Commercial Nav Database

[Kennytheking]

Hi guys,

I am trying to find a commercial nav database that I can subscribe to. Do you know where I can find one?

I have searched the web and I have found several databases, however, they all seem to support only their own products.

I am busy drawing up my own flight planning program and I need the database only. We currently use Jepp Flightstar and even though we subscribe to updates, I cannot export the database.

Ideally the database will be in a simple CSV format and for PC running Windows.

Please help!

Ta, thanks

KTK

[Superpilot]

Hi mate,

A year ago I posted on here looking for a similiar sort of thing. It's not going to be as easy as you think. I develop the UK database for a product called CoPilot (a flight planning program) which works with another product called FlightMaster (a moving map GPS program), these are both Palm based. I learnt quite a bit the hard way, anyways here are the sources I use.

For worldwide data I use the following file:

https://164.214.2.62/dafif/dafifpfps/jmps_ed7_awe_amc_ed7.ZIP

It's called the DAFIF -by the American military basically. It is very comprehensive. Every NDB, VOR and fix is contained within it with frequencies etc. However one major limitation - it only contains airfields that can accomodate an F16 - although the data that is provided is very detailed. Eg runway headings, runway lengths, surface, ILS etc etc.

However due to the above limitation a lot of UK GA airfields are not listed.

The above zip file contains individual text files, for example ARPT.txt for airports, NAV.txt for VORs and NDBs, all are TAB delimited therefore they can be imported into any database and then tidied up.

If you want every airfield in the US and Canada (I think), you can subscribe to the FAA's own data. I can't find the link right now. This costs somewhere in the region of $19.99.

If you want data on European airfields you could sign up to the free basic service from EADS: http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/publicuser/public/pu/login.jsp but bewarned - it's pants! - it'll get you basic lat/long and runway orientation/headings but nothing else. However, once again not all airfields are listed in there.

And for that, well what can I say.......you got to collect the data youself, which is what Jeppesen do and then charge you for!

[Kennytheking]

Hi SP,

I think you may be right about the amount of work involved. The Jepp Flitestar program we use is nice, but we cannot customise the nav logs to the extent that we would like to.

We could build up our own database, but there are legal issues from a Flight Operations point of view. We routinely undergo audits and some of our clients don't like us using a homemade database. That means that we need an updateable product.

Anyway, thanks for the help. I do appreciate it!

KTK