Folks,After a long hiatus from the flight simulation world due to personal and professional reasons, I am once again considering returning back to the flightsim community. During my time away, I have practically lost touch with all that is happening in our community.I am considering, once again, to provide world-wide navigation data updates for the various flight sim aircraft/software. Is there a need for such a service? Or is the flightsim community happy with the currently available data?The answer to this question and the feelings of the members of the community will decide whether I make the effort to come back! If there is positive feedback and a need for such a service, then we will need to answer some technical questions as well.Before my departure from the flightsim world, I tried to gauge the acceptance of a common navdata structure/format for all aircraft (including providing a programming interface). There were, unfortunately, no takers. I assume that there would be no takers for this idea even now???Therefore, I am proposing the following:(1) I will make the data available in a standard, well-documented format that is not specific to any particular aircraft/software, and(2) The manufacturers of the aircraft/software will develop necessary programs to convert this data to a format usable by their productI am deliberately NOT choosing the ARINC-424 format since that format is not easy to use in an FMS/Flight planning software without significant pre-processing.What do you airplane manufacturers and pilots think? Will this scenario work for the majority of the users, assuming of course, that there is a need for such a service in the first place :-)?Also, since the navigation data in FS2002/FS2004 is grossly out of date, and I have no clue how to update it, maybe some kind soul that does will either create a program that can be used to update the built in data or let me know how to do it :-)Please let me know what you think...Best Regards,Prabal Ghosh

I like your approach and idea.But, There is already a database for Flight Sim.www.navdata.at releases Airac cycles on a regular basis, and basicly all FMS systems for FS2004/2002 (payware/freeware) uses the Airacs from navdata.at as the navigation database :)

>Before my departure from the flightsim world, I tried to gauge the >acceptance of a common navdata structure/format for all aircraft >including providing a programming interface). There were, >unfortunately, no takers. I assume that there would be >no takers >for this idea even now???I would say that that is still true. We have our own formats for our own reasons.But a base or core format in ascii text format that can then be used by anyone (IOW your proposal # 1). What is good about this is it is then open to future or new products to take advantage of as well.Might I also suggest a collaboration with Richard Stefan over at navdata.at Since Richard has already done a lot of work converting to different add-on formats perhaps the two of you can work together and come up with a core or base format that can be easily convertable.Regular Navdata updates for SID's and STAR's seems to be the one major piece of Navdata we producers do not have access to, so providing regular updates for SID's and STAR's would be a great assistance to all I believe if that is possible from your side.I'm definitely open and supportive of your suggestion.Regards.Ernie.

The Approaches for the FS2004 GPS use ARINC-424 style data. A tool to add new approaches to FS2004 using the ARINC-424 style data would be very beneficial.W. Sieffert

Hi Prabal. Yesterday I sent you an email through this forum's email feature. Please check.RegardsTerry Yingling

>What do you airplane manufacturers and pilots think? Will this>scenario work for the majority of the users, assuming of>course, that there is a need for such a service in the first>place :-)?Hi Prabal. I have been tryiny to contact you. Please contact me about this totic. Email me at [email protected] Yingling