ParaglidingWX — XContest live

XContest live

The toolbar XC live control connects to XContest.org’s live tracking feed over a WebSocket. When it is on, a bottom panel opens on the map and stays visible until you turn XC live off again (on phones, a dedicated XC bar replaces the bottom toolbar while live is on). Pilots and tracks are drawn on the map for situational awareness while you plan—not as an official briefing or navigation product.

What you see on the map

• Pilot markers — 2D dots use status colours (flying / landed / stale). On close, tilted 3D views, each pilot appears as a paraglider model with a stable random canopy colour (one of several built-in palettes); track ribbons keep status colours. Farther out, only the 2D dots show. Click for links on XContest when the feed provides them.
• Tracks — Decoded flight paths and breadcrumb trails when the server sends geometry. Long tracks are simplified for performance. Optional Vario toggle (XC live panel) colours tracks by estimated vertical speed when altitude and timestamps are available (green = lift, blue = sink), with a scale legend; otherwise tracks use status colours. On tilted 3D terrain views, tracks may render as altitude ribbons when height data is available; otherwise a 2D line is used.
• Viewport — Only flights whose track (or pilot/takeoff position) could intersect the current map view are drawn and listed. Pan or zoom to change who appears.

Bottom panel

• Live / Landed / Lost — Filter which status groups are eligible on the map. Lost (stale feed) is off by default.
• In view — Scrollable list of pilots in the current map view. Tap a name to show or hide that pilot on the map (all listed pilots start visible). Choices are remembered in your browser.
• Status line — Connection state and rough counts (flying, landed, on map, hidden by filters, outside the view, and so on).

Flights outside the configured history window (recent days in the feed) are not shown. Track lines generally appear from roughly zoom level 9 upward; pilot dots can appear at lower zoom. The feed can lag reality, drop fixes, or disagree with a pilot’s official XContest page. Do not use XC live for airspace compliance, route planning in controlled airspace, or in-flight decisions. Always verify with official sources, local knowledge, and your own judgment.

XC live is unrelated to the optional KK7 thermal layers and unrelated to OpenAIP airspace overlays.

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