Isles of Scilly live tracker
Skybus, the Scillonian, the helicopter and Menawethan: every flight and sailing to and from Scilly today on one board, with each one shown where it is right now, or where the timetable puts it when no receiver can hear it, and we say which.
Scillonian III on her sailing
Map and ship positions by VesselFinder. Their receivers lose the ships part way across, so a position near Scilly may be hours old: check the time on the ship's label.
How the live positions work
Planes and ships broadcast where they are, many times a minute. Aircraft send ADS-B, which is picked up by volunteer receivers and shared openly by adsb.lol and adsb.fi. We use both because each has receivers in different places. Ships send AIS, which we listen for through aisstream.io. Our server checks every 20 seconds or so and this page moves the markers smoothly in between.
When the signal drops
Skybus and the helicopters fly low, and the receivers do not always hear them near the islands. If we hear a flight at all on the way across, we work out when it took off and when it lands, and carry it on along its route, marked as estimated. If we never hear it, we show the timetable and say so.
The ships
There is no free ship receiver near Penzance or Scilly yet, so the Scillonian is shown where her timetable puts her, in grey, unless her sailing is cancelled. Menawethan's sailings follow the tide, so her times are estimated and she is shown in port between them. Near Penzance, VesselFinder's map can show where they are. When a receiver does hear a ship, her real position takes over, and the path she takes is kept for next time.
Aircraft positions from adsb.lol (open data, ODbL) and adsb.fi. Ship positions from aisstream.io, and from VesselFinder on their map when shown. Map © OpenFreeMap © OpenStreetMap contributors. A guide only: always check your booking and any service notice before you travel.
Tracker questions
What the board and map are showing, and what they can't know.
Where is the Scillonian now?+
No free ship receiver reaches Scilly yet, so the map shows Scillonian III where her timetable puts her, in grey, unless her sailing is cancelled, and in port between sailings. If a receiver hears her, her real position takes over. Near Penzance, VesselFinder's map on this page can show where she is. Tap her row on the board to jump to her on the map. In winter she is laid up and the freight ship Menawethan keeps the sea link going.
How do I track my Skybus flight?+
Find your departure time on the board. Once the plane is airborne its row changes to Airborne with a live arrival time worked out from where it is and how fast it is flying. Before that it shows Scheduled, and Fog hold likely when the airports are reporting fog.
Why does a plane disappear from the map?+
The planes fly low over open sea, where some of the receivers that pick up their signal are out of range. When that happens we carry the plane on along its route at its last speed and show it faded as an estimate, for up to 12 minutes, then the timetable takes over until it reappears or lands.
What does From the timetable mean?+
A grey marker means there is no live signal for that flight or sailing at all, so its position is worked out from the published departure and arrival times. It is a guide, not a sighting, and it does not know about delays.
Is Menawethan on the board?+
Yes. Her freight sailings move with the tide and are published a week at a time; the site reads each new week as it goes up, and they appear on the board like any other sailing. Her times are estimated from the tide, and between sailings she is shown in port. If a receiver hears her, her real position is shown, even on a sailing that is not on the schedule.
Can I rely on this for catching my flight or sailing?+
Use it as a guide to where things are. Flights and sailings can be held or cancelled for weather, so always check your booking and any service notice before you set off.
Island boatsSt Mary's to the off islands
Scillonian ferryPenzance to St Mary's, 2 hours 45
Menawethan freightAll year, times move with the tide
Skybus flightsLand's End, Exeter and Newquay
HelicopterPenzance to St Mary's and TrescoScilly LiveEverything today, with weather and noticesLive trackerWhere the planes and the Scillonian are now