Has anyone seen the notice on the NGA website that the USFIF (raw
aviation waypoint data for the US) will be discontinued in October of 2007?

They tried to kill DAFIF as a whole last year but eventually succumbed
to pressure from the industry to allow US territorial data to remain
available. If I'm reading this correctly, however, they're about to
screw us anyway (read the second notice down from the top):

http://164.214.2.62/products/usfif/v0008/USREADME.TXT

I just sent email to their feedback address and am looking forward to
their response.

If you're wondering how this affects the average pilot, keep in mind
that virtually all EFB and planning software (flightprep,
seattleavionics, etc.) get their raw data from this source. I have no
idea how these companies will source their data if the NGA refuses to
distribute it to anyone but the "military and its contractors" like
Boeing -- ahem, I mean Jeppesen.

I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I also find it
interesting that they've chosen to do this right now...when the eyes of
AOPA and other watchdogs are busy fighting on the user-fee front.

I'll forward any response I get from the NGA.

-Doug

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Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
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