Falconview

[MikeD]

Is anyone using Falconview?   I'm pretty sure we could get Falconview or at least FV Lite for free, and hopefully even get digital sectionals from NGA (or whatever they call NIMA/DMA these days). 

[desertengineer1]

Is anyone using Falconview?   I'm pretty sure we could get Falconview or at least FV Lite for free, and hopefully even get digital sectionals from NGA (or whatever they call NIMA/DMA these days). 

Mike,

Through my work and military life, I use an older version (3.3.2), and have access to the mission planning portal for updated DAFIF and CADRG, but it's a lucky case where I've got existing access.

It's not the best GUI for SAR work, but has great potential for planning, preparing briefing charts, and certain missions like LLRS's.  For LLRS's, I use an old Garmin GPS III to feed the NIMA and moving map in the back seat.  It does a great job overlaying the training route boundries and ECHUM on the chart.  If we see a tower or something reportable, I can cross check it with the current ECHUM.  I go down to a TPC or lower and pull the lat/long from the cursor if needed.  It's also got a great GPS trail recording feature and several other tools you might be able to use.  If you're flying pre-planned points (such as an LLRS) the mission planning features are powerful - but it's a bit complicated to work for Cessnas since it's made for "pre-packaged" airframes like C-130's and F-16's..

For SAR, I think the utility is rather limited given the high tempo of the "standard" grid search.  You'll spend too much time dorking with the laptop when you should be looking outside.  In that case, I think it's best to have a current paper chart in-hand folded to the grid you're in.  But that's just me....

To my knowledge, we're free to use the software for CAP missions, but access to the MPP and NGA products might be a different story.  If you are a govt employee with a CAC and have a job that can or does use PFPS, you can apply for an account.  The data is FOUO.  If not, the next best POC is your state Laison Officer or a friend with MPP access that can download the products for you.

Caution, though, PFPS use, the data, and access to the current stuff is in what I call the "grey area" of FOUO.  I don't think someone would have a problem with us using it for CAP missions, but the onus falls on you to keep it within that realm and keep it protected.  To be safe, I have a master chart disk on the side and generate coverage for only what I need before the missions (ex: SAREX or LLRS), and I encrypt the files on the laptop using a commercial program to be sure.  If, worse case, the laptop was stolen, I feel I've taken reasonable measures to protect the FOUO.

Just my $0.02 thoughts.  Nothing wrong with obtaining a copy and seeing if it works for you.  You just need to work through the right channels.

[NIN]

IIRC, FalconLite is available from NGA on request.

The data, however, is another matter.

There was a project a year or so back where some folks were doing CAP grids inside of Google Earth.  I don't know if sectionals are available within GE (or whether they're current and updated enough to actually USE for aeronautical purposes, which is a major factor for our use.. Nobody wants to use a tool that has outdated navigational data.. the FAA frowns on your excuse for busting airspace being "I was using an old sectional..").

The big thing is: GE is available as an "engine" (like FalconView/FalconLite), and its down to the data elements that are "CAP relevant".   Folks are very familiar (more or less) with the GE interface, which has no FOUO issues.  You can overlay GPS data, etc, too...

Just a thought. Not having worked with FV, I can't say one way or another if it would be more or less appropriate for CAP use vs a commercially available tool like GE.


EDIT: here's a relevant link: http://www.falconview.org/FAQ_FVW410.htm#_Toc164821427

[desertengineer1]

IIRC, FalconLite is available from NGA on request.

The data, however, is another matter.

There was a project a year or so back where some folks were doing CAP grids inside of Google Earth.  I don't know if sectionals are available within GE (or whether they're current and updated enough to actually USE for aeronautical purposes, which is a major factor for our use.. Nobody wants to use a tool that has outdated navigational data.. the FAA frowns on your excuse for busting airspace being "I was using an old sectional..").

The big thing is: GE is available as an "engine" (like FalconView/FalconLite), and its down to the data elements that are "CAP relevant".   Folks are very familiar (more or less) with the GE interface, which has no FOUO issues.  You can overlay GPS data, etc, too...

Just a thought. Not having worked with FV, I can't say one way or another if it would be more or less appropriate for CAP use vs a commercially available tool like GE.

EDIT: here's a relevant link: http://www.falconview.org/FAQ_FVW410.htm#_Toc164821427

FYI - You can legally fly with Falconview charts if all the updates are incorporated (DAFIF, ECHUM, CADRG, misc notes).  It even includes the currency dates on the charts if you print them.

Of course, all the updates might take a couple of hours to download and be walked through - if you have access.  And then you'll have to explain it all to someone if they want to see it and they aren't familiar.  For me it's easier to just pay the $10 for an updated chart at the FBO 

GE is a great tool for Visual nav, especially if the grid boundries are there. 

