OpenAir Import problem

[RogerF]

New user of FIF, I would like to complement the airspace database with the gliders areas in Belgium.
I am mainly interested by the LFA GOLF 1, 2N, 2S, 3, 5 and MILFAG areas.

I found openair files on http://soaringweb.org/Airspace/BE

I tried to import this one: http://soaringweb.org/Airspace/BE/BELLU ... 70325b.txt

The FIF import says that it imported more than 130 airspaces, but they do not appear on the map nor in a search in the airspaces.

For example, the files defines an area "LFA G3 VERVIERS", but a search on "VERVIERS" gives nothing.
FYI, when LFA G3 is active, the airspace above 4500 ft AMSL, normally controlled in week time is declassified as "G" to allow for gliders to fly above Verviers.

*VERVIERS AREA LFA G3
AC W
AN LFA G3 VERVIERS
AH FL 60
AL 4500 FT MSL
DP 50:30:53N 005:37:25E
*(SPI DVOR/DME)
DP 50:33:43N 005:51:52E
DP 50:34:20N 005:59:56E
DP 50:19:55N 005:59:56E
DP 50:10:10N 006:05:35E
*along the Belgian-Luxembourg border
DP 50:10:28N 006:04:58E
DP 50:09:53N 006:04:51E
DP 50:09:37N 006:04:36E
DP 50:09:28N 006:04:07E
DP 50:09:28N 006:03:45E
DP 50:09:44N 006:03:18E
DP 50:09:59N 006:02:15E
DP 50:10:12N 006:01:56E
DP 50:10:58N 006:01:47E
DP 50:11:05N 006:01:32E
DP 50:11:04N 006:01:12E
DP 50:10:37N 005:59:46E
DP 50:10:37N 005:58:29E
DP 50:10:19N 005:57:45E
DP 50:09:35N 005:57:52E
DP 50:09:31N 005:58:02E
DP 50:09:13N 005:57:42E
DP 50:08:04N 005:57:29E
DP 50:07:29N 005:55:01E
DP 50:07:11N 005:54:16E
DP 50:06:44N 005:53:50E
DP 50:06:17N 005:53:47E
DP 50:05:49N 005:53:30E
DP 50:05:30N 005:53:18E
DP 50:05:02N 005:53:26E
DP 50:04:47N 005:53:19E
DP 50:04:34N 005:52:56E
DP 50:04:35N 005:52:23E
****end border
DP 50:04:26N 005:52:10E
DP 50:28:10N 005:38:19E
DP 50:30:53N 005:37:25E
*
What did I wrong?

UPDATE: I found the answer, but I leave the post here in case somebody else would have the same question.
Actually, the type "W" should be replaced by something else (e.g. "G") for FIF to display this airspace.

Still I have some questions:

1- List of supported airspace types ? (not found in the manual)
A to G are obvious, but what about "Parc national", "Zone Parachute", "Zone Golf", "Bird area"?

2- Can I filter the very low flying area, like EB-LFAxx and EB-HTAxx?
There are a lot of such areas in Belgium, cluttering the screen and of low interest, because there ceiling is at or below 500 ft AMSL.
There is a filter to mask airspaces in prep mode when the bottom is too high, but I did not find a filter for the case the ceiling is too low to be interesting.

3- When flying in an active area like LFA-G3, it is useful to permanently highlight the area as exiting it would impose the glider to descend below 4500 ft AMSL.
Is there a way to select an area and ask FIF to keep it shaded or highlighted?

4- Can I temporarily filter "R" or "D" areas?
The Belgium is very complex and sometimes, it is better to rely on the background map to avoid cluttering the screen with too many boundaries related to inactive airspace.

[RogerF]

No reply received for this post, but after trying all possible types, I found what is working and what is not working and made a proposal in another post:

http://funair.cz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=6099&p=8821&hilit=OpenAir#p8821

And I answer myself to my questions

1- List of supported airspace types ?
=> A, B, C, CTR, D, E, G, P, Q, R are supported in the OpenAir import

2- Can I filter the very low flying area, like EB-LFAxx and EB-HTAxx?
=> I did not find such filtering possibility, except for the alert buffer.

3- When flying in an active area like LFA-G3, it is useful to permanently highlight the area as exiting it would impose the glider to descend below 4500 ft AMSL.
Is there a way to select an area and ask FIF to keep it shaded or highlighted?
=> I solved the problem by defining such area as "G" = Contolled/Class G and associating a "light green" colour to better see them on the map.

4- Can I temporarily filter "R" or "D" areas?
=> Filtering can be defined for each zoom level; adequately defining the displayed category solved my problem.

[kitercuda]

Hi Roger

Thanks for your suggestions.
What does it mean airspace W?

I am working on the upgrade, I will add possibility like you described here:
http://funair.cz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=6099

You can filter airspaces at screen customizing. Long press the compass rose... There you can filter only type of the airspace (for each zoom level separately).
You can select upper limit for displayinmg at the Preferences: Screen settings / Airspace displaying

[RogerF]

In OpenAir, "W" stands for "Wave".

I presume that this is to show the areas where wave flights (in French, "Vol d'onde") is possible, that is generally relatively close to mountains on the downwind side. We have such conditions in winter close to my field.

However, in the EB OpenAir files available on the dedicated site, the "W" code is used to identify areas that can be open to gliders.

During the week, all the Belgian airspace above 4500ft AMSL is indeed controlled, but a series of "sport areas" can be activated on request if the conditions are good for gliders. An example is the Low Flight Golf Area Three (LFA3 Verviers); when this area is activated in week time, it becomes degraded to Class G up to FL65 (excluded), meaning that the gliders can climb up to FL60 instead of being limited to 4500 ft AMSL.
Other similar areas are activated on request during the Week-End, allowing to climb up to FL70 over larger areas and even up to FL90 in some places.

For the glider pilot, it is important to visualise the limits of these zones to avoid exiting laterally (=> to controlled airspace).
On soaring specialised software, the type W is generally used to visualise these airspaces.

On FlyIsFun, I simply define these airspaces as "G" and use a special colour to see them. Of course, I would simply leave "W" in the OpenAir file when FlyIsFun will be able to support it.

[kitercuda]

FIF will support W