SkyDemon Forums

LOWK, missing aeronautical and topographic data

http://forums.skydemon.aero/Topic27230.aspx

By pseudonym - 10/22/2018 4:07:00 PM

To illustrate the setting, please find below a) the Skydemon chart, b) the VFR approach chart, c) the IFR obstacle chart, d) a topographic map e) Jeppesen mobile flight deck of Klagenfurt and the immediate region north of the airport.

Klagenfurt LOWK in Austria is situated at the south border of the alps in the "basin of Klagenfurt". The town is surrounded by hills and mountains of 1000ft to 1300ft agl.
1. There are two VFR approaches, from the north and the west. Both are equipped with VRP (E1 and E2 and N1,N2 and N3).
2. VFR approach is by sectors (see b)) with a maximum altitude of 3500ft
3. two small holdings at 3000ft (see b))
4. directly north of the aerodrome are hills of 1000ft agl (see c), d), e))
Skydemon depicts only the VRP (1). The sectors (2) are missing, max. sector altitude is not shown, the holdings (3) and their altitude are not shown, the terrain (4) is not displayed. But it is the terrain that forces an atypical close and atypical high downwind for an international airport.

All this gives the false impression using Skydemon of a free approach sector north while there are hills 1000ft agl. The mental picture provided by the Jeppesen chart is fundamentally different: in fact, the north sector is anything but free of obstacles.

While I very much like Skydemon as my most convenient navigational tool, it is probably not suited for mountaineous areas. This is a pity and this post is a plea for a more comprehensive depiction of heights (at least in the vicinity of airports) and the inclusion of AIP data (for both, see eg. Jeppesen).

Kindest regards


a) Skydemon map

b) VFR approach chart from the AIP


c) obstacle chart ICAO type b from the AIP


d) topographic chart 1:30000 from opentopomap.org


e) Jeppesen Mobile Flite Deck
By Tim Dawson - 10/29/2018 12:22:50 PM

Sorry, I simply don't understand the issue here. You claimed SkyDemon was lacking elevation data. It most certainly is not. What you're after is a very specific visualisation of that elevation data, related to one local approach. Now, you could try using alternative chart styles which have different terrain colouring bands or the colour high terrain feature as proposed above. Or you could mouse-over or interrogate the chart with your finger to obtain terrain elevations. Or you could plan a route and look at Virtual Radar, which is the very best representation of terrain elevation over a specific course. All those things are there to help you.