FV, as I said previously, has a few features that are pretty good for some of our missions, but I think those are in the "special cases" that parallel DoD related missions - LLRS, MOA Surveys, Homeland Security interoperational stuff, ect.. that have a bigger planning element.

If you desire, you can take the time to put grids on, say, a TPC, JOG, or even TLM.  But I think it goes back to weighing what's cool against an efficient prosecution of CRM.  You have to draw the lines one at a time and insert text for each.  It's easier IMHO (and preferred for me) to save the valuable preflight time and sketch the target on a sectional.

For a counter example, a Falconview map up on a projector with squares on the active grids would be a great SA tool for the IC.  The drawing editor is easy to use and the graphics are good.

It's a good resource if used properly.

[NIN]

Oh, I think there is value in both systems.

It illustrates another thing, too: the need for trained and qualified GIS folks in our mission staffs.  Data elements are yet another 'product' that we need to be able to produce, much like digital photography from SDIS or airborne video.  The ability to produce a comprehensive dataset of coverage is key in a large, multi-agency effort (ie. Katrina).

I still find it funny that in the aftermath of Katrina, it was a British PhD candidate GIS/Emergency Management guy who had been flown over to Baton Rouge (I think)  to "observe" wound up integrating a ton of georeferenced CAP SDIS imagery into the overall GIS database for FEMA.  Seems the folks from FEMA & the Army didn't even know what CAP could do.... But the intrepid Brit had been a CAP member for a year or so when he was living in the US on an internship.

[MikeD]

Is anyone using Falconview?   I'm pretty sure we could get Falconview or at least FV Lite for free, and hopefully even get digital sectionals from NGA (or whatever they call NIMA/DMA these days). 

Mike,

Through my work and military life, I use an older version (3.3.2), and have access to the mission planning portal for updated DAFIF and CADRG, but it's a lucky case where I've got existing access.

It's not the best GUI for SAR work, but has great potential for planning, preparing briefing charts, and certain missions like LLRS's.  For LLRS's, I use an old Garmin GPS III to feed the NIMA and moving map in the back seat.  It does a great job overlaying the training route boundries and ECHUM on the chart.  If we see a tower or something reportable, I can cross check it with the current ECHUM.  I go down to a TPC or lower and pull the lat/long from the cursor if needed.  It's also got a great GPS trail recording feature and several other tools you might be able to use.  If you're flying pre-planned points (such as an LLRS) the mission planning features are powerful - but it's a bit complicated to work for Cessnas since it's made for "pre-packaged" airframes like C-130's and F-16's..

For SAR, I think the utility is rather limited given the high tempo of the "standard" grid search.  You'll spend too much time dorking with the laptop when you should be looking outside.  In that case, I think it's best to have a current paper chart in-hand folded to the grid you're in.  But that's just me....

To my knowledge, we're free to use the software for CAP missions, but access to the MPP and NGA products might be a different story.  If you are a govt employee with a CAC and have a job that can or does use PFPS, you can apply for an account.  The data is FOUO.  If not, the next best POC is your state Laison Officer or a friend with MPP access that can download the products for you.

Caution, though, PFPS use, the data, and access to the current stuff is in what I call the "grey area" of FOUO.  I don't think someone would have a problem with us using it for CAP missions, but the onus falls on you to keep it within that realm and keep it protected.  To be safe, I have a master chart disk on the side and generate coverage for only what I need before the missions (ex: SAREX or LLRS), and I encrypt the files on the laptop using a commercial program to be sure.  If, worse case, the laptop was stolen, I feel I've taken reasonable measures to protect the FOUO.

Just my $0.02 thoughts.  Nothing wrong with obtaining a copy and seeing if it works for you.  You just need to work through the right channels.

*ugh*  When i worked for a Small UAV/UAS company (small in terms of aircraft size, it's probably the one you're heard of 0 we had a hell of a time getting access to the SDK and such.  I've been trying to get portal access since I changed jobs to a non-DOD gov agency that uses FV for about 2 years, and do have a CAC (getting access to the AF portal to request access to the next portal on the list of hoops was my justification).  Overall, it's been a very frustrating process both as a DOD contractor at an aircraft company and as civil service. 

There is a form to just request the software dist, without portal access or the SDK, which I'm going to ask our group liaison officer to sign.  Data access is another issue, and that's a very valid point on the FOUO nature of the data. 

I've also thought about GE, which'll definitely be something we'll try too.  A friend of mine wrote a script at work (unfortunately I can't share it) that will force GE to pan and zoom to add a given area to the local cache. 

Something that would be really cool as a long-term project would be to give every AC, ground and UDF team a sat phone, would be to use something like Blue Force Tracker so the IC/base, and eventually everyone, would know where everyone else is. 

