Airplane live streaming offers a combination of real airplane tracking data and live flight simulation. In return, this provides viewers with a great learning experience. By live streaming takeoffs and landings at the airport, the audience can become more knowledgeable about real world aircraft traffic and its controls. In addition, planespotting is a common hobby around the world. Airlines and aviation companies can add free valuable content to various audiences with live streaming. It also provides access to airplane enthusiasts who have a disability, live in a distance from their local airport or have limited funds. Live streaming can bring the love of aviation to every household. Access allows students and hobbyists to grow in knowledge, appreciation and community.
Who Are Airplane Hobbyists?
Airplane hobbyists are often also “spotters.” Their mission is to see as many aircraft as possible. Many are in search of a specific type or a particular airline.
Others look for a specific subset of aircraft, such as commercial airliners, business jets, military aircraft or general aviation aircraft. On the flipside, “frame spotters” are airplane hobbyists whose aim is to see every airframe.
Airlines can build a greater customer base by live streaming several takeoffs and landings, allowing real aviation hobbyists to track more flights.
Airplane Live Streaming: Building Trust with Your Consumer
Viewers spend 3X more time watching live content than they do watching non-live videos. Seventy-four percent think live videos are more helpful when they are searching for information or shopping online, hence the 2019 debut of Amazon Live.
Evidence shows that those who participate in live streaming of their favorite brands will more likely make a purchase. Moreover, viewers of all different hobbies would like to utilize live streaming to bring them closer to their hobby.
For aviation lovers, participating on different sites that provide interactive live streams allows them to build trust with those brands. It also enables them to learn more information regarding specific aircraft and enjoy the experience with other hobbyists and students.
Where Might Airplane Hobbyists Run into Trouble?
Airplane hobbyists, spotters and frame spotters often travel long distances to visit various airports so they can see different aircraft. Others want to see the remains of the aircraft that have been withdrawn from usage. If they are not currently enrolled in a special aviation program, obtaining access to “close to the public areas” may prove difficult.
Also, according to Balance Careers, some airports have very specific rules about photography. Spotters may only be allowed in designated areas.With the heightened airport security over recent years, many spotters have been denied access without a ticket, employee ID, etc. While some aircraft might be placed in the care of museums, spotters may not get the chance to see them up close.
Additionally, depending on the location of the spotter, traveling to different airports could be time consuming and expensive. While live streaming does not address all of the spotters’ needs, it is a viable alternative for viewing aircraft in action.
24/7 Airplane Live Streaming
Time of day and weather are captured during many airline live streams that air on YouTube and Facebook. This data allows the audience to have the full picture of all the takeoff and landing conditions of each respective plane.
Many have pre-determined live streaming schedules, while others stream 24/7 for audiences to enjoy or track flights. For spotters, 24/7 type of streaming offers them an affordable to free outlet for their hobby.
Airliners.net
Airliners.net, is an aviation site that has an extensive photo database of aircraft and airports. It also has a forum catering to aviation enthusiasts, including spotters. Their photograph collection includes military aircraft, classic airliners, flight decks, aircraft cabins, cargo aircraft and government aircraft. They also include helicopters, airships, night photos, accidents, air to air, special paint schemes, airport overviews, tails and winglets.
In addition to being the largest online Aviation Community of 3 million+ photographs, Airliners.net keeps the public updated with the latest aviation news. Aviation fans can go visit their facebook page for a series of live videos of various airplanes from takeoffs to landings. Their site and social channels provides the aviation community with a well-rounded base for all things aviation at no cost to the viewer.
FlightAware
FlightAware is largest flight tracking data company in the world. It has over 10,000 aircraft operators and service companies. More than 12 million passengers who rely on their global flight tracking solutions, analytics, predictive technology, and decision-making tools. Their website provides flight information, including but not limited to: aircraft type, registration, operator information, speeed, altitude, distance and route. Their reliable web-based interfaces and APIs provide the world’s most comprehensive flight tracking and digital aviation data platform.
For additional information, you can visit their facebook page for their latest data, videos and photographs. To improve their current offerings, FlightAware could benefit from partnering with a live streaming company to bring forth more innovation and real time videos to its audience. For those who are looking for an active aviation community, there is an open discussion section on the FlightAware website for all visitors.
Airplane Live Streaming and Relaxation
ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is an experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin. It usually starts on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. ASMR is often compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia and can overlap with frisson in practice. Popular live streaming ASMR activities across generations, but popular with the younger generation, include playing with slime and squishies. Additional activities include: watching and listening to food consumption, whispering, tapping, scratching, white noise, etc.
Watching airplane takeoffs and landings in person might be a ASMR or audio source of relaxation for many airplane enthusiasts. The sound of the airplane engine in addition to its smooth motion may help viewers to feel calm, releasing anxiety. Live video presents an opportunity for people to watch airplanes for relaxation purposes at any time. For example, it can be incorporated into a nighttime routine instead of using a sound machine, providing both visual and audio relaxation relief.
Benefits of Live Chats about Aviation
Airplane spotters and hobbyists should participation in live chats on YouTube and Facebook. It would allow them the opportunity to connect with other hobbyists. This would also encourage viewers to ask aviation-related questions in real time. For the provider, the format of streaming videos prompts a two-way connection between the creator and the consumer.
This interaction prompts conversations between the two parties, allowing immediate feedback. If providers utilize airplane live streaming and live chats, they will increase the number of users. For example, 78% of users prefer to watch live video and comment 10X more than on regularly filmed videos.
Why Airplane Live Streaming Should Partner With Contentflow
Contentflow is revolutionizing live streaming across industries. The long-term impact of the platform is to be a source for an increased viewership. This would result in more people consuming news information from daily and political to entertainment. As knowledge and access is power, increasing communication and breaking the third between content creators and the audience would enable more people to become active citizens and participants across global and local issues. As a result, this would impact both the community as well as at scale.
Live streaming with aviation allows future pilots, current students and hobbyists to connect on daily aviation news, new aircraft and important topics in the industry. In addition, by sharing consumable, snackable content, the audience will be able to easily watch these airplane sightings with ease, leading to increased action, such as booking flights, recommending flights, feeling more secure regarding a friend’s trip, etc.
Contentflow and Its Functions
With the Contentflow platform, an airline team can easily live stream to 100+ channels from their own website to social media networks. Some features of Contentflow include: an Embeddable Video Player (allows rewinding of live stream in real time), Restream (enables distribution of live stream among multiple platforms simultaneously), Audience Analytics (collects viewer data including number of streams and provides geolocation map), Overlay Graphic (adds branding and static overlay graphic during livestream) and Cloud-Based editing (allows immediate editing, cutting and sharing while streaming).
Premier features allow Contentflow users from a variety of industries can easily utilize this all-in-one live streaming platform. This platform allows the distribution of live content to increase reach, engagement and revenue. Existing customers include Electronic Sports League (ESL), Online Marketing Rockstars (OMR) among others. OMR, the largest online marketing conference worldwide (40,000+ attendees) uses Contentflow to live broadcast on social media. Their reach includes 102 different and simultaneous stream channels, including Facebook, YouTube, websites, etc.
Strengthening Relationships
Airplane live streaming is appreciated across the world. It can serve as a great connector with audiences, if done properly. Airlines, airports, aviation schools, pilots, etc. can all participate in strengthening the relationship between the art and science of aviation and the end consumer. Airplane live streaming allows a mix of practical knowledge and entertainment for all to benefit from as well as enjoy, while watching live.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 876239, 959379 & 965502.
