Aeronautical chart overlay for Google Earth

[Eclipse]

http://www.wikihow.com/Overlay-Sectional-Aeronautical-Charts-in-Google-Earth

[DC]

That's freakin' cool. I love Google Earth!

[SarDragon]

Be advised - this will slow some older computers to a slow crawl, particularly if you have a low end video cards.

[Airrace]

COOL! - Thanks for sharing the information.

[Tubacap]

Anybody have the CAP Overlays?  The ones I was using went dead awhile ago.

[Jerry Jacobs]

http://cawg.cap.gov/html/operations/mes.htm

Contains CAP Grids, USGS Topo Maps and sectionals.  It only works for PCR though I believe

[airdale]

That's freakin' cool.

Yes.  And the chartgeek.com stuff is attractive too.

But ... aside from playing around, it's not clear to me how I would actually use these on mission where I have neither a large format color printer nor a large format display device.

Maybe I am just not too creative.  Printing a grid assignment from a sectional for an aircrew might be of value even at standard page size but would a murky satellite photo be of much value?  I see the CAWG site has grids.  If the grid would overlay and print with the photo maybe that would be of value?  I dunno.

[Eclipse]

With the AFRCC no longer providing SARSAT hits, you have to plot the location of the "hears" based on
a radial to a VOR.

Once plotted, you can see in near-time, where your searches should begin, and share your overlay files with others in mission base, in the field, etc.

Once the search is on, you then track team and aircraft locations, and assist with the search because you have "eyes" of your own.

You can also overlay Garmin track data for planning and AAR's.

I can tell you from an eval perspective, the USAF is very impressed with near-time tracking, and it makes things a lot easier when you can see where all your toys are and have been.

[airdale]

Oh, o.k.  You are using Google Earth to plot activities, not just as a computerized version of a paper map.  I can see then where the ability to underlay a sectional or a satellite shot is of value.  I guess I need to get more familiar with the program.  I was thinking more in terms of the paper map I usually post on the wall for tracking where the air crews are.

I can tell you from an eval perspective, the USAF is very impressed with near-time tracking, and it makes things a lot easier when you can see where all your toys are and have been.

Maybe they will buy us some large format color displays that roll up for easy carrying?  It still seems to me that the "private" nature of each person looking at a little screen of his own is a disadvantage of using the tool.  Maybe overcome by other advantages, though, ...

[Eclipse]

I can tell you from an eval perspective, the USAF is very impressed with near-time tracking, and it makes things a lot easier when you can see where all your toys are and have been.

Maybe they will buy us some large format color displays that roll up for easy carrying?  It still seems to me that the "private" nature of each person looking at a little screen of his own is a disadvantage of using the tool.  Maybe overcome by other advantages, though, ...

It depends who and why you're using these.

Every section and branch needs to be doing their own tracking, keeping status boards, providing input to planning or ops, etc., so whether its a paper map or one of these tools, you need something.

As to large format displays...



I haven't been to a major mission in at least 6 years where there weren't several of these in use.
In fact, during our eval, there was a fair amount of discussion on these and other tech.  There's a number of people in CAP, too many actually, who believe nothing above stone tablets can be counted on for mission use, despite the significant resources and infrastructure that are generally available by the time we get involved (not to mention the IC tenant of keeping the ICP out of the disaster area).

Power is not an issue - generators and power packs are plentiful and cheap.

Connectivity is not usually an issue as these tools can be configured enroute to work w/o the internet and mobile broadband is becoming more and more common place (plus if FEMA is around they bring the sat trucks with them).

Cost is little factor.  Every unit and Squadron in CAP was issued a notebook computer, and most, by now, should have several (if you don't blame a lower level than NHQ and start asking questions). And projectors are very "cheap" these days - certainly easily attainable on a Group or Wing level where they would generally be used for ES.

My go-pack has all of the above, and most of the ES-actors in my region bring the same toys, respective to their role, especially those who are in positions of authority at the ICP.

And yes, of course paper backup is always available and ready, but when lives and property are at stake, you don't walk to the scene when you can drive or fly.

[SarMaster]

Why would all the sections track the assets independently?  doesn't that make room for error?  If you have a status board / chart for each section.. How do you sync them?  I belive the planning section keeps the 'master' resource and status data.

[exFlight Officer]

Thank you for the information! I love Google Earth. I just downloaded it and it is already better than Google Maps in my opinion. 

[Eclipse]

Why would all the sections track the assets independently?  doesn't that make room for error?  If you have a status board / chart for each section.. How do you sync them?  I belive the planning section keeps the 'master' resource and status data.

Planning is not supposed to be involved in what is happening now, they are supposed to be involved in planning what should happen next, based on results of what really happened (or didn't) to their previous plans.

