Hi

I just played around with SkyDemon Plan in Switzerland and am a little confused about NOTAMs and activated R-Areas (restricted Areas).

One example for tomorrow, Friday 03.08.12:
- When checking DABS (skyguide.ch/de/nc/services/aim-services-dabs) I see that D-12 (SIHLTHAL) and B0670/12 (SION MIL TMA) are activated. D-12 is shown active by SkyDemon but B0670/12 isn't!! Why?
- My flight also crosses LS-R8 (DAMMASTOCK) and LS-R9 (RECKINGEN). SkyDemon warns me that those are active but they are not (according to SkyGuide)! Why are they shown as active?
- LSR43, LSR51 and LSR44 ar other examples. These are restricted areas for gliders so it doesn't affect me. Any way to filter those out?

After all there's a lot of red blinking and confusion about what areas should be avoided and what areas can be crossed since they are inactive.

Has someone else noticed that?
How realiable is SkyDemon regarding Swiss NOTAMs / R-Areas?

Thanks
Benjamin

Hello, it sounds like you are expecting SkyDemon to integrate Swiss NOTAM in a way that it isn't designed to do. We display all relevant NOTAM in the narrow-route briefing. We also graphically depict certain NOTAM on the chart where possible; this is not always possible. Only danger area activation or deactivation NOTAM are specially depicted. When I plot a route in SkyDemon I can see in my briefing that the danger area and TMA you spoke of are activated; there are NOTAM present saying so.

Restricted areas are shown in SkyDemon according to the information promulgated in the Swiss AIP. We have not omitted those restricted areas that apply only to gliders at this stage because we have plenty of glider pilot customers.

SkyDemon is absolutely reliable regarding the integrity and currency of NOTAM bulletins available, but I think you are expecting it to display them in a certain way (perhaps the same as the Swiss DABS service) which is just isn't designed to do.

Hi Tim

Thanks a lot for clearing up.

1) "We have not omitted those restricted areas that apply only to gliders at this stage because we have plenty of glider pilot customers." -> Fair enough, a Filter would be a nice to have though.

2) there are NOTAM present saying so. -> When doing a route briefing with Homebriefing (NOTAMs only) I do get the following NOTAM for the LSGS TMA (B0670/12):
Aerodrome:LSGS(SION)
B) 1207020530 C)1210261505 (B0670/12)
D) JUL 02-06 09-13 16-20 23-27 30-31 AND AUG 02-03 06-10 13-14 16-17
20-24 27-31 AND SEP 03-07 10-14 17-21 24-28 AND OCT 01-05 08-12
15-19 22-26 0530-1005 1115-1505
E) SION TEMPO MIL TMA ALL SECT ACT.

So what exactly do you mean by "Only danger area activation or deactivation NOTAM are specially depicted." There is an activated Restricted Area including the NOTAM, or did I miss something?

Otherwise, SD rocks!
Ben

Quick update: After flying with SD I am happy again, all the NOTAMs and In-Flight warnings were there. However, the Planning Warnings still are a little confusing to me.

Hi, by "specially depicted" I was referring to the fact that danger area activations and deactivations are specially colour-coded and because they use codes, we also fit their shape to the danger area that they're referring to most of the time.

A NOTAM activating or deactivating a TMA can't be automatically matched to the TMA it's referring to, and it's not specially colour-coded (it looks purple like most other NOTAM) but it'll definitely be shown on the map (with its circle of influence).

Hope this helps.

Now even I get it. thanks.