Aircheck + XC & Comp Tools & Utils

Notes

Aircheck is a handy utility that allows you to quickly check if your XC tracklog (in .igc format) is valid or if you have infringed controlled airspace. To launch Aircheck, click on the Aircheck tab above and then click on the 'Choose an IGC file...' button at the top left of the screen. Then select the igc you wish to check. You can transfer tracklogs from your flight instrument to your PC using the GPSDump utility.

Please note that this is a 'beta' version/implementation of Aircheck. Any questions or problems you may run into should be referred to IHPA Secretary David May who is actively developing this application with the original developer.

Many many thanks to:

David Wheeler (US) wrote the inital code
Stein Sorensen (NO) coded GpsDump for Google API conversion
Matt Rosser (AU) for coding and implementation
Andreas Rieck (DE) for some code improvements and re-design
David May (IHPA) for modifying the code to work with Irish airspace and adding several new enhancements to the original code!

Regards
Matt Rosser
XcAustralia Administrator

Provided by XcAustralia using Airspace data valid August 2015 from SoaringWeb.org

Internet Explorer pre version 9 or Safari pre version 6 are not compatible due to DOM standard incompatibility. The application works best with latest Google Chrome, Firefox or Opera. Check compatibility list here.

Disclaimer: This informational service is provided "as is". All data and information contained in any of the data files are provided without guarantee as to their completeness or 
correctness. Any conclusions drawn from this data and information are the sole responsibility of the user. This information may not be accurate or current and is not 
valid for navigation or flight planning. No warranty of fitness for any purpose is made or implied. Always consult the official publications for current and correct information. 
This service is provided free of charge with no warrantees, expressed or implied.

Utilities & Resources
KML_Tool for Aircheck Maintenance

Utilities & Resources

Airspace files for your flight instrument: You can download airspace files for Ireland and other countries here.

GPSDump: Download your tracklogs from your flight instrument with this handy utility.

IGC Flight Replay: Relive your flight by replaying it in 3D with this super utility.

Tracker - by Richard Hunt - This Android app sends periodic text messages to one or two mobile phones (friends, family, retrieve driver or comp organiser) to keep them appraised of your location during a flight and your final landing location. This app can be used as a 'safety net' for lone pilots and is highly recommended. This app can also be used in conjunction with Retrieve Bus, LiveTrack 24 and as a signed IGC flight data logger. It has been extensively tested in competitions and is very simple to use.

XC Pilot Retrieve - by Indy Flyer - This Android app is intended to be used by pilots to help direct the Retrieve Bus driver to their location.

Retrieve Bus - by Indy Flyer - This Android app is intended to be collect text messages from pilots using XC Pilot Retrieve to help organise an efficient retrieve of multiple pilots.

Moovit - Just landed out and didn't think to organise a retrieve? Well done on your unexpected XC! Moovit is an app that will help you get from A to B using public transport wherever you find yourself! It's worth having on your phone... just in case!

KML_Tool for Aircheck Maintenance

KML_Tool (v1.6.0.1): David May's utility converts OpenAir and SUA format airspace files to the Google Earth format.

[For the IHPA website administrator] - KML_Tool also has a button to convert an OpenAir file to a javascript file for use with the AirCheck application. Instructions to generate the AirCheck javascript version of airspace:

(If you want to include private airstrips then just copy them to the end of the openair file before you load it into the KML_Tool)

For the KML the process is the following:

Put all the files you want transformed into KML in the same folder. This can be OpenAir file which need to be given the .txt extension and IGC files which need the .igc extension
The files will be listed in the listbox. Select the files you want processed
Click the Convert To KML button - this will create a single KML file that will contain the Airspace and/or IGC tracklogs. The Airspace is divided into 4 layers - Below 1000m, Below 2000m, Below 3000m and All IGC tracks will show both the flight track and any declaration if it is present.
Choose Elevation Exaggeration = 3 for the best effect - it stretches the ground features vertically and makes features more pronounced.

