ADS-B helps Cebu Pacific to manage their fleet. ADS-B in action.

ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) is an aircraft surveillance technology. With this technology an aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation. The on-board equipment periodically broadcasts position and other data. So everybody can track these radio signals with low cost equipment.

ADS-B on Camiguin Island

I installed my first ADS-B receiver in July 2014. A second equipment joined in March 2016. I did install the first device because the scheduled Cebu Pacific flights to Camiguin had started 9 months earlier. Unfortunately the aircraft mostly did not arrive on schedule but flew to our magic island when they could.
This was and still is annoying because waiting during hours at our airport is not a pleasure. Using the ADS-B I could see the bird taking off in Cebu. This left me enough time to go to the airport. With Flightradar24 it looks like this:

Hint: Go to full screen mode and watch with at least 720p.

How I encountered Cebu Pacific

I recently did update the software of my two ADS-B receivers. One is from Flightradar24 and the other is from FlightAware. When I checked the other nearby stations, I found several entries of Cebu Pacific. Basically CEB has installed ADS-B receivers on 21 airports in the Philippines.
They record flight data of an average 500 domestic flights per day. For each flight they collect about 1000 GPS positions.
Cebu Pacific uses the FlightAware FlightFeeder 7.9.2 as I do.
This is a cost-effective solution. Furthermore it is fault-tolerant because if one of their receiver fails, there are many other receivers in the Philippines. My own station is synchronised with up to 13 others in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Click on the picture to enlarge today’s Cebu Pacific statistics for their Manila station (RPLL).

If you want to follow your flight

It is really simple to follow any flight wold wide. Just start Flightradar24 or Flightaware in your browser and enter the flight number. Then you can see where your flight currently is and when it is expected to arrive at its destination. I always do, when we expect guests. It leaves us enough time to prepare. We also can react quickly if there is a delay or the risk of a missed connection.
There are also apps for Android and iOS available. Check the app-stores.

If you want to contribute

Feeding your ADS-B data into the networks brings you some advantages. Both Flightradar24 and Flightaware offer free business or enterprise memberships for those who feed data in their networks. These are several hundred US Dollars per year. 
If you are lucky and live in a not covered or badly covered area, both companies offer free equipment. Otherwise you can buy on the internet or build it yourself.