Google Earth and Intersections

catmandu

catmandu

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Catmandu
Hiya, smart, experienced folks!

I am currently working on an aviation project that is using Google Earth as the mapping tool, which is nice because it is economical and relatively easy to navigate.

At times we will need to give position reports to ATC, and the engineers have set it up so that we can select local navaids for bearing / distance reports. But, as we all know, it is oh so much better to say "in the vicinity of XXXX intersection" when it comes to quickly giving a controller a head's up.

Anyone know of a sort of quick (less than an hour's work) way to overlay a database of intersections into Google Earth? Say, within a 300 or so mile radius of Morgantown, WV? (Tried a Google search and then a site search here but didn't have any luck).

Thanks!
 
Your pilots will be carrying legal charts or other electronics in lieu of your Google Earth toy anyway, so why worry about it? If they can't find the closest intersection on their own navigation instruments or paper, find better pilots. ;)
 
Charts and pubs available, yes. Electronics, not so much.

That's basically why I am asking, as Garmin, et al, have dumbed me down to the point where I want to be able to communicate immediate situational awareness to the controller, without having to say "standby", read current lat / long or visually confirm position off of Google Earth, translate that to the sectional or high chart, identify the intersection or bearing / range to the navaid, and then call back.

Just trying to simplify the process. Or I'm as lazy as Dad always said, not sure which. :wink2:
 
Will this require us to have an Internet connection to work? (using Google Maps makes me think it does)

very few of us have a net connection while in flight.
 
Garmin 430/530 series. Spin the right outer knob to the right until the pages quit changing. Turn the inner knob until the intersections show up.

Done. No Google maps needed.
 
I would expect the Google Earth API to provide a radius search where you can specify a radius around a point and it will return all of the waypoints within that radius.
I'd written a little program to load waypoints onto my old Garmin Etrex. I had airports and navaids listed using lat/lon. I could enter a radius in miles, which I then converted to an angular distance using an average radius for the Earth. The I could just look for waypoints where the angular distance from my reference point was less than the requested distance.
 
EdFred said:
Garmin 430/530 series. Spin the right outer knob to the right until the pages quit changing. Turn the inner knob until the intersections show up.

Done. No Google maps needed.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:
 
catmandu said:
Hiya, smart, experienced folks!

I am currently working on an aviation project that is using Google Earth as the mapping tool, which is nice because it is economical and relatively easy to navigate.

At times we will need to give position reports to ATC, and the engineers have set it up so that we can select local navaids for bearing / distance reports. But, as we all know, it is oh so much better to say "in the vicinity of XXXX intersection" when it comes to quickly giving a controller a head's up.

Anyone know of a sort of quick (less than an hour's work) way to overlay a database of intersections into Google Earth? Say, within a 300 or so mile radius of Morgantown, WV? (Tried a Google search and then a site search here but didn't have any luck).

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Well, we don't all know that. Why is saying "in the vicinity of XXXXX intersection" better than bearing and distance from a navaid when it comes to quickly giving a controller a head's up?

Kinda sounds like you're trying to reinvent the wheel here, don't GPS displays already provide what you're trying to build?
 
catmandu said:
Charts and pubs available, yes. Electronics, not so much.

That's basically why I am asking, as Garmin, et al, have dumbed me down to the point where I want to be able to communicate immediate situational awareness to the controller, without having to say "standby", read current lat / long or visually confirm position off of Google Earth, translate that to the sectional or high chart, identify the intersection or bearing / range to the navaid, and then call back.

Just trying to simplify the process. Or I'm as lazy as Dad always said, not sure which. :wink2:
Click to expand...

Perhaps you're trying to achieve a level of precision that simply isn't needed. If you just want to give the controller your position for the purpose of flight following just a ballpark position will suffice.
 
Catmandu, just go ahead & do it. If it works better than existing solutions, you'll sell it. If not, you wasted some of your time at worst, you'll have a tool you might use, and you'll know a bit more about Google maps.

This thread and this one ( http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42963 ) show me you don't get answers to your question but get a lot of "why we don't want it / need it / why it won't work" from the "know-it-alls" on this board.

Garmin's in trouble- they might know it, maybe not, because of iPads and smart phones. You can get charts & a GPS on iPads- no need for the 430/530 for the VFR pilot. Garmin willl sell the Aera and the like to those that don't trust general-purpose computers for navigation. Garmin got some breathing space for automotive GPS because Verizon and the others are phasing out the unlimited data plans so using a smart phone as a GPS will get more expensive.
 
Well, some helpful info in some of the replies, but some RTFQ issues. I am sure it is a problem with a cryptic, poorly written question on my part.

I've got an engineer that is really good at interfacing with and manipulating Google Earth. What I really lack is an intersection database. Yes, like the one you get in Garmin products (which I regularly use), which is what led me to this train of thought in the first place. In this particular instance, though, I am hardware constrained, and must use Google Earth (and while we will have an internet connection during flight, I know I have been using it on a simulator that is operating without one).

In the end, Steven P. is correct, this is a level of precision that is not absolutely needed, just a 'nice to have' as I chair fly some worst case scenarios. I am sure I am clueless about what quickly gives a controller situational awareness, as I have never been in their shoes. I spoke knowing only what I have perceived during my own in flight communications with them over the years.

Think I'll head over to VATSIM forums and poke around, that may be a closer match to my particular situation. Or maybe I'll take a nap.
 
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The FAA has the intersection database, you just have to download it.
 
Skyvectors.com has the database. Type in an airway or approach intersection and it shows up. Type all the fixes of an approach as a flight plan and it will depict the path on charts. Internet connection required.
 
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