Great new features added to AOPA's Airport Directory Online
AOPA Online offers the most extensive online resources for pilots anywhere. And now as a holiday gift for you, we're about to outdo ourselves.
You can now access a number of exclusive new members-only features on AOPA's Airport Directory Online, including online sectionals. You can now access electronic sectional charts from any airport listing and click directly to runway and taxiway diagrams.
Whenever you look up an airport in the online directory, you'll see a thumbnail sectional view around the airport displayed on your screen.
Click on the map to expand the sectional image. You can click on the map and drag it to show other parts of the sectional, and use the slider bar in the lower right corner to zoom in or out.
You'll also notice colored dots, representing weather-reporting stations and current conditions - magenta for low IFR, red for IFR, blue for marginal VFR, and green for VFR. Let your mouse cursor hover over the dot, and the METAR report for that location will pop up.
Click on any weather dot on the sectional chart, and it will take you to the airport listing for that location in AOPA's Airport Directory Online.
Easy way to see taxi diagrams
Whenever there is a runway or taxiway diagram available for an airport location, we now include a thumbnail view of that chart. To see a larger view, simply click on the image. Taxiway diagrams open in the usual PDF window. If a taxiway diagram is not available, a new crisp digital version of the runway diagram is provided.
Another recent enhancement is the addition of basic information for private-use airports. Prior permission to land is required at these airports, but you now have the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses to contact the owner and the coordinates to fly to the field.
Finally, don't forget to take advantage of the enhancements added to AOPA's Real-Time Flight Planner earlier this year. You can review those enhancements here and then download the latest version.
We're anxious to hear your feedback about these new enhancements - and there's more to come, so check back often.
December 15, 2006
