FlightCentral.net

Sun 'n Fun 2009

2009-04-20T13:10:00.005-04:00

We're packing up and getting ready for the trip down to this year's Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland Linder Airport. Come visit with Paul and Russ at the NAFI tent on Thursday and at the SAFE booth (#E56) on Friday. Thursday afternoon (3:00 to 5:30) we'll be tied up filming a video for NAFI in the Main Conference Room of Hangar A. Friday afternoon (5:00 to 6:30), please join us at the Gathering of the Aviation Podcasters, hosted by Sun 'n Fun Radio. We'll be looking forward to meeting you and talking with you in person! And thanks to Jack Hodgson for putting this event together.

Hey! Have you been curious what approach plates and weather charts look like on a Kindle ebook reader? Russ and Paul will have them there to show you. More info is available at www.AirBrief.com.

Visitors to Airports

2008-09-28T21:43:00.004-04:00

I was looking through the stats on FlightCentral.net today and thought I would share a few numbers with you. LZU, our home drome, has the most registered users (129 as of this date). Not too surprising considering that everyone knows us there. The top five Airports did reflect an Atlanta bias. But some busy California airports are closing in. The top five in order:

LZU - metro-Atlanta
PDK - Atlanta
RYY - metro-Atlanta
VNY - Van Nuys
MYF - San Diego

What does this mean to you? Well, it means if you want the inside poop on any of these airports, there are a LOT of pilots from there registered on FlightCentral.net. Go to the Community page and PM (private message) them with your questions. You can learn more about the Community features on www.FlightCentral.net/communities

This is a very useful option when you're trying to make contact at airports other than your own.

Pilot Profiles

2008-09-08T14:00:00.005-04:00

As we climb the ratings ladder, it's sometimes hard to keep up with the paperwork. Were you a student pilot when you joined FlightCentral.net or FAA-ground-school.com? (Remember, the same email/password logs you into both.) Have you since gotten your private pilot certificate? Maybe you have added an instrument rating? Take a moment to click on the "Control Panel" tab at the top right and update your profile. This is what people see about you when they browse the community page at your airport.

Offset the Costs of Flight

2008-02-06T17:43:00.000-05:00

FlightCentral.net has just announced a new program called FunFunds. It is totally free and gives you the opportunity to get free cash.

Here's the link to the press release: http://www.flightcentral.net/funfunds/funfunds-press.htm

And here are two easy ways you can make money:
http://www.flightcentral.net/funfunds
http://www.flightcentral.net/funfunds/cash.htm

Nothing fishy going on here. It is just a simple way for you to earn cash with very little effort. And please pass the word around in the forums (studentpilot.com, aopa, pilotsofamerica, purpleboard, etc.).

If you have questions, feel free to email me: russell@goldsealflight.com

Current METARS on Your Website

2008-01-08T11:38:00.000-05:00

We have recently created some "widgets" that you might really like for your website. These allow you to freely add terminal charts (approach plates, arrivals/departures, airport diagrams) and/or METARs (and/or TAFs) for any airports right into your .html pages.

Take a look at the Gwinnett Airport website to see a quick example: http://www.lzuairport.com/

You can see our widgets over on the right. The charts are in a small tabbed box so that little screen space is needed. And the METAR is color coded for flight rules (green=VFR, yellow=MVFR, red=IFR) and Zulu-time.

The nice thing for you is that the charts and METARs are automatically updated on our end and always current. Uses our bandwidth so your server never even knows it's there.

Here's a page that tells you how to do it and generates the code for you. Just pick the widget and specify the airport(s): www.flightcentral.net/widgets

Let us know if you decide to use these anywhere. We like to see where they're being used.

BetterLandings.com Announced in AOPA ePilot

2007-12-07T15:16:00.000-05:00

The Art and Science of Better Landings

2007-11-29T10:21:00.000-05:00

As part of the Gold Seal network, we have just released The Art and Science of Better Landings. It is available as an instant download at www.betterlandings.com. If you'd like to learn more about this new system, please take a look at our news release at www.betterlandings.com/newsrelease.

Airport Comments

2007-10-24T11:07:00.000-04:00

You can now post comments about the facilities and services at every airport in the United States. Were you treated right by a particular FBO? Not treated right? How about restaurants - where did you find the best bacon cheeseburger? Help other pilots by posting your impressions.

As the database of comments continues to grow, this user-supported feature will prove to be a huge benefit to all. And for more detailed information, remember to visit the Community page for any new airport you might be visiting.