Micro-data is the purview of the branch directors and ops section chief.

[sardak]

The situation unit and resources unit are responsible for keeping track of, and displaying, what is happening now, in addition to helping plan for the future. Both units report to the PSC.

The situation unit leader (SITL, SUL in CAPspeak) and resources unit leader (RESL, RUL) are both listed in the latest 60-3 as specialties "currently in development." [/off topic]

This week's Time magazine has a one page article on the latest development in projectors. They include a Nikon Coolpix camera and Logic Bolt cellphone both with built in projector. Neither is suitable for a large room, but can be used for a small briefing in a relatively dark area.

Mike

[Gunner C]

Two questions:

Are there any sites for overlays for the rest of the country?

Anyone know of a site that describes how to create an overlay llike that?

[Eclipse]

The situation unit and resources unit are responsible for keeping track of, and displaying, what is happening now, in addition to helping plan for the future. Both units report to the PSC.

The situation unit leader (SITL, SUL in CAPspeak) and resources unit leader (RESL, RUL) are both listed in the latest 60-3 as specialties "currently in development."

Especially considering these aren't even approved positions (in CAP), how and if a given mission uses them is still a big TBD.

RUL is an administrative function regarding check-in/out and location from an availability perspective not tactical level.

Tactical status is a function of the branch directors, especially in CAP.  Plotting azimuths, deciding if a team should go left or right, within their grids, is not a function of planning - they may need that data, and even use it as a reference, but that's not their primary function.

[SarMaster]

RUL is NOT Admin....falls under planning.  They are responsible for assigning the appripriate resouce for a specific Tasking Order.  They also track status changes of all resources via the Comm Center.  So at any given time RUL can tell you where any asset is and thier status.

Every mission in the past 6 years, plus major planned events  we have used Resources Unit, and Situation unit.

Correct. Plans plans for tomorrow...but still monitors the current situation, as it changes Plans reccomends actions to take.  Remember when you de-brief that is a planning function...not ops...the Situation unit debriefs you..remember thier the ones that 'know all'

CAP tries to re-invent how ICS works...remember CAP is fairly new to it.  The fire service and Emergency Managment have been doing this for years!  Once you run a large scale incident or event with EM or Fire you get a totally dirffrent perspective on ICS and how we should be using it!  They use it every day.  Practice makes perfect.  CAP should use ICS every day in meetings, o-rides, FTX's....

[Eclipse]

RUL is NOT Admin....falls under planning.  They are responsible for assigning the appripriate resource for a specific Tasking Order.

Close, but not quite.  Tracking status means "available", "assigned", "requested", etc., not the current lat/long or how they are prosecuting their tasking.  The branch directors request a resource from RUL based on what the OSC tells them to do and RUL gives it to them or tries to find it.  A lot of people forget that Planning is not a tactical position.  Planning looks at high-level objectives and overall situation and tries to assign taskings based on 50k views and input from the various departments.  They should not be concerned with hourly position reports or whether or not a GT is in a COV or POV.

"In grid, Ops normal" is about as low as planning should be thinking, and even at that one could argue that's too micro for that function.

If you've used an RUL or SUL, or an MOUSE for the last 6 years, that's great, but you've made it up from whole cloth since there is currently no CAP rating, qualification, or training which defines that role.

If you've used an RUL or SUL, or an MOUSE for the last 6 years, that's great, but you've made it up from whole cloth since there is currently no CAP rating, qualification, or training which defines that role.   You can make assumptions based on generalizations from other agencies, but what it does, who its assigned to, and how CAP will use it (or won't) is still TBD.

CAP tries to re-invent how ICS works...remember CAP is fairly new to it.  The fire service and Emergency Managment have been doing this for years!  Once you run a large scale incident or event with EM or Fire you get a totally dirffrent perspective on ICS and how we should be using it! 

Ah, another from the list of "Great Fallacies".  If you work as a part of a large incident with EM or Fire, you learn how they manage their activities.  Different needs, different resources, different SOPs.

Contrary to popular belief, ICS is not a prescription, its a framework.  Every agency uses it a little differently, including adjusting forms and responsibilities.

[SarMaster]

This is were CAP dosent get ICS....The Planning section creates the tasking based on all the intel data etc..  They then go to Resources unit leader to match the appropriate  resouce for that tasking.  Then hand in to the Ops Section.

[Eclipse]

This is were CAP dosent get ICS....The Planning section creates the tasking based on all the intel data etc..  They then go to Resources unit leader to match the appropriate  resouce for that tasking.  Then hand in to the Ops Section.

That's essentially what I said and what we do now.

Once assigned, Planning simply knows a given resource is assigned and how, they don't track ground level location or status beyond "assigned".