Memory Map - UK Georeferenced Instrument approach plates

[moona]

Anybody have any ideas on where to obtain the above via p2p or such like?

I was planning on downloading the the plates from the AIP and georeferencing them myself but unfortunately the version of memorymap I have doesn't allow me to. I guess others must have gone down this route before.

I've downloaded the aerodrome plates from the memorymap website having the Instrument plates also would make the product much more useful.

Moona

[IO540]

I don't think anybody has ever done this for Memory Map - overtly or otherwise.

IMHO, nobody would bother converting (and georeferencing) anything of significance for Memory Map, due to the weird (QCT) format which it uses. QCT was "trade secret" although it is now in the open, more or less.

Nowadays, one would do anything like this to run under Oziexplorer (http://www.oziexplorer.com) - a universal moving map application. If you can print the plates to a TIFF etc, and put in some time, you can probably knock off the whole of the UK in a week or so :)

Whether you want to fly with the free EAD plates is another matter. They are free but they aren't very readable.

The only official off the shelf way to run approach plates as a moving map, for Europe, is Jeppesen FliteDeck (which comes with Jeppview 3).

[moona]

Thanks for the response,

I feared that could be the case with $570.32 for the Jeppview UK I think I will look into the Oziexplorer option.

Readability ability of the plate is not so critical as I will be using the paper plates. Im just looking for something to add to the situational awareness when on the procedure. Ie heading beacon outbound to intercept the localiser. Having a moving map represention of the plate to cross reference with the instruments has got to be a massive benefit even if not clear enough to read the text.

The next question then if I may: Is it possible to export the memory map CAA chart in a format that Oziexplorer explorer can use?

[neilgeddes]

Hi Moona, I'm a big fan of Memory Map and use it to plan VFR flights. I don't think it's suitable though for IFR approach planning. Regards, Neil

[AndyGB]

You can GeoReference your own TIFF's if you download the US trial version of MM. As it isn't the Ordnance Survey version the restriction on making your own maps isn't there.

You can then use your own map in the UK OS version. I have done this before, but was just overlaying WW1 trench maps onto a google earth page, not doing anything aviation related.

[Shunter]

It is possible to convert QCT maps to other formats, but it's not an entirely trivial process. I've done quite a lot of work on the subject in fairly recent history because I wanted to use my CAA digital charts on the iPhone (just to prove the concept, I have a perfectly good SkyMap which is a far superior VFR nav option), and also to stitch all 3 half-mils together for a single digital chart of the UK.

OziExplorer is outstanding when it comes to calibrating raw images. Once you've told it the map is a lambert conical and configured the parallels, just nip round all the lat/long intersections and tell it what the coordinates are for those positions and you've got a magically calibrated map.

[bambuko]

"...Memory-Map software can use any QuickChart files as well as importing geoTiff (index colour), Tiff (with TAB, TFW), PNG, BSB. It is also possible to scan your own maps..."
I have (in the past) imported scanned tiff images into memory map. It was easy and quick.
So I can't see why you couldn't import your approach plates, providing you are able to define few points on them with precise enough (for your purpose) coordinates.

[Fright Level]

heading beacon outbound to intercept the localiser

Are the charts really drawn that accurately in terms of beacon outbound track? The base turn is only pictorial as you tend never to fly the smooth arc onto the localiser but a rate one turn round onto an intercept heading.

Anytime I've seen the sim trace of my beautifully flown procedural approach, the needles looked good all the way round and down but it doesn't always look like the published chart.

[Torque Tonight]

I think this may not be a goer as plates are often schematic and not to scale. It would be a bit like trying to overlay the London Underground map onto the A to Z street map of London - it won't be quite right and may lead you down the wrong path.

[IO540]

Plates are normally to scale, on the plan view. You can tell this because they have the lat/long grid printed down the sides.

SIDs/STARs are never to scale - at least I have never ever seen one which was.

The wider issue is how useful this function is. I have flown approaches with Jepp Flitedeck running (a long time ago) and this depicts the plane on the plan view. It is a brilliant thing for a pilot-type pasenger to be watching, but the pilot needs some discipline to be flying using the primary nav source. E.g. an ILS is flown using the LOC/GS receivers (possibly autopilot coupled) regardless of what the approach plate moving map is showing. Of course normally the two will be perfectly aligned (if there isn't too much crosswind ;) ). VOR/NDB approaches are more ambiguous - these are usually flown with a GPS either using the overlay or using the OBS mode, but IMHO even then the primary GPS is the nav source and one should be adjusting one's track to line up on the moving map approach plate.

It's a bit like the Synthetic Vision argument.

If aviation was invented today (it would be banned, but let's disregard that) with SV there would be no VFR v. IFR distinction. All flight would be "visual" :)