Get involved and let us all know what you've learned about airports during your travels.

Great Review of FlightCentral.net

2007-10-19T13:11:00.001-04:00

As we continue to add new features to FlightCentral.net, it's encouraging to hear from our users that they believe we have a great website.

Today we were made aware of a review of FlightCentral.net by another aviation blog out there called PropBlast.

You can read the full review here.

It's a great detailed look at FlightCentral.net and how a pilot uses it.

Oh, BTW, just about everything he mentions he'd like to see in our website is on it's way. :)

We'd love to hear from more of our users on what they love, hate, or would like to see added to FlightCentral.net. We do listen and want to know your honest opinions so we can continue to make this the premier aviation web resource.

New Info on Airport Pages

2007-10-08T14:31:00.000-04:00

Over the past few days you may have noticed some new information being shown on the airport pages. Easist to spot is the tower icon now shown next to the airport name at towered airports. If you've looked at any private airports, you may have noticed the sectional symbol indicating private. We're continuing the process so watch for more new information.

Fly It in Google Earth

2007-09-27T20:09:00.000-04:00

If you're already familiar with Google Earth, you know about the power of this wonderful tool. If you haven't played with it yet, you are in for a real treat. And we are thrilled to report that FlighCentral now supports it.

Throughout the site, you will see that a new button has appeared. It is square, blue, and has a picture of a globe on it. This is your entry into the 3D world of Google Earth. Clicking this button will zoom you in to an overhead view of an airport, a state, or a plotted course line. You can drag the earth with the mouse or you can use the sophisticated controls shown in the upper right of the Google Earth screen.

Don't think that you can only look straight down. The horizontal control at the very top right is your "tilt" control. Slide it to the right to angle the view down and see the world as it would appear out of your wind screen. This is the ultimate and you'll spend hours exploring the terrain as only a pilot can see it.

With FlightCentral's interface to Google Earth you can study in detail airports you've never been to. Easily "fly" cross-country sorties and examine the actual landmarks you might use for navigation. We'll be adding live radar overlays soon and this is only the beginning of what we'll be giving you.

You must have Google Earth installed on your computer to take advantage of this new functionality. The download and install only takes 3-4 minutes and is available here.

FlightCentral.net MobiWx

2007-09-16T12:14:00.000-04:00

I have a Motorola Q that I use for my cellphone and mobile email. It also has a web browser, but of course browsing normal websites with it is pretty much futile as it has such a small screen.

With that in mind, I whipped up a quick page that I'm calling FC.NET MobiWx. Right now it's pretty basic, and just gets you METARs and TAFs for any airports you select, but I plan on expanding it with several charts, etc in the near future.

I haven't had a chance to test it out on anything other than my Q, so if you have a web enabled cell phone, take a look and let me know how it works.

You can find the MobiWx here: http://www.flightcentral.net/mobile

As we approach or 2 month anniversary...

2007-09-12T14:08:00.000-04:00

... I've been reflecting back on what it took to get FlightCentral.net launched to the masses. It's been quite a ride, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Thanks to everyone for making our FlightCentral.net launch a memorable experience. It's has grown quickly, so fast that we had to upgrade our server already.

As you know, FlightCentral.net (and our sister website FAA-Ground-School.com) are completely free websites, and we intend to keep them this way.

So many people have told us they love the site(s) and were wondering how they could contribute to our continued success.

Here are a couple ways you can help:

Tell your friends - This may be obvious, but word of mouth can be really powerful. If you are in a flying club, a chapter of EAA, CAP Squadron, etc let them know of these great new resources that you use.
Participate in Airport Communities - Help us jumpstart our new Airport Communities by joining in and posting new calendar items and blog entries. Also make sure that you have your "Show me to the community" box checked in your profile so that you can send and receive private messages from the community.
Forum Posts (Part 1) - When posting in the forums that you participate in (such as AOPA, StudentPilot.com, Vans Airforce, etc), when referencing an airport, include a link to the airport page on flightcentral.net. For instance if I was talking about Gwinnett County (LZU) I could include a link like I did for the airport identifier here. The link format is http://www.flightcentral.net/airport/LZU where the last three or four characters are the airport identifier. It will work with or without the leading K's if the airport has one.
Forum Posts (Part 2) - Also, if people are posting asking about aviation websites, feel free to mention FlightCentral.net or FAA-Ground-School in the list. Please don't go out and SPAM the forums, but if there is an appropriate situation where you can mention us, please do.
Feedback - Your continued feedback is very important to Russ and I. Please continue to tell us what you like and don't like, as well as any new features you'd like to see implemented. We really do read them all and appreciated every opportunity to receive feedback on our sites.

