X-Plane NavData testers required

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Robin Peel - “Custodian of the X-Plane and FlightGear master database of airport and nav-aid data” - is seeking testers for the latest release of the database:

I have just completed the first generation of data files (for X-Plane 8.50 and later ONLY) that leverage all the new features that were made available for airport design in X-Plane version 8.50. I would like some volunteers to test this data and report any inaccuracies, bugs, or things that are just plain wrong (compared to previous releases of my data). This is very important, because the database system that generates this data has been completely re-written - it is now much simpler for me to add new features to the data files, and to continue to generate old versions of the files for earlier versions of X-Plane. But, in converting the data to my new database format I may have inadvertently introduced errors. Hence the need for some testing.

Highlights of this data are:

• Airport data is in a new format (850)  and includes new ‘default’ taxiway systems (including edge lines and runway hold lines) at those airports that do not have any custom taxiways yet.   I will add more details and features to these default taxiways systems as time allows, such as Bezier curves, runway hold signs, etc.
• Airports with old (pre-X-Plane 8.50) custom taxiway systems have been left unchanged.
• Nav-aid, fix and airway data has been converted to the new database and regenerated.  Please look for anything that has changed from the previous release.
• There is very little new data in these files.  But, I am now working on importing the huge backlog of data updates from our global users

If this testing goes well, expect a data release within a month. If you interested in how the new 850  apt.dat file format works, review this apt.dat file and you will find examples. If you want details of the specification of the file form, visit http://x-plane.org/home/robinp/Apt850.htm

If you give me feedback, please differentiate between:

• Data that has always been wrong in X-Plane (ie. It was also wrong in my last data release)
• Data that seems different now from my last release.

Please also give me the ICAO airport code and (if relevant) runway number for any reported issues. Remember, this IS test data. It is complete and works fine on my system.  But you may find errors and inaccuracies. That’s the whole purpose of testing it!

The files are available here: http://x-plane.org/home/robinp/AptNav200701XP850beta1.zip

As always, please back up your old apt.dat, nav.dat, fix.dat and awy.dat files before installing these new ones. I look forward to your feedback (but please accept my excuses for delayed responses - I will be in Finland on a business trip until September 9).