New website for maps

[phantomphixer]

Try this link and see what you think. Gives current weather, 6 day forecasts, runways, comms, sectionals, terminal area, sat photos for any airport in the USA. You can add comments and pics. You can also get a free account to personalize the page when it comes up.

http://www.flyagogo.net/

[futr_alaskaflyer]

Charts & Weather
Navigate to any place on any of the United States sectional charts. Simply click on the map and hold down the mouse button while dragging to a new location. Use the plus and minus buttons to zoom the map in or out. The buttons on the right switch between the sectional chart display, terminal area charts, the current visible and infrared satellite images, the current nexrad radar returns, and a photo view provided by google.

They seem to have forgotten, once again, that Alaska and Hawaii are part of the United States. We have state capitals and politicians and everything (including "United States sectional charts.")

[1SeventyZ]

They seem to have forgotten, once again, that Alaska and Hawaii are part of the United States. We have state capitals and politicians and everything (including "United States sectional charts.")

There's something worth flying to in Alaska?

Zane

[ron74887]

hey gang looking at the web site around my area reminds me that FOOTBALL season is among us and that all college and pro stadiums are TFRs. look out and be causious. they are liable to bite you unexpectedly

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Actually Ron to be more specific the staduim would have to have seating capacity of 30000 or more and in the case of a college game be a NCAA Div One Game.

Here is the text.

!FDC 3/1862 FDC PART 1 OF 2 SPECIAL NOTICE. THIS NOTICE MODIFIES FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS PREVIOUSLY ISSUED IN FDC NOTAM 2/0199 TO COMPLY WITH STATUTORY MANDATES DETAILED IN SECTION 352 OF PUBLIC LAW 108-7. EFFECTIVE 0303061100 UTC (0600 LOCAL 03/06/03) UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 99.7, SPECIAL SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS, COMMENCING ONE HOUR BEFORE THE SCHEDULED TIME OF THE EVENT UNTIL ONE HOUR AFTER THE END OF THE EVENT, ALL AIRCRAFT AND PARACHUTE OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED AT AND BELOW 3,000 FEET AGL WITHIN A THREE NAUTICAL MILE RADIUS OF ANY STADIUM HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF 30,000 OR MORE PEOPLE IN WHICH A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NCAA DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL, OR MAJOR MOTOR SPEEDWAY EVENT IS OCCURING. ALL PREVIOUSLY ISSUED WAIVERS TO FDC NOTAM 2/0199 ARE RESCINDED. THOSE WHO MEET ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA MAY REAPPLY FOR A WAIVER TO THESE RESTRICTIONS: (A) FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES OF AN EVENT, STADIUM, OR OTHER VENUE, INCLUDING (IN THE CASE OF A SPORTING EVENT) THE TRANSPORT OF EQUIPMENT OR PARTS, TEAM MEMBERS, OFFICIALS OF THE GOVERNING BODY, THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS AND GUESTS OF SUCH TEAMS, AND OFFICIALS TO AND FROM THE EVENT, STADIUM, OR OTHER VENUE, END PART 1 OF 2


!FDC 3/1862 FDC PART 2 OF 2 SPECIAL NOTICE. (B) FOR BROADCAST COVERAGE FOR ANY BROADCAST RIGHTS HOLDER, (C) FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY PURPOSES OF THE EVENT, STADIUM, OR OTHER VENUE. THIS RESTRICTION DOES NOT APPLY TO; (A) THOSE AIRCRAFT AUTHORIZED BY ATC FOR OPERATIONAL OR SAFETY PURPOSES INCLUDING AIRCRAFT ARRIVING OR DEPARTING FROM AN AIRPORT USING STANDARD AIR TRAFFIC PROCEDURES; (B) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OR AEROMEDICAL FLIGHT OPERATIONS THAT ARE IN CONTACT WITH ATC. STADIUM SITE LOCATIONS AND INFORMATION REGARDING WAIVER APPLICATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 352 OF PUBLIC LAW 108-7 CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE FAA WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.FAA.GOV/ATS/ATA/WAIVER OR BY CALLING 571-227-1322. PART 2 OF 2

[jrenwick]

Or, alternatively:

!FDC 3/1862 FDC Part 1 of 2 Special Notice. This notice modifies flight restrictions previously issued in FDC NOTAM 2/0199 to comply with statutory mandates detailed in section 352 of public law 108-7. Effective 0303061100 UTC (0600 local 03/06/03) until further notice. Pursuant to 14 CFR section 99.7, special security instructions, commencing one hour before the scheduled time of the event until one hour after the end of the event, all aircraft and parachute operations are prohibited at and below 3,000 feet AGL within a three nautical mile radius of any stadium having a seating capacity of 30,000 or more people in which a major league baseball, National Football League, NCAA Division One football, or major motor speedway event is occuring. All previously issued waivers to FDC NOTAM 2/0199 are rescinded. Those who meet any of the following criteria may reapply for a waiver to these restrictinos: (A) for operational purposes of an event, stadium, or other venue, including (in the case of a sporting event) the transport of equipment or parts, team members, officials of the governing body, the immediate family members and guests of such teams, and officials to and from the event, stadium, or other venue, end part 1 of 2


!FDC 3/1862 FDC Part 2 of 2 Special Notice. (B) for broadcast coverage for any broadcast rights holder, (C) for safety and security purposes of the event, stadium, or other venue. This restriction does not apply to; (A) those aircraft authorized by ATC for operational or safety purposes including aircraft arriving or departing from an airport using standard air traffic procedures; (B) Department of Defense, law enforcement, or aeromedical flight operations that are in contact with ATC. Stadium site locations and information regarding waiver applications in accordance with Section 352 of Public Law 108-7 can be obtained from the FAA website at http://www.faa.gov/ats/ata/waiver or by calling 571-227-1322. Part 2 of 2

All I did was change upper case characters to lower case. Isn't that easier to read? I wonder why the FAA can't do that?

