Question: How does a plane "text" a phone when it lands?

[whathappened]

New to the website...

How does a plane (such as a Cessna, Piper, etc.) send a text to a cell phone of the actual, not estimated, take off and landing times?

Thanks 

[pgarside]

not sure i understand your question, planes dont text message anything

[PHL Approach]

That sure would be something... a 1974 Warrior with ACARS.

[whathappened]

My friend has a plane and his wife receives a text on her cell phone - not written by her husband, but somehow when the plane takes off, she gets a text of the actual take off time, and she also automatically receives a text when the plane lands - the landing time. 

All she knows is that it is some kind of program her husband subscribes to, and I'm trying to figure out what program that is.

Not knowing much about planes...could this be a program set up with the garmin or auto pilot?

[Jason]

My friend has a plane and his wife receives a text on her cell phone - not written by her husband, but somehow when the plane takes off, she gets a text of the actual take off time, and she also automatically receives a text when the plane lands - the landing time. 

All she knows is that it is some kind of program her husband subscribes to, and I'm trying to figure out what program that is.

Not knowing much about planes...could this be a program set up with the garmin or auto pilot?

If they depart IFR and enter the NAS, you can accomplish this via FlightAware Alerts.  I have yet to hear of an interface that goes through garmin that offers this feature, and probably never will.

[KSYR-pjr]

If they depart IFR and enter the NAS, you can accomplish this via FlightAware Alerts.

I agree with Jason in that this was probably done with FlightAware.  For free FlightAware allows you to track an aircraft and have alerts sent to both email and cellphone.  My wife and other family members (via email forwarding, since only one email address is allowed) use this to track my progress when I fly back and forth between White Plains and NY.

For IFR flights, FlightAware will send an alert when the IFR flight plan has been filed (within 6 hours of estimated departure), when the flight has departed, if there is a diversion, and when it lands.

Here is a sample email showing a flight landing:

N2XXX has arrived at KHPN from KSYR

Your tracked aircraft N2XXX has just arrived at KHPN (Westchester County) from KSYR (Syracuse Hancock Intl).

For more information on this flight, visit the FlightAware website at http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N2XXX
To manage your personal Flight Alerts, visit http://flightaware.com/live/alerts/

The text version of this message is a bit less verbose.  FlightAware will do VFR flights, too, depending on if the VFR flight is receiving VFR flight following. 

edit:  In the case of VFR flights, all alerts except filed IFR flight plan are sent.

[dave]

It requires a paid subscription, but FBOWeb also provides this kind of tracking.

www.fboweb.com

I find that the FBOWeb alerts come in a little bit faster, but only by a few minutes.

-Dave

[whathappened]

Thanks for your help!    Much appreciated.