Adding flight number and callsign data

[petervee]

Hi all,

I just bought am AirNav box and am impressed.

I would like to add flight number/call sign translation data so that we can get flight details from public sources of flights shown with callsign only. Does anyone know how to do this? File name,  format of file etc etc?

Thanks,
Peter

[Allocator]

RadarBox auto populates routes as aircraft are picked up.  This is very effective, but it is still "work in progress" as there is no 100% correct database.  It is also possible to manually add routes - see the FAQ

[petervee]

Radarbox can NOT populate routes just with flight numbers that can not be looked up anywhere (unless of course the software can deduce arrival and departure airports from landing and departure airports and populate flight number "a posteriori - after the fact").

I don't know where you are, but following recommendations from Eurocontrol, most European airlines are switching flight numbers to three letter airline + alphanumeric codes which will not be confused on the specific route with other airlines flight numbers thus improving safety. There are systems to analyze flight number data from airlines flying a specific route, and inform such airlines if there will be confusion so the flight number can be changed.   

I have tables with just such information but I can not provide them to you since you are a commercial company. So apart from the manul procedure you stated in a previous email(thank you), is there a quicker way of uploading such a call-sign/flight number table? What database make are you using? I could write a software patch to merge the data.

Thanks, Peter

[Allocator]

Sorry Peter, but you've lost me.

Are you replying to my reply or have you been in touch with AirNav by email and you are talking about a different message?

I answered your question to the best of my ability.  Not sure who the other points are aimed at.

[AirNav Support]

Lost us as well.

Peter can you explain again please?

[testmonkey]

Peter,

AirNav do have an arrangement in place with a provider of FlightID / route information which is what Allocator was refering to so in that respect RB DOES autopopulate route information in terms of what they have access to when your connected to the internet.

However I believe what your asking is how you can import route information that you have access to in addition to the information RB comes with or AirNav can add. The data for routes is stored in the NavData.db3 database which can be found in the RB\Data folder. The database is in the SQLite format and the routes are stored in the table 'Routes'. The table columns are FN, NO, ND, NV, CH

FN - Flight ID (varchar max length 12)
NO - Origin (ICAO code, varchar max length 4)
ND - Destination (ICAO code, varchar max length 4)
NV - Via (ICAO code, varchar max length 4)
CH - Timestamp (when last checked and tells the RB software not to check the server for updates if less than 1 month old, format YYYYMMDDhhmmss, varchar max length 14)

I use SQLite Database Browser (free) to perform any batch updates I need to do.

Hope this helps.

[petervee]

Testmonkey (or Andre),
thank you. That's what I needed to know.
Best,
Peter

[Deadcalm]

From the sound of it, as more and more airlines adopt this alphanumeric nomenclature, the chances of resolving departure/destination airfields and accurately displaying them in RadarBox software will become progressively less, and it's not that brilliant at the moment...

Let's hope that that isn't the case!

DC

[testmonkey]

Don't get too worried about it DC -  most airlines are already using the system in the manner Peter explained.

The explanation that Peter gave isn't any different from the situation we are currently in except for the bit about Eurocontrol advising airlines where a flight number may cause confusion whereupon they might change it. The only reason there should be any confusion at the moment is because flight crews don't always enter the details correctly.

In most cases the flight numbers used by an airline are prefixed with the same 3 letters as their ICAO code which they should be setting for the flight ID. There are some exceptions such as Brussels Airlines that use SN for flight numbers but DAT (their ICAO code) for flight ID's which currently aren't resolved. The problems will only start if the system is changed so that the rest of the flight ID is assigned on an add hoc basis by Eurocontrol as and when each flight plan is submitted. Can't see the airlines wanting to go for something like that as it'll make things more complicated for them and require them to make changes to many internal systems.

[DaveReid]

The explanation that Peter gave isn't any different from the situation we are currently in except for the bit about Eurocontrol advising airlines where a flight number may cause confusion whereupon they might change it. The only reason there should be any confusion at the moment is because flight crews don't always enter the details correctly.

Well yes and no.

Nowadays, many flights have two flight numbers - one, purely numeric, that's printed on your ticket, and displayed on airline and airport websites and flight screens, and another, alphanumeric, that's used on the flightplan and as an ATC callsign.

A good flight lookup system needs to be able to cope with both, and translate between one and the other.

[testmonkey]

True Dave, I over simplified it somewhat. In many cases though the flight ID is ICAO + flight number + possible other alpha character. Difficulty in decoding depends a lot on the airline and what consistency it uses particularly in regard to that last character if it exists.

Really the point I was trying to make to DC was that Peter's comments don't actually change anything so no need to panic :)