John

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Because the FAA is still living in a Teletype world where there are only capital letters.

Ever wonder why we still have abbreviated coded weather which was designed for the same era.

[jrenwick]

Because the FAA is still living in a Teletype world where there are only capital letters.

Ever wonder why we still have abbreviated coded weather which was designed for the same era.

It's not that simple. http://aviationweather.gov has some very sophisticated things on it. I love the Java tool for TAFs, for instance. Once I got good at reading TAFs, I began to prefer that format to any plain-language ones, and for those who have that skill, the TAFs Java tool is about as good as it gets -- IMHO. I feel the same way about METAR format vs. plain language translations: just give me the raw stuff, please, or present it compactly on a map as the METAR Java tool does.

There are voices who say the gov't shouldn't be in this business, it should be given over to private corporations. But in this particular instance, I can't imagine that we'd have anything as good to use, and this is FREE!

But as for NOTAMs, I think I just demonstrated that the use of all caps in plain language text serves only to obfuscate. How come they're still doing that when they're obviously capable of better?

The topic is wandering, but what the heck, we're in the pilot lounge, and it's after work!

Best Regards,

John

[theduckhunter]

If you have a 496 it will show you the TFR as they pop up and the 496 also shows you the text information about the TFR. Tell me that's not cool, realtime TFRs in the cockpit.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

John I wasn't just joking around.

The abbreviated format we use for whether was designed that way because it was less information to transmit at extremly slow baud rates.

I'm only guessing the ALL CAPS format is because the early printers couldn't print lower case as well as perhaps the machines would have to understand another 26 characters.

There is no question the NOTAMS should be in mixed case. It's much easier to read. Now if I could only UNDERSTAND it.

[jrenwick]

If you have a 496 it will show you the TFR as they pop up and the 496 also shows you the text information about the TFR. Tell me that's not cool, realtime TFRs in the cockpit.

Not cool would be if we really needed real-time TFR information. I remember one in my area a couple of years ago for which the FAA gave us less than 24 hours notice. Ouch! Since then we've been getting much better information, days in advance. I watch the AOPA web site at http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/notams.html, which is very good, but it baffles me why the FAA itself can't do this.

By the way, I wonder how "real time" the XM Weather information really is. When the President comes calling, the NOTAM gives beginning and ending times for the TFR. But if he doesn't leave on time, the TFR may be extended past the time given in the NOTAM. Does the Garmin 396/496 service know if a TFR has been extended in this way? If I ever go flying after the Pres has been here, I call FSS first to make sure he's really gone and the TFR is no longer in effect.

John

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Can't speak for the NOTAMs but the weather is pretty cool. This summer I had the opportunity to fly my Cub home from Lochhaven PA with a brand new 396 spitting out fresh wx and nexrad every 5 minutes. I was following a front home which featured a nice line of thunderstorms and heavy rain.

Pretty cool to be able to fly right up to it, land at an airport and wait in the cockpit till the weather cleared enough to go on.

It was also very weird to be in a basic Cub with nothing more than a wet mag compass for instruments yet have that level of wx technology.

Can't wait till the price drops to a more affordable level so I can get my own.

[cessna170bdriver]

If you have a 496 it will show you the TFR as they pop up and the 496 also shows you the text information about the TFR. Tell me that's not cool, realtime TFRs in the cockpit.

Not cool would be if we really needed real-time TFR information.

Out here in fire country, TFR's for firefighting can pop up while enroute. I've seen it happen. It'd be kinda nice to know what the boundaries are. I guess you could ask ATC, but what the sport in that? BTW, out here on the left coast, we get a lot more fires than presidential visits.

Miles

[jrenwick]

Out here in fire country, TFR's for firefighting can pop up while enroute. I've seen it happen. It'd be kinda nice to know what the boundaries are. I guess you could ask ATC, but what the sport in that? BTW, out here on the left coast, we get a lot more fires than presidential visits.

Miles

Well, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for a different point of view on it!

Mr. Bush (or maybe Mr. Rove) seems to just looove coming to the Twin Cities to raise campaign funds. He was here yesterday on behalf of a congressional candidate, and it wouldn't surprise me if he grounded us 4 or 5 more times before November. Maybe California is just too far away for a day trip. Or they've given up on you!

John

[170C]

Well Bruce, I always wondered why the weather data was in all caps and some kind of Greek to boot. Now I understand. The two questions I missed on my private written was that stuff. I finally gave up on trying to figure it out and call FSS if I need weather data. Now that will all get fixed as soon as the airlines and others get their way and everyone has to pay for each phone call, etc--ie: user fees! Everyone better get busy sending their representatives letters, emails, phone calls, etc or it WILLl happen. I've already sent mine. If anyone thinks there is a lot of weather related accidents now, especially for VFR only pilots, wait until Big Brother (aka FAA) or Lockheed-Martin starts charging for each call. IMHO