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Mike Cross
9th May 2008, 14:47
As some of you may know, I represent AOPA UK on AIS matters.

From UK AIS:-
The AIS website www ais.org.uk has been redesigned and is now live.

The site has been re-hosted to the European AIS Database.

The new site features several improvements, developed in response to customer feedback:
• It is accessible to a wider range of web browsers
• The UK Aeronautical Information Package can be accessed without the need to register
• NOTAM output can be ordered geographically
• Easier format for entering a date/time group
• Easier access to non-UK information
• A brand new ‘point brief’ is available.

Pilots will still need to register to download NOTAM information. Users who initally registered after 16 Feb 2008 will need to re-register, but will find the process much simplified. There is no need to register if you solely wish to view Static Date ie UK AIP, AICs and Supplements

For the first few weeks from 08 May, the new and old websites will run in parallel to allow customers to become familiar with the new presentation and features. Both websites will be live and fully functional. During this period, NATS is seeking feedback and comments on the new site. NATS’ AIS can be contacted by e-mail at: [email protected] . Subject to satisfactory performance of the new website, NATS plans to switch off the old site on 30 May 2008.

NATS AIS would like to record its thanks to all those who have helped to develop the new site: from consultation to design, development and hosting, and the population of the site with information.

When NOTAM went on the Web in the UK in August 2002 every State maintained its own NOTAM database. The UK one was kept on a system known as AES (Aeronautical e-services) which was a product of Thales of France.

What's happened know is a move to a common European database, known as EAD (European AIS Database) so the new site pulls its data from EAD rather than AES. Once AIS are happy with the new site they will switch off AES. Wisely they have decided to run both in parallel during this proving phase.

This is about far more than just NOTAM. AIS covers all of the data in the AIP, which includes aerodrome and procedure plates. Clearly anyone who uses a paper flight guide, a GPS or a FMS needs AIP data and it needs to be updated. The whole process is part of a Eurocontrol move towards the AIXM (Aeronautical Information Exchange Model) which is an XML based way of communicating the data in machine readable format and doing away with manual re-keying. Doing it on a pan-european basis makes it far more achievable than leaving it to individual States.

BRL
17th May 2008, 07:59
Thanks Mike. :)

dublinpilot
17th May 2008, 08:56
Mike,

As the notams are now coming from a central European database does this mean an end to the issue of certain countries domestic notams not being available through AIS UK?

dp

Mike Cross
17th May 2008, 09:44
Good question, I'll ask.

For those not in the know, one of the French NOTAM series was only distributed to Schengen States, which meant you wouldn't get them if you briefed from UKAIS or any other State outside Schengen. The particular series was for a/d not open to international traffic so you could only legally fly in to them from one of the Schengen States.

bookworm
17th May 2008, 11:08
List of series here (http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadcms/eadsite/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=49&Itemid=46.html). There are a few over and above what was on ADIMS, I think.

Mike Cross
17th May 2008, 12:50
Looks like the French series D is in then

from the French AIP
Series D: containing information on other aerodromes used for international flights. Publication is restricted to the countries involved within the scope of SCHENGEN agreements (Germany, Austria, Belgium,
Denmark, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal,
Sweden, Iceland and Norway).

Mike Cross
19th May 2008, 09:22
A friend in NATS has confirmed the following:-

Those States that have migrated to EAD (i.e. they maintain their own NOTAM data on the EAD database) are maintaining all of their NOTAM on it.

Those States that have not migrated (i.e. they continue to maintain their own databses and EAD gets the data as a normal AFTN feed) continue to distribute their NOTAM as before. Therefore if the State restricts the international distribution of NOTAM series that restriction still operates.

Data on the States that maintain their own information on EAD can be found here. (http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadcms/eadsite/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=49&Itemid=46.html)

dublinpilot
19th May 2008, 11:52
Thanks Mike. That's good to know ;)