The ultimate airstrip database

[Monocock]

I know there are some clever IT buggers out there who like to fly, and I feel it's time that one of them made some cash with the following concept.

There are many hundreds (no exaggeration) of un-advertised and welcoming private strips in the UK. I've been an active FFA member for years and have used many of them, none of which appear in Lockyears etc. I'm not talking about the ones in the public guides, but the ones you fly over and wonder about. Yes, many are very private, but many are also very welcoming, but just don't tell people so.

How difficult would it be to create a regularly updated software package (saleable) that allows the user to simply enter a nearby town and then get a list of nearest welcoming airstrips with contact details etc?

[richard_ha]

I have the technology! I run an LPG Filling station site FOC.

Could easily be adapted to have an airfield database behind instead.

['Chuffer' Dandridge]

I've got over 2000 marked on my Google Earth map of the UK, got from various sources (ahem!) and seeing them myself. The only trouble is that most of them are private with a capital P. If I owned a strip, it would be mates only.

Lockyers/Pooleys/AFE or word of mouth/mates is as good as it gets for most of us...:ok:

[Flyingmac]

The spotters have lots of them covered. LAAS Ports of Call, UK airfield information, aircraft residents, aircraft spotting guides (http://www.laasdata.com/ports-of-call/ports-of-call.php?c=2147)

[Jan Olieslagers]

Setting up such a database is a trifle.
Getting it complete and up to date is a nightmare.
Keeping it complete and up to date is impossible.

There have been countless initiatives in this sense. None have survived.

[rob_k31]

There's a start of one here...

UKGA - general aviation's home in the UK (http://ukga.com/gis/airfield)

I'm sure that contributions would be welcome. Maybe even a bulk-upload from someone's private database :)

*I have no connection to UKGA, but have used their website from time-to-time

[Bobby Hart]

Jan Olieslagers is quite correct. Its the maintenance of this kind of database which is the most difficult part of the process, since it actually requires a phenomenal number of man hours to chase up airfield owners to keep info current - it turns out many of these owners have better things to do than keep their details up to date, and a database owner needs to balance the desire to keep the data useful without cheesing off the providers of that data with constant "friendly reminders"...

In short, its not just an IT problem... Even with the best quality tools that make self-reporting of such details simple and easy, the owners have to actually want to use them. Those who do want to continuously share their details already do with existing guides, and those who don't will probably not be served by a new project - after all, they didn't give their details to existing guides, so why would they do so for a new one?

[ChickenHouse]

I am a bit confused. When flying UK, I was always satisfied with the venerable Bones (http://woodair.net/UK_Airfield_Catalogue/uk.htm) collection. It would be a pity, if that magnificent listing of past and present airfields is outdated?

[rob_k31]

It would appear to have the same issues facing it as those mentioned by contributors above..

"Last Update: 20 Aug 2011 "
"The data displayed is for historical purposes only and is not to be used for actual flight planning or aircraft operations."

Any DB is only as good as the data, init? :)

[Boing_737]

Yes, but the reliability of the data can be improved using crowd sourcing techniques such as up-voting, down-voting, reducing an "accuracy" count the older it gets without confirmation (up-vote) or change etc.

[Bobby Hart]

Its true that measures can be put in place to at least notify users when user-generated data hasn't been updated for awhile, but that doesn't do anything for the reliability/integrity of the database.


The perfect balance is probably to have user submissions which are moderated by a/some paid individual(s) and verified promptly by contacting confirmed airfield owners/managers. Then, the problem becomes one of covering the overheads... The sad story is that it would take a tremendous amount of work to make the ultimate database, but until it is "complete" and "proved reliable", no one would be willing to pay for it since you can already get incomplete and unproved information online for nothing.

[trevs99uk]

Airfield Information for private pilots, print the card before you fly (http://www.airfieldcards.com)

[Vilters]

Want to earn money? => Find a Job.

Hey, a gazillion others come with the same idea.
it is always the same.

Building an inventory is doable.

But what about maintaining it up to date????

Selling as a book? => it is obsolete before being printed.

Putting online? => Dozens of websites already.

Forgetting the very-small- tiney comment, that some prefer NOT to be on any list at all.

Wanna make money? Find a Job?

Oh, almost forgot/
Sooner or later some clown that "used" your document willl crash, and put the blaim on you. Good luck with that one.