(USA) Soaring airspace files from NFD -- now available

[Tuno]

Positive control check complete:

http://www.justsoar.com/

For $20/year you get current Tim Newport-Peace (*.sua), OpenAir
(*.txt) and Google Earth (*.kml) files for your desired region, based
on the latest FAA National Flight Database (NFD), which is updated
every 28 days.

When I get the secret decoder ring for the SN-10 format, I'll endeavor
to add that too. I will also try to work with 2KA to integrate
anything he comes up with for airspace from another source --
alternatives are always good.

More info at the main page and the FAQ linked therein.

~ted/2NO

[[email protected]]

On Dec 21, 12:48*pm, Tuno > wrote:
> Positive control check complete:
>
> http://www.justsoar.com/
>
> For $20/year you get current Tim Newport-Peace (*.sua), OpenAir
> (*.txt) and Google Earth (*.kml) files for your desired region, based
> on the latest FAA National Flight Database (NFD), which is updated
> every 28 days.
>
> When I get the secret decoder ring for the SN-10 format, I'll endeavor
> to add that too. I will also try to work with 2KA to integrate
> anything he comes up with for airspace from another source --
> alternatives are always good.
>
> More info at the main page and the FAQ linked therein.
>
> ~ted/2NO

Nice job on this Ted but I ran into a problem. I'm using GNII with a
Compaq Aero 2100.

The appearance on the downloaded file differs from the normal SUA file
when viewed using notepad. When I open the new one with notepad
everything is displayed as a continuous line of text as opposed to the
old one, which has separate lines of text for each coordinate.

When I loaded the new file into my Compaq Aero it locks up when trying
to open the files. I had to reboot to exit the program.

Wecome to the wonderful world of software programs.

[Tuno]

Gary,

What you're seeing is the difference between Windows/DOS text files
and Linux/Unix text files. They use different end-of-line characters.

My two test platforms are SeeYou (for .sua and .txt) and WinPilot (as
an actual PDA platform, using .txt) and neither of those cared, but
since your applications had trouble, we can make the software
explicitly use the Windows/DOS format.

Stay tuned.

~ted/2NO

[Tuno]

Gary,

I sent you an e-mail, the problem is now fixed, please re-run your
query and let me know how it goes on your Compaq Aero.

2NO

[Eric Greenwell]

Tuno wrote:
> Positive control check complete:
>
> http://www.justsoar.com/
>
> For $20/year you get current Tim Newport-Peace (*.sua), OpenAir
> (*.txt) and Google Earth (*.kml) files for your desired region, based
> on the latest FAA National Flight Database (NFD), which is updated
> every 28 days.

Can my desired region be the USA? Or do I have download a bunch of
smaller areas? I'm using a full USA file now with SeeYou, which is
convenient.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

[Tuno]

Your desired region can be as big as you want. To get everything,
specify top = 89, left = -175, bottom = 0, right = 0.

Just don't open the .kml file with Google Earth -- it will gag on it.
(At least mine does, and I have a googleplex of RAM.)

2NO

[[email protected]]

On Dec 21, 3:35*pm, Tuno > wrote:
> Gary,
>
> What you're seeing is the difference between Windows/DOS text files
> and Linux/Unix text files. They use different end-of-line characters.
>
> My two test platforms are SeeYou (for .sua and .txt) and WinPilot (as
> an actual PDA platform, using .txt) and neither of those cared, but
> since your applications had trouble, we can make the software
> explicitly use the Windows/DOS format.
>
> Stay tuned.
>
> ~ted/2NO

Thanks for the quick fix on this!

[Eric Greenwell]

Tuno wrote:
> Your desired region can be as big as you want. To get everything,
> specify top = 89, left = -175, bottom = 0, right = 0.
>
> Just don't open the .kml file with Google Earth -- it will gag on it.
> (At least mine does, and I have a googleplex of RAM.)
>
> 2NO

OK, signed up, paid my money, got my airspace - good website!

One good feature: the MOA's are named the same as the names on the
chart, and are the names used by the "controlling agency". The SeeYou
airspace files use numeric names that weren't recognized by anybody.
If/when we get the radio frequencies for the MOAs in the files, I will
be one happy camper!

