With all the technology we have today, humans on this planet cannot find an airplane and don’t even know where to look. Looking back at naval air battles in the Pacific during WWII, considering the technology of the day, it's a marvel they were able to find each other, let alone engage in battle.
Coastwatchers, spies, aerial recon seaplanes, and the codebreakers of the Imperial Japanese foreign office's 'Purple' machines had a lot to do with finding the IJN's surface fleets. All of these factors coming together took many months of immense effort of manpower and money ahead of the battles of Midway, The Coral Sea, and Leyte Gulf.
Here with Malaysian Airlines, this is one little plane lost for six days so far.