[airport]3U2[/airport]

Here is a preview of the backcountry airport database widget that I've been working on. It's a little rough around the edges, but I will be cleaning it up over the next few weeks.

The widget can be embedded into other web sites (forums, html pages, etc.) and allows users to access the growing database of backcountry airport information at shortfield.com. The goal is to start accumulating this information (pictures, PIREPs, video, etc.) in one location that is easy to search and centrally located.

As you can see most of the airports need more information so if you have pictures, PIREPs, videos, etc. - please upload them (see notes, below).

Notes:
- currently you have to go to shortfield.com and log-in to upload PIREPs, photos, video, etc., but that will be changing so that you can contribute through the widget directly (i.e. from the comfort of the BCP website)
- Currently, I'm only showing airport data for a few western states (Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Utah. I will turn on the other airport markers soon.

I look forward to getting feedback from everyone and I think it will be a pretty useful and entertaining tool.

Thanks,
Chris

Disclaimer: shortfield.com and the information contained therein are for entertainment only. Don't use it for navigation! Seek professional instruction and know the limitations of your airplane and ability when flying into any airport.

Chris, thank you.

Rob

It should be pretty self-expanatory, but here are a couple notes on using it:
Requirements: You need to have flash installed on your computer - you probably already do, but if you don't you can get it here: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

1. Search on an airstrip by entering the airstrip name or ID in the seearch field at the top of the widget (e.g. "cabin creek"). Click on the desired airstrip from the results.
2. The map will center to the marker for that airstrip. Click on the marker and the airport information will pop-up.

...or you can just pan around the map clicking on markers.

I will get the search tuned-up so you can search on airstrips with specific content like video, photos, etc.

-Chris

PS> as you fly into the backcountry this summer, take lots of pics, video, etc. and post them to the database.

Chris,

Awesome !

Thanks for including BCP on this.

Mark

Nice work, that's exactly what I had in mind when we spoke about this. That Google Maps Flex component came none too soon, eh?

I thought you'd like that it is flex Zane. We geeks think alike

chrisg wrote:I thought you'd like that it is flex Zane. We geeks think alike

I'll work on a BBCode shortcut for embedding these.

i.e.

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[airport]KFMR[/airport]

Get it set up to accept a named parameter or FlashVars. I already got a Flash 9 error though. Might work on capturing those, or compiling with debugging/errors/strict mode off.

Great! Let me know what you need.

1SeventyZ wrote: I already got a Flash 9 error though.

Hate those flash errors...

I see most flash errors about closing time with people way to old for the "error" to be interesting...

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<param name="FlashVars" value="airportid={filled in by BBCode}"/>

and an attribute in

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<embed FlashVars="airportid={filled in by BBCode}"/>

You should be able to access the FlashVars through LoaderInfo (I think) or request.getParameter

It's already setup to take a flashvar, ....but we should take the geek talk off-line. I don't want to have the BCP crew to doze off.

Email me.

Another note: if you find in bugs, please take note of what you were doing when it happened and then send me an email, or post here.

Thanks!

Chris/Zane,
Wow! It is so cool having pilots who are software guru's. I am already having a ball showing off this site to my family. The potential is mind boggling!!! It makes all those years working in semiconductor MFG. seem worthy.
Thank You very much!

WTFO?????????

Gump

GumpAir wrote:WTFO?????????

Gump

Face it man we are as outdated as the aircraft we fly. You at least have one of those pictures, I don't even know how to do that

Face it man we are as outdated as the aircraft we fly.

That's why old guys can't fly glass panel planes - dinosaur arms are short...

flash what?????????? WTF???? I thought this was a family style site fit for kids to peruse...

Not being a computer guy, I'm not sure what is supposed to happen here. Every time I open this thread, a little box appears above the original post that say "initializing", but nothing else happens. The little bar gets about 3/4 of the way across, then nothing.

What are we supposed to be seeing here?

The emedded application should load a google map with markers for grass strips & backcountry strips. Clicking a marker shows the backcountry airstrip information added by users at shortfield.com.

Although should be considered a 'beta' version of the software (i.e. it still has some bugs), it should at least load on you computer. Is anyone else having major problems like this?

If you're having problems, you might try downloading the latest version of teh flash player: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/
Zane, do you have any ideas why it wouldn't be loading all the way?

I'll keep making improvements and post updates here.

-Chris

Zane has added an 'Airport' button to the site, so when you are posting a message to the forum and you want to include an airstrip, you can simply click on the airport button, type in the airport identifier (e.g. 8u2), click the airport button again to create a closing tag and then the airport should show up in the body of your message. It's working, but I'm still working out a few small kinks on my end.