What's New in each Version of AIRSPACE

Last update: Version 2.0, 18 April, 2004

Version 2.0 04/18/04

  1. Added more support for Glide Navigator II (GNII):
      GNII only allows 400 points on an area boundary. The latest DAFIF may have more than 400 for complicated geopolitical boundaries (for example, rivers). Therefore, files intended for use with GNII may have to be edited to reduce the number of points on the boundaries of offending areas. AIRSPACE now identifies these areas in the Progress Monitor window. The distribution now includes an additional utility, SUA_TRIM.EXE, that identifies points on boundaries that are closer together than 1 km. These points can be deleted with a text editor to reduce the number of points to less than 400.
  2. Added more support for Ilec SN10 users:
      If the SN10 output format option is selected, AIRSPACE now automatically uses Dave Nadler's AIRPAR32 utility to generate a file called AIRSPACE.TXT in the ...AIRSPACE\OUTPUT\ folder. This file can be appended to a *.NDB database using a text editor.

Version 1.9 04/07/02

  1. Added some information to the header of the output file, such as DAFIF modification date and types of areas included.
  2. Fixed a problem with distorted areas near boundaries. File now includes all areas (undistorted) that begin within one degree of boundary.
  3. Fixed an infrequent problem of writing an extra point if no control zones are found within boundaries.
  4. Updated the URL for the DAFIF web site in the help file (they changed it).

Version 1.8 01/27/02

  1. Fixed a bug in the OpenAir (WinPilot/SeeYou) format that crashed WinPilot when Alert Areas and MOAs were included. These are now called out as type "Q" (rather than "A" and "M") in the OpenAir files, which WinPilot recognizes and accepts. (SeeYou didn't seem to care)!
  2. While I was at it, I added color to the airspace for WinPilot users.
  3. Added capability for GPS_LOG users to specify units after clicking on .
  4. Updated Help Files.
  5. Updated the "About" help file to recognize many of those who have contributed to this project.

Version 1.7 01/07/02

  1. Fixed a bug that crept in, which sometimes wrote a fallacious point to a circle type of area causing weird plots with lines running out to points unknown.
  2. Fixed a bug that only occurred in very rare situations.
  3. Added the button to execute AIRSPACE_MAP from within AIRSPACE.
  4. Cleaned up some things in AIRSPACE_MAP (e.g., it now uses same help file as AIRSPACE; better scaling for main map, circles now more circular, etc.)
  5. Added support for Henryk Birecki's *.MAP format as an output file type. These files are used with Henryk's freeware GPS_LOG PDA software.
  6. Updated Help files to reflect above.

Version 1.6 12/16/01

  1. Output files now include a line in the header to document the boundary corners used to create the file.   This line is used by the companion program AIRSPACE_MAP to set up the screen display for maps of the areas in the output file.
  2. More trapping of common input errors has been added.
  3. Some minor cosmetics.

Version 1.5 11/19/01

  1. Added "point and click" selection of the initialization file (*.ini) through a file selection dialog activated by the button. No more file name typing! (see help for more details).
  2. Program now defaults to internally stored values if there is any problem with the ini file. (e.g., missing file, improper format. etc.)
  3. Added extensive checking to trap the most common I/O errors without crashing the program.
  4. Updated help files.

Version 1.4 11/12/01

  1. Filtered out SUAs in Caribbean, Phillipines, and Farallon Island (if you really want to go soaring there, you're on your own)!
  2. Added easy option to make a file of all CONUS for the data mavens.
  3. Fixed problems with the progress monitor window resulting from speeding up the code in V1.3.
  4. Added date/time stamp to output file header.
  5. Updated help files to reflect 2 above.

Version 1.3 10/8/01

  1. Fixed "multiple colon" bug by filtering out SUAs in New Guinea and Solomons.
  2. Fixed "ignore high altitude suas" bug.
  3. Moved "about" dialog into help files in anticipation of need for more button space in future versions.
  4. General cleanup and optimization of code for faster execution.

Version 1.2 9/21/01

  1. Added provision to ignore SUAs with base altitude greater than 18,000 ft (checkbox)
  2. Added provision to specify the output file name prefix in a text box
  3. Added provision to specify the default value (*.ini) file name in a text box
  4. Fixed "strange values for BASE= and TOPS=" bug that crept in under the door when the September, 2001 DAFIF release included some strange, new field values in the BDRY_PAR file. A more robust method for extracting the BASE and TOPS values is now incorporated.
  5. Updated help files to reflect 1 - 3 above

Version 1.1 7/4/01

Version 1.1 was first public release (written in FORTRAN 90)

Version 1.0 4/19/01

Version 1.0 was original test version (written in IDL). This went through numerous iterations as users of files requested more data in the files, and more output file formats.