Addition of DOT/FAA aviation reference charts to map views

[CP44]

Can be tagged as enhancement/feature...

Ability to switch map graphics between common mapping services like OpenStreetMap, Google, Yahoo, etc. and actual flight charts would be a great assistance in avoiding airspace based on airports, approach routes and airways outside of an airport's core airspace, and so on. Also important for TFRs - see below. I expect that it would also be of use for coordinating flights or events with air traffic control by having reference points that the aviation system cares about. (A conversation about model/UAS traffic planned "at 6 nautical miles out from the 313 degree radial of Dupont/DQO VOR with a radius of a half mile" is probably a lot more useful to controllers, coordinators, and people reading NOTAMs and dealing with charts than "at the park at Polly Drummond Hill and Paper Mill Rd".)

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) are also of interest, and I will use the real park example above along with this real NOTAM, http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6076.html , which specifically forbids the following activity in point C: "flight training, practice instrument approaches, aerobatic flight, glider operations, seaplane operations, parachute operations, ultralight, hang gliding, balloon operations, agriculture/crop dusting, animal population control flight operations, banner towing operations, sightseeing operations, maintenance test flights, model aircraft operations, model rocketry, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and utility and pipeline survey operations. " [emphasis added for Markdown format]

I have not tried Google earth overlays, but I have not seen a system yet that combines ground/road maps with aviation charts to prevent having to use multiple maps/charts with each point defined at Lat/Lon to cross between the systems. The site http://skyvector.com/ and its unofficial flight plan ability were used for the sample above. Although that may not support embedding or may refuse to be embedded in Mission Planner type projects, their ability to combine and display VFR sectional, IFR charts, and TFR charts makes them a useful reference for aviation planning - even if not an official platform for navigation.

[meee1]

I had a quick look at the tile format of skyvector, and its not compatable

[CP44]

That's saddening. Can this at least be tagged as enhancement/feature and kept open? I think this is one of those things that will end up being considered important at some point, even if it requires cutting aero. charts and running them through scanners or eventually a data feed from Jeppesen, the FAA/DoT, or some other electronic flight bag provider.

[CP44]

Specifically for TFRs, is it practical to have them use an update check routine (like the main program does when Internet is available) then display them in a similar fashion to the existing airport overlays?

(The FAA's TFR page has this disclaimer: "Depicted TFR data may not be a complete listing. Pilots should not use the information on this website for flight planning purposes. For the latest information, call your local Flight Service Station at 1-800-WX-BRIEF." which could be displayed as a disclaimer overlay or mouseover on a toggle button.)

I found the following Jeppesen protocol guide (HTTP+XML), and its data URL seems to be valid. Reference: https://www.jeppesen.com/download/fstarfmap/TFR_Protocol.pdf Data: http://www.jepptech.com/tfr/Available.asp?UserID=Public

Other references: Perl TFR Parser: https://github.com/jlmcgraw/aviationMapMetarSigmetsAndTFRs/blob/master/tfr.pl FAA's human-readable list: http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html

[meee1]

the jeppesen data has been added.

[CP44]

Awesome; I noticed what looked like TFR data showing up!