Hi,
We discussed the idea of a tool to extract information from AIP data in this thread
I have started building a script that parses the PDF and try to extract all the data in a database for easy search and query. The idea is to keep the script and the data open source so people can use to build app and web page on it, and help contribute the logic to get the data extracted and structured properly
Right now it is a basic initial version in https://github.com/roznet/rzflight
I hacked a demo page to use the data to display all the customs information from the AIP. it’s kind of a more up to date and complete version of the onlinegar list for French airport.
https://ro-z.net/flyfunboarding/airports/customs
Because it’s a blind pdf parsing and extraction it may have some error, but the benefit is that it covers the other countries than france as well.
You can also get other views, like all the “restaurant” or “fuel”, as well as list of Instrument procedure by airport, as I find it useful to see list which airport have an approach for example in the UK.
Right now, it’s quite ad-hoc, and one big issue is I don’t know the official way to get the AIP data, so I did a reduced parsing of limited number of airport from autorouter (I wrote to them to ask permission to be more systematic, but didn’t get an answer yet).
Also I am not an html guy, so the demo page is very basic, but I will work on an iPad app that let you get the information on the map or closest to a given address or location.
Help, suggestion, idea welcome
Code:
Webpage:
https://github.com/roznet/flyfunboarding/blob/main/pages/airports.php
Parsing in:
https://github.com/roznet/rzflight/tree/main/python
I think it’s a good idea. It’s handy to be able to quickly look at a list and find C+I PN<24h without manually opening all the French VAC individually. Through repeated disappointment I’ve probably memorised the notification period for everywhere north of Paris.
LFAE is missing, maybe because it’s non-standard text in that field?
Edited to add: the UK is a mess, with notice periods varying by type of airport, destination, etc. There’s info about the GAR here, but I don’t know if it can be summarised easily without you having a nervous breakdown.
Really nice piece of work! Will make life a lot easier. Thanks.
Capitaine wrote:
LFAE is missing, maybe because it’s non-standard text in that field?
Interesting, LFAE AIP is missing from autorouter (https://www.autorouter.aero/plates/), which is why it’s missing from my proof of concept as well.
If any one has knowledge about other sources for the data, or how to contact folks in autorouter both to ask about this and to get clarity if they are ok for me to run this query more systematically than this POC that would be great!
Capitaine wrote:
Edited to add: the UK is a mess, with notice periods varying by type of airport, destination, etc. There’s info about the GAR here, but I don’t know if it can be summarised easily without you having a nervous breakdown.
For the UK personally what is useful to me is to build the list of airport that have approaches…
I can imagine those who have been flying here a while know all this, but as new comer, it feels a bit painful to identify where can I go under different conditions…
LFAE, being VFR only, has no AIP entry, only a VAC.
That said, I don‘t think customs (in the sense of UK flights) is possible there at all in practice. It‘s not listed as an official point de passage frontalier.
Great project idea though I suspect it will be a lot more work than initially appears, due to no standard formats in PDFs.
Every vendor of a VFR satnav package has done this already, to varying extents, because there are no standards.
This was one attempt at producing a PN map for France 
But then they still shaft you over by stuff like a notam for 3 days PN for parking at LFMT, and various dodgy notams at LFBH. But it would be a useful map.
Great project idea though I suspect it will be a lot more work than initially appears, due to no standard formats in PDFs.
bq. Every vendor of a VFR satnav package has done this already, to varying extents, because there are no standards.
Yes, apps have it, and quite a few functionality exists but not all i wish i had.. So I am just hoping that if we open source it, there are enough geeks around from different countries that may help contribute in getting the data correct over time and it could make barrier to build new stuff lower.
There are a few issues of course, beside the data quality and sourcing, one big one is I suspect after people have been around for a while, they don’t need this anymore as they just know… So shelf live is short, but can be useful for new comer to build new stuff upon it.
So far using some of the python open source tools, it was quite easy to get a lot of the AIPs parsed for key information and each country seem consistent within themselves.. Spain still not working, but i should get it done quickly.
In any case, at least while I am still new, looking to discover flying in Europe and need this, i’ll try to maintain some of it….