Does one of the sat phone companies need a few million dollar donation as a tax write-off?

[desertengineer1]

*ugh*  When i worked for a Small UAV/UAS company (small in terms of aircraft size, it's probably the one you're heard of 0 we had a hell of a time getting access to the SDK and such.  I've been trying to get portal access since I changed jobs to a non-DOD gov agency that uses FV for about 2 years, and do have a CAC (getting access to the AF portal to request access to the next portal on the list of hoops was my justification).  Overall, it's been a very frustrating process both as a DOD contractor at an aircraft company and as civil service. 

There is a form to just request the software dist, without portal access or the SDK, which I'm going to ask our group liaison officer to sign.  Data access is another issue, and that's a very valid point on the FOUO nature of the data. 

Mike,

Access to non-DoD members is not as hard as you think, it just needs to be approved by the contracting officer, verified by an MPC manager.  The mission planning central portal has a link to request such access.  In addition, CAC access isn't a hard requirement - it's just easier.  I use the normal login page.

Use this link.  Any one of the portals will give you instructions on how to gain access.

https://portal.mission-planning.org/MPC-Welcome/Unauthenticated.aspx

Hope this helps...

[joelodom]

I work for the FalconView department at Georgia Tech (where FalconView was written).  If you can get FalconView from the government, you can get FAA sectionals in GeoTIFF format that you can view in FalconView.  DAFIF is FOUO now, but you could get a public Shapefile of airports that is not.  There are handfuls of public maps available for FalconView that could be useful.

FalconView 4.3 will be an open-source product available to the general public (there will be some ITAR extensions not public, but it shouldn't matter for your purposes).  We plan on getting together bundled public data for public version, so be on the lookout.  We also hope to have greater interoperability in future versions, so please keep that in mind.

Hopefully we will mature the program so that it will be easier to get the program and data for your mission planning needs.  Thanks for keeping us in mind.

[desertengineer1]

I work for the FalconView department at Georgia Tech (where FalconView was written).  If you can get FalconView from the government, you can get FAA sectionals in GeoTIFF format that you can view in FalconView.  DAFIF is FOUO now, but you could get a public Shapefile of airports that is not.  There are handfuls of public maps available for FalconView that could be useful.

FalconView 4.3 will be an open-source product available to the general public (there will be some ITAR extensions not public, but it shouldn't matter for your purposes).  We plan on getting together bundled public data for public version, so be on the lookout.  We also hope to have greater interoperability in future versions, so please keep that in mind.

Hopefully we will mature the program so that it will be easier to get the program and data for your mission planning needs.  Thanks for keeping us in mind.

Joel, thanks for your post of the good things to come.  I work as an integrating engineer for future stuff, and am very interested in what you guys come up with.   Our CAP wing has just adopted another task for Falconview.  I expect we'll use it more in the future.

[MikeD]

I work for the FalconView department at Georgia Tech (where FalconView was written).  If you can get FalconView from the government, you can get FAA sectionals in GeoTIFF format that you can view in FalconView.  DAFIF is FOUO now, but you could get a public Shapefile of airports that is not.  There are handfuls of public maps available for FalconView that could be useful.

FalconView 4.3 will be an open-source product available to the general public (there will be some ITAR extensions not public, but it shouldn't matter for your purposes).  We plan on getting together bundled public data for public version, so be on the lookout.  We also hope to have greater interoperability in future versions, so please keep that in mind.

Hopefully we will mature the program so that it will be easier to get the program and data for your mission planning needs.  Thanks for keeping us in mind.

Joel,

That's great news about being open source!  Also check your PM...

Will there be a *nix port?

[goose08]

A few points...

1 - CAP has talked about FalconView to me several times and it has never gone anywhere beyond talk.  FalconView and all of PFPS should be available for free to the CAP.

2 - Digital charts (CADRG) over the CONUS are unlimited distribution NOT FOUO.  This includes all NAVPLAN (GNC to JOG), Sectionals, and TLM (1:50K and 1:100K) charts.

3 - NGA is working on a replacement for "FalconLite" called TalonView.  It will include a basic planning component, but not the aircraft specific flight performance models. 

4 - The FalconView SDK is available for public download from GTRI's FalconWiki.  You can submit a formal request (which is required for the route interface documents) but if you just want to interface with FalconView then the files at http://wiki.falconview.org/wiki/bin/view/FVDev/GetTheSdk should be all you need.

5 - The USCG as well as Army are working on a "Search Tool" that should automate the creation of any standard search pattern.  If any CAP rep wants to review and provide feedback then I'm sure that could be worked.

6 - USCG has funded significant enhancements to PFPS that should be of interest to the CAP.  More details available if interested.

Paul

Paul.H@$tert (atthe) pentagon.af.mil  (intentially screwed up email to avoid capture by evil spambots)