Request: Aprons

[Durieux]

Hello -

Thanks for this wonderful product, and for the recent update. However, I'm disappointed that the Client still can not show airport aprons. It's a major limitation, as it makes the airport layout very different from published charts, and it is annoying not knowing e.g. how much space there is around your aircraft to turn out of a parking spot.

 

I know that the manual states that it would lead to way longer loading times and a increase in database size. But the Working Title cockpit Garmin models seem to do it on the fly without difficulties, and a freeware package like Little Navmap also shows aprons.

 

Just compare these two attached screenshots of TGPY, the first one from EFB Client and the second one from LNM.

 

 

 

Is it REALLY not possible to give us this critical airport navigation information?

 

Thanks!

 

Marcel

[aivlasoft]

These links seem to be broken. At least on my machine I cannot see them. But anyway, I will have a look at this.

[Durieux]

Thank you. Here is another try with the images:

 

EFB:

 

LNM:

 

Marcel

 

 

[Durieux]

Maybe a cleaner comparison is to leave out the map layer:

 

[aivlasoft]

After several tests we came to the following conclusion:  Due to the AI-based recognition of aprons, unfortunately many additional areas are defined as 'apron', which have nothing to do with aviation. This leads to the fact that the database is unnecessarily inflated without providing a benefit in terms of aeronautical requirements. The size of the database is almost twice as large as without the aprons, and therefore the loading time and the time needed to synchronize the database between the server and the client(s) takes much longer. So overall, there are too many disadvantages.

 

Here are just two examples. Please see the comments below the images.

Airport Megève (LFHM): The entire road and parking space on the south/east/north side of the airport is defined as 'apron'. The green areas are also 'apron'.

 

 

Airport Gibraltar (LXGB): Many areas around the airport are defined as 'apron'. An 'interesting' one can be seen on the north-west side of the airport. It is the pier of the ship harbor. The different surface materials have been intentionally colored this way. Dark grey means 'asphalt', Light grey means 'concrete', Blue means 'water', Green means 'grass', Red means 'unknown', Yellow means 'other', such as bituminous, sand, clay, etc. All of these areas are defined as 'apron'.