For the AirCheck file the process is similar:

Click the OpenAir To Aircheck v1 or v2 buttons as appropriate.
- v1 is the format that works with the older version of AirCheck.
- v2 is for the AirCheck version we are using now - the javascript file is slightly different as I am experimenting with being able to load mutiple airspace files at the same time. This will allow for NOTAMs for example
Save the .js file to the Aircheck /js subfolder
Modify the aircheck_ie.html file to point to the new javascript airspace file
Open aircheck_ie.html
Find the row that references the airspace file - it will look something like <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/airspace_ie_20140710.js"></script>
Put the name of the new file here

UPDATE 22/07/2020:

You can pick up the latest OpenAir file for Ireland here: http://soaringweb.org/Airspace/EI

OpenAir is a just a text file so can be edited if you need to change any of the airspace before transforming to the Javascript for Aircheck. One of the things I do is take out the Class C blocks that sit over the top of Ireland as they are irrelevant for paragliding and just serve to clutter up the display.

I've copied some instructions below from an email I sent a few years ago with an explanation of how to edit the OpenAir file to take these high class C airspace blocks out.

I think I also made changes a while back for the airspace around Belfast but hopefully these are now updated in the latest version of the OpenAir file.

==================

It's quite easy to remove blocks as each block has it's own section in the file. As it turned out these 3 blocks came one after the other so I just block commented them out - the lines are found starting at line 175 in the file.

eg

/* commented out as not relevant to free flying

// EISN,Class C(C),FL75-UNL

var polygon = new google.maps.Polygon({

path: google.maps.geometry.encoding.decodePath('ihvpId|ei@b`rDncsF~s`BuygOzftH?hlcG~ggN?~dvi@_}hQ?utmB_qo]yxb@_ibEy|pBonqC{gOe`rDzgOckpA'),

map: map, strokeOpacity: 0.5, strokeWeight: 1, fillColor: '#00FF02', strokeColor: '#FF0002', fillOpacity: 0.12});polygon.bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds(new google.maps.LatLng(51,-15), new google.maps.LatLng(55.4166666666667,-6.91666666666667));

polygon.altLow = 7500;

polygon.altHigh = 328083.989501312;

attachPolygonInfoBox(polygon, infoBox, 'EISN,Class C(C),FL75-UNL');

polygons.push(polygon);

// SOTA,Class C(C),FL75-UNL

var polygon = new google.maps.Polygon({

path: google.maps.geometry.encoding.decodePath('_}gvH~nyo@~ggN?_t`B~dvi@_seK??_evi@'),

map: map, strokeOpacity: 0.5, strokeWeight: 1, fillColor: '#00FF02', strokeColor: '#FF0002', fillOpacity: 0.12});polygon.bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds(new google.maps.LatLng(48.5,-15), new google.maps.LatLng(51,-8));

polygon.altLow = 7500;

polygon.altHigh = 328083.989501312;

attachPolygonInfoBox(polygon, infoBox, 'SOTA,Class C(C),FL75-UNL');

polygons.push(polygon);

// EISN,Class D(D),FL245-FL460

var polygon = new google.maps.Polygon({

path: google.maps.geometry.encoding.decodePath('_vplIfiiy@osRgokBy|pBonqC{gOe`rDzgOckpAb`rDncsFyml@pgnG'),

map: map, strokeOpacity: 0.5, strokeWeight: 1, fillColor: '#00FF03', strokeColor: '#FF0003', fillOpacity: 0.13});polygon.bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds(new google.maps.LatLng(54.4166666666667,-9.55555555555556), new google.maps.LatLng(54.6494444444444,-9.55555555555556));

polygon.altLow = 24500;

polygon.altHigh = 46000;

attachPolygonInfoBox(polygon, infoBox, 'EISN,Class D(D),FL245-FL460');

polygons.push(polygon);

*/

On Wed, 22 Jul 2020, 20:45 Paul Hogan, wrote:

Hi David,

I’m jus trying to run the KML_Tool (version 1.6.0.1, which I found on the IHPA website here, where Phil pointed me to). However, I can’t seem to figure out how to get it to work. It won’t let me select an airspace file from my machine – when I click on the “...” beside “Open Folder”, it does nothing.

On 22/07/2020 22:05, David May wrote:

Hi Paul, I think this is a bug on my part. I hard wired the folder path you see in the box when I was testing something and forgot to undo it. So it only works from that folder. Use an external hard drive or usb stick, change the drive letter to G and put the openair file in the right folder. It should work then.