Thanks again for all of your support. We are encouraged to see many new pilots registering daily, and we hope we can deliver a website that you will continue to use daily during your aviation adventures.

Virtual Communities are Now Online

2007-09-07T14:14:00.001-04:00

The new airport communities are now up and running. You can visit the community at any airport by clicking the "Community" button on the respective airport page. The communities are just getting started so you may find some airports more active than others. The number of members in the communities range from over 60 people at some fields down to none at others. As people continue to register, watch these numbers grow.

As said, you can visit any community and look at the Calenders of Events and Blogs, but can only post or send PMs (private messages) if you check the box (Control Panel > Edit General Info) that indicates that you want to be able to send/receive messages. Everything is totally secure - no one will see your name or your email - so there is no down side to participating.

Join in and be a part of this exciting new aviation venue.

Online Airport Communities

2007-08-26T09:57:00.000-04:00

They're coming, and not the brick-and-mortar type. Virtual communities at each and every US airport are just days away on FlightCentral. And it's time for you to get started right now. Here's the scoop.

A new feature at FlightCentral.net will create a virtual airport community for every airport. From the airport page, a button will click you right in. On these new pages you will be able to see everyone who has listed the particular airports as their home fields. You can communicate in the community via the airport's blog, its dedicated chat window, or via PMs (private messages). Additionally, each airport will have a classifieds section and community calendar.

This web2.0ish enhancement is truly user controlled - some airport communities will turn out to be vibrant and busy while others will remain largely idle.

You won't have to be a gregarious sort to take advantage of the new communities. Imagine that you're going to a new airport and want to check out tiedown options and restaurants. What better way than to ask the locals? Just go to the Airport's page in FlightCentral, click the "Community" button and ask away of the folks who actually call the airport home.

To prepare for this new feature (which is just days away...) go to the "Control Panel" page and select the "General Info" option. Along with your other information you will see two boxes. These allow you to become an active part of the community at the airport you have chosen as your home base. Check one or both of the boxes. That is it - that's all you have to do.

Now of course the issue of privacy has to be considered. As a community member, people will not see your real name or any other of your personal data. They will see either your first name and initials or your "nickname". (If you want your real name to be shown, set your nickname to be your full, real name.)

Let me stress this - none of your personal information will be shown in the community, not even your email address. People can PM you securely, but cannot email you directly. It is totally safe and you control your own involvement.

Go to the "Settings" page and click the box that will allow you to participate in the community. Do it right now.

METARs and TAFs

2007-08-23T10:06:00.000-04:00

There's always a lot of debate regarding METARs and TAFs. Should we show them raw or translate them? You know, some things are better seen raw and I believe METARs are one of them. The big complaint is that they are difficult to read. But they're only cryptic if you haven't made any effort at all to decipher one. I mean, how cryptic can "29005 10SM" be? The wind is out of 290 degrees at 5 knots and the visibility is 10 statute miles.

If you are having trouble figuring out METARs and TAFs, your first goal is to get past the psychological barrier. Stop telling yourself that they are cryptic. You don't have to be able to instantly decipher every thing in every METAR. Understand that the basics - wind, visibility, sky condition - are probably 90% of what you need, and they are easy as Paris Hilton to figure out. There's simply not much there, but it's all you need.

We do have a couple of resources to help you out if you're having problems. In the Online Ground School, take the lesson entitled "Understanding METARs and TAFs". It is narrated and if you'll go through it just a couple of times, you should be ready to tackle these reports without fear. Note: Your same email and password works in both places - FlightCentral and the Gold Seal Online Ground School use the same user database. Easy for you!

Second, in the Pilots Almanac, you will find a list of abbreviations commonly used.

Got any comments? Serve 'em up right here.

What's New

2007-08-22T14:23:00.000-04:00

While we will be alerting you to new features here, please check our "What's New" page available from FlightCentral's "About" menu at the bottom left of the website pages.

New things this week include our partnershipt with PilotMall.com. Now you can order sectionals and A/FDs online, directly from any Airport page. And make sure to visit StudentPilot.com. The message forums there are among the busiest on the internet. They're not just for student pilots, either.

Paul's most recent magic trick is the addition of crosswind components on runways. How to see that? Simply go to either an Airport or Planning page and move your mouse cursor over the runway numbers. It uses the current METAR for the airport to calculate it. Very slick.