Let the whining begin...

1) In my area (Washington and Oregon States) there are two "For reasons
of national security, pilots are requested to avoid flight at and below
1800' (or 5000'- Oregon) MSL in this area". These are displayed as
Prohibited areas, instead of something like a "warning area". Don't know
what the official designation is, but it's definitely not Prohibited.

2) The coordinates in the FAQ for pilots wanting the entire USA caused
the website to issue an error when I tried to use them. The ones I used
instead are

Top: 50
Bottom: 24
Right: -130
Left: -65

and they seemed to get the entire continental USA. I didn't try for
Alaska! Been there, done that, wouldn't mind doing it again, but not in
2008.

3) Adding small note that the numbers are Latitude and Longitude in
degrees, and W longitudes are negative (-) numbers will speed things up
for the initially clueless like me. Or let people put in N and W, in
addition.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

[Tuno]

Eric-San,

Thanks for signing up!

I'll fix the coordinates in the FAQ -- thanks for the heads up.

For the places in the northwest that you mention, when you say 'These
are displayed as
Prohibited areas, instead of something like a "warning area"', I
assume you're referring to the airspace file and not to the chart? The
nfd2sua tool (the software behind the web page) does not translate
airspace items that are in the NFD as "Prohibited" -- they will go
into the output files as Prohibited (always forever and ever).

(See the caveats on the front page -- the NFD airspaces are tranposed
to the output files "as is"; if the NFD is wrong, your airspace file
will be wrong.)

The only translation done in the nfd2sua tool is Restrictive types for
OpenAir files. NFD restrictive types Alert, Caution, MOA, Training,
Warning and Danger areas are written as "AC Q" (for "danger").
(Restricted and Prohibited use R and P, as per the OpenAir description
at winpilot.com.)

Good suggestion on the lat/lon help -- will do.

2NO

[Tuno]

Eric,

A good example of where charts differ from (alternate) reality exists
in the area around the Grand Canyon.

If you look at a chart, it says "The airspace overlying the Grand
Canyon National Park below 18,000 feet MSL is subject to special air
traffic rules." That's *all* it says.

The National Flight Database does *not* have any restrictive or
controlled airspaces above the Big Ditch.

But if you dig deep in the FARs, section 93.305 subpart U describes 4
named areas officially designated as Class E in which you cannot fly
below 14,500 feet MSL.

I've looked at the digital charts for OR/WA and I see the areas you're
referring to. I don't know why the charts don't say "Prohibited", but
they are most definitely that subtype in the NFD.

-ted

[Eric Greenwell]

Tuno wrote:
> Eric,
>
> A good example of where charts differ from (alternate) reality exists
> in the area around the Grand Canyon.
>
> If you look at a chart, it says "The airspace overlying the Grand
> Canyon National Park below 18,000 feet MSL is subject to special air
> traffic rules." That's *all* it says.
>
> The National Flight Database does *not* have any restrictive or
> controlled airspaces above the Big Ditch.
>
> But if you dig deep in the FARs, section 93.305 subpart U describes 4
> named areas officially designated as Class E in which you cannot fly
> below 14,500 feet MSL.
>
> I've looked at the digital charts for OR/WA and I see the areas
> you're referring to. I don't know why the charts don't say
> "Prohibited", but they are most definitely that subtype in the NFD.

As far as I know, the areas aren't Prohibited. They don't have a
designation of any kind, aren't listed on the sectional charts with the
other SUA (controlling agency, time of use, frequencies, etc), and don't
come up in the NOTAMS. I found this on the AOPA site (NSA = national
security are):

> "Pilots are requested to voluntarily avoid flying through an NSA.
> When it is necessary to provide a greater level of security, flight
> through an NSA may be temporarily prohibited pursuant to the
> provisions of 14 CFR 99.7, Special Security Instructions."

The URL is

http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2004/040628bangor.html

and the rest of the info is in the blue column on the right. So, perhaps
it comes out as Prohibited because that might happen (by NOTAM) ocasionally.

I can fix it in the sua file, so not a practical problem for me.


--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

[Tuno]

Thanks Eric. This is the kind of thing I need to bounce off my FAA
contact ...

2NO