest shifts in coverage? How long does the average flight take and how much does this cost?

Summary: Spark was used to aggregate the ADS-B flight data into separate flights, and then filter the flights on height and speed to identify possible helicopters. Aircraft types can also be derived directly from the ADS-B messages. To identify rescue helicopters the flight patterns were analyzed to identify landings at hospitals. Helicopters were identified, but regrettably, the September 2015 dataset turned out to be too sparse to contain rescue choppers, which may be due to the fact that helicopters lag aircraft in their adoption of ADS-B transmitters.

Data curiosity: **
Paper writing: ****
Technical difficulties mastered: **
Visualization coolness: ***