Airspace Project
Posted April 20th, 2008 by Wayne
in
AirspaceEver tried wrestling with a paper map in-flight? Ever wished you had spent longer looking at that airspace map before you took off an hour ago? These little frustrations may be a thing of the past - you can now take your airspace maps with you, packaged neatly into your map capable GPS.
I have spent the last few months building software that can convert the CAA's airspace definitions into digital maps that can be loaded into your GPS. These maps are available for download from this website are are free for all to use. The maps include CTAs, GAAs and MBZs across all of New Zealand, with other airspaces planned for future releases. Only Garmin GPSs are supported at present, but other GPSs and Google Earth are also on the todo list.
These maps will help you to be aware of the airspace you are flying in and to fly legally. I have used early versions of these maps in-flight during competitions and found them very useful. They tell you not only what airspace you are in, but also the location of nearby airspace boundaries allowing you to optimise your flight path.
Read more and get your downloads from the Airspace Project pages.
Awesome
Wayne, you're a genius :) Next beer is on me.
Fantastic work Wayne. You
Fantastic work Wayne. You deserve a medal. Now I will try to download and use it. Even if it is just driving around since the xc season is about finished. How hard to get Aussie arispace in there too? Mainly for areas like Bright and Canungra where we run NZ leagues.
Evan
Nice One
This is bloody cool, I will be downloading this to my new GPS asap.
How about Europe and Mexico next?
Maybe someone should tell Alan Hills about this technology - but I guess it is no good without a GPS to put it in!
Jeff
You're the man!
Great piece of work Wayne! I am impressed. This one thing should make xc flying not only safer but ensure that we don't muck up our xc flights by straying in to airspace!! Now... better get on with bying that new GPS...
Most Excellent
Way to go. I was just yesterday reading a CAA article on airspace & thinking that it would make life a heck of a lot easier if you could have the airspace loaded in your gps & what do you know, here it is.
Malcolm
Congrats
Well Done Wayne, this is a great contribution from you. I am well aware of the personal time you have spent in achieving this goal, congrats.
But, it is still half done, I dont have Garmin GPS so keep working ....... to make it compatible to competino
Regards,
Anand
Poll on airspace project page
There is a poll on the airspace project page where you can vote for the next features to be implemented. There is also a new forum where we can discuss the options in detail.
- Wayne
Nice work Wayne. Very much
Nice work Wayne. Very much appreciated from all the flying comunity
Tell the CAA
Make sure the CAA is aware of this - it might turn into an earner - does anyone know if there's anything equivalent out there for general avaition?
Dennis
Airspace for Non-map capable GPS.
A great idea.
Made me think how I would do something similar with my non-map capable GPS. As Wayne suggested it can be done manually.
I had no problems solving Moirs area - by creating two Waypoints at Whenuapai S36 47.21 E174 37.87 one for the line between the 3500 and 4500 ceilings and the other for between the 4500 and 6500 ceilings.
I simply set a proximity radius of 20nm (37.04km) and 30nm (55.56km) respectfully.
On my Garmin GPS60 I wiil not only get a visual line on my map screen but an audible alert as I cross the line. Great.
Flying at a site where Airspace is defined by straight lines is more problematic. Creating tracks defining the borders where applicable and loading them when I intend to fly that area seems the way to go. Unfortuantely no audible alert.
Has anyone got any other suggestions? Maybe another program could create track files straight from the CAA files?
I hope I don't end up flying by my GPS. But then I tend to fly by my vario at the moment anyway. One of the reasons I love Paragliding is its "low" tech.
But then if it it means we feel more comfortable flying I'm all for it, and of course making those record flights count is important.
Once again Wayne, well done, keep up the good work.
Regards
Tony
I have heard someone managed
I have heard someone managed to upload the airspace map to the Competino/Compeo/6030 etc..
Is there anyone who could send some instructions?
Cheers Alex
Competino/Compeo/6030
I have started work on this format so you should see some new files here soon.
Mean while check out this thread in the forums.
Wayne