Thanks for the Heads Up

I love free updates from Grand Rapids, the last one was a doozy with highways, rivers, towns, and roads.

This one downloaded a little strange for me, adding an extra db onto the file name, likely just a browser issue, but something to keep an eye out for...

It is not fun to get to the hanger with your thumb drive and realize you have the wrong file name... I need to get in the habit of bringing the laptop to the hanger I guess.

Hans
 
updates

I love the database updates for FREE also. This one was the 6th one this year, not bad. Mine loaded just fine yesterday. No issue here. And the map update this fall was a major improvement. Who woulda thought that my 4 year old EFIS is still getting improvements!!
 
Private airports

Does anyone besides me have an issue with the way they've implemented private airports?

When GRT introduced the new database format 3 cycles ago they added lots of new private airports to the database. The only filtering that can be done is based on map range. For local flying, I normally like to fly with the range set between 15 and 35.

Even at a range of 15, the number of private airfields (in the Dallas area) really clutters the map page. The old database showed some of the larger private fields (maybe it was just the paved ones) but not all of them.

I called Carlos and he sent me a revised database in the new format without all the private fields - which I like much better. I hate to ask him to again for a special version of the database, so I didn't update the previous cycle and I probably won't do this new one either.

I guess the real problem that I have is that if I turn the range down real low (i.e. 5) to filter out the private fields, then I many of the smaller airports that I'd like to see also disappear when the map page set to my normal 15 to 35 range.
 
How would you filter it? Just curious what would be the best filtering criteria to get the desired result? By range? By runway length? Some want it all, and others don't like it when they find out how many strips are in certain area... IIRC there were some settings in the config menu, but not sure if they would really help you.

Either way, the way things are going, just wait a few years.. most of them will be closed :(
 
reply about private airports

I do not have an issue with the addition of the private airports to the GRT database. In fact, I find it a big positive. I also fly out of the Dallas area. During our fall trip to New England, I found this additional airport data very useful. I like the fact that I can scoll the map range in and find all the private airports. In the event of an emergency, I would like to know of all possible landing sites.
 
I wrote a flight planning app called AirPlan, and it has a preferences option that allows private airports to be hidden if the user selects that option. GRT should be able to do the same.
 
Tommy, I don't remember exactly the GRT map parameter names for the airports. I think its Large Airports and Small Airports. One example that I remember is Bridgeport (KXBP) - which is a decent size airport.

Flying out of 52F, I'll often head out in the vicinity XRB to practice maneuvers. When I set the Small airport range low (5 or 10) and set the GRT map range to 15 or above, XBP would not be on the map.

What are you using for you Small Airport setting?

Carlos mentioned that he would suggest adding a private airport filter for some future software release.
 
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my settings

Sorry for the delay in replying Rick, but we were up in Dallas for a day. I was somewhat surprised when I checked my settings tonight to find the following:
maximum display range
small airport 100
medium airport 100
large airport 300

I thought I had the small airport setting at 50, and I think after this discussion I will probably change it to 50. Isn't there a declutter setting also?

Which displays do you have? I have the original Horizon, WS.
 
Tommy, my settings are Small Airports - 50,Medium - 100, Large - 100,Auto-declutter - ON.

However, I'm running a special version of the NAV.DB that does not have all the private airports. My issue is the large number private airports on the map page if I use these setting with the standard NAV.DB that first came out 3 cycles ago.
 
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