How to Track Cargo Flights with RadarBox

Are you curious to see the logistics of cargo aircraft in action? With RadarBox, aviation enthusiasts can track live and completed air transport flights all around the world!

Flights tracked via RadarBox.com 

Whether you want to track special aircraft and flights or just watch normal freighter operations, RadarBox’s flight tracking website and mobile app will provide you with all the information you’re looking for. In this blog, we’ll share the simple steps to get started tracking air cargo flights.

How to Track Live Cargo Flights

Start by visiting the RadarBox home page in your browser or the RadarBox mobile app. Then, click the magnifying glass in the top right of the navigation.

RadarBox.com (Website)

A menu will drop down, allowing you to search for cargo aircraft by Flight number, Airport, Airline, or Registration. You can also click on More Search Options, which will give you the additional options of Origin and Destination.

This will then bring up flights that meet those criteria. Here, you can see each aircraft’s registration, flight number, origin, destination, and schedule.

You can then locate that exact flight on the live map. RadarBox displays its projected flight route, and includes plenty of other details such as when the aircraft departed and its expected time of arrival.

You can also access much more information included in the Flight Page, Aircraft Page, Airport Heatmap, and Aircraft Utilization chart.

RadarBox.com 

RadarBox.com 

How to Track Live Cargo Flights with the Aircraft Class Filter

You can also trace cargo carriers on RadarBox using the Aircraft Class filter.

Filters displayed on RadarBox.com 

Filters displayed on RadarBox.com 

Premium filters such as Aircraft Class are accessible with a Pilot or Business subscription to RadarBox. Pilot subscriptions start at $7.95/month, and new users automatically get a Free 7-day trial. Once you sign up for a paid subscription plan, you’ll have 7 days to use the site and apps with access to all the features of the plan you chose. Thereafter, your credit card on file will be charged, unless you cancel your subscription before the trial ends.

You can start your 7-Day Free trial to RadarBox by clicking here.

To filter aircraft by class, begin by clicking on the Filters tab at the bottom of your screen.

A new menu will pop up, displaying several different filters to refine the live flights shown on the map. Next, you will want to click on the Aircraft Class tab. This will give you the option to display a variety of aircraft, including airlines, general aviation, military aircraft, and cargo.

You can click Select None to remove all aircraft, and then turn on the toggle for Cargo.

Now, you can track all cargo flights in real-time! You can further refine your search through the many other filters available, such as Airline, Airport, Altitude, Speed, and more!

How to Track Past Cargo Flights 

RadarBox also lets you see past flights, which can be easily found by searching a flight number, registration, or route. In this example, we searched for registration N859GT, which is a Boeing 747-8F operated by Atlas Air. 

We then searched its flight activity to find flight 5Y95 on Thursday 18 January 2024, which was when the 747 suffered an engine fire during initial climb after takeoff from runway 09 at Miami International Airport.

Why Track Cargo Flights?

There are tons of reasons why aviation enthusiasts use RadarBox for cargo flight tracking. Here are just a few of the most common use cases:

1. Interest in Unique Aircraft Models: Cargo jets can include a variety of unique and specialized aircraft that are not commonly seen in passenger aviation like the Boeing Dreamlifter or Airbus Beluga. Enthusiasts might be interested in tracking these to observe rare models or special liveries.
2. Watching Logistics in Action: Understanding how global logistics work is fascinating to many. Tracking cargo jets can give insights into trade routes, the efficiency of cargo movement, and how logistics companies manage their fleets.
3. Photography and Plane Spotting: Aviation enthusiasts often enjoy photographing airplanes, and cargo jets can offer unique opportunities for this hobby. RadarBox helps them with planning trips to airports or picking spotting locations.
4. Interest in Specific Cargo: Sometimes, cargo jets carry unusual or noteworthy cargo, such as Formula 1 cars, military tanks, or even live animals. Enthusiasts might track a flight carrying something of particular interest.
5. Flight Path and Operation Analysis: Some enthusiasts are interested in the operational aspects of aviation, including flight paths, speeds, altitudes, and how cargo jets are integrated into the broader air traffic network.
6. Tracking During Emergencies or Special Events: In rare occasions, freighter jets may experience an in-flight emergency that adds some drama beyond a normal flight. Users may want to check if the cargo jet has to divert or change its flight plan.
7. Real-Time Tracking as a Hobby: Simply following the real-time movements of airplanes, including cargo jets, can be a hobby in itself, offering a sense of connection to the larger world of aviation.

What Cargo Jet Models Can You Track on RadarBox?

With RadarBox, you can search through many cargo jet types. Here are some of the popular freighter models you can track:

• Boeing 747-8F
• McDonnell Douglas MD-11F (MD11)
• Airbus A300F4-605R (A306)

What is the Best Freighter Aircraft?

It depends on how you would define “best”, but it’s generally agreed upon by aviation enthusiasts that the Boeing 747 is the most iconic freighter aircraft. The 747 (AKA Queen of the Skies) is the largest cargo jet in the skies, featuring 4 engines, a 16-wheel main landing gear, and a liftable nose door. The newest -8F variant of the 747 can hold 30,832 cu ft (873.7 m³) of cargo, and a maximum payload of 292,400 lbs (132.6 t). If you are curious to see how the 747 compares to other cargo jets in terms of size and performance, you can use WebFlite’s Freighter Comparison Tool.

Article written in collaboration with Devon Wood from WebFlite.

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