Chris

Sorry the SSA Sailplane tracker is giving you trouble. You are correct in that registering with GlidePort.aero will open up additional features.

The app you compare us to is a different animal entirely. That app track aircraft that are active in the national airspace system (talking to ATC). Our app does not interact with the national ATC system.

To use our app you will need SPOT, InReach or the free smartphone app (glide track or IGC Droid).

Regarding your crew locating you in an emergency I trust that they will at least know the state you departed from and can find your track via a simple look down the list of sites reporting tracks that particular day. What tracking device are you using? For additional assistance you may refer to the two articles in Soaring magazine or the Sailplane Tracking Committee web page on the SSA web. There are several PDF manuals.

Hopefully the Tracker will become easier as you explore its features. We can't automate every flight at once because it would slow the animation down severely. Notice the site you referred to does not provide 3D imaging, track history, altitudes or instrument panel view.

Lane