Drum Roll Please… the Airframes Database, Version 1.0, is Finally Ready!
This post has been a LONG time in coming. I started the work about 2 years ago and in the last 6 months almost all of my spare time has been focused on this. I was hoping to have the airframes database ready for release last fall, but apparently my ideas were bigger than newbie abilities to implement them in web pages. Oh well, better late than never. So I now can say that I have the 1.0 Airframes Database ready for you to use.
I’ll try to keep my comments in this post brief as possible, so if you have any follow-on questions you may wish to visit the Q&A page…
Airframe Tools Q&A PageMost of you are likely familiar with the
Locator by now, but it may not be obvious why the Airframes Database is needed. After creating the Locator it did not take me long to figure out that maintaining the database powering it is a big task. I needed a way to automate some of this work. I identified tracking the movement of aircraft from location to location is very time consuming, so I looked for a way to make this easier so the location dossiers could be more easily updated. What resulted was the Airframe Database which provides the infrastructure for documenting the history of airframes with the main purpose to track the movements of airframes between locations and museum collections. Much of the data for the database comes from civil aircraft registries (FAA, Transport Canada, Australia and New Zealand so far), websites, and printed material. Many of these sources can be updated on a regular basis (Weekly or Monthly) automatically (or at least very close to it). What results is a Locator database with improved integrity and a searchable airframe database.
As a bonus the airframes database is becoming a kind of index for warbirds and classic airframes. I couldn’t really pass up the opportunity to make this database searchable. To carry out searches go to the search engine…
Airframe Search…or you can also use the index tool to surf to the data you are looking for…
Airframe Index…by starting with a design firm and drilling down to an individual airframe.
How is this useful? Well let’s say you are digging through a shoe box of old air show photos and find photo of a plane with a civil registration tail number, but don’t know which airframe it is, then all that you need to do is go to the search engine linked above, enter the c/r into the “Civil Registration” category and click the “Search” button. If the airframe is in the database a link to the airframe dossier will be presented to you. The airframes dossiers include links to the location dossiers to you can see where the airframe has been displayed or who has owned it. You may have also seen my posts on WIX asking for photo uploads. These uploaded photos are displayed in the airframe dossiers and become part of the documented historical record.
Are there any other new features? Yes. I recommend you check out the
Airframe Gallery. Here you can view the latest photos uploaded and even view a slide show. The most active photo uploaders are recognized here (see the left side). One uploader who has gone above and beyond is Andy West. Andy has toured many countries in Europe and North America photographing Warbirds. I recommend you check out his photo album here…
Airframe Gallery Featuring Photos by Andy WestI also recommend you check out the
Airframe Database Reports Page page, particularly this report…
Airframe Database Reports Page…which lists the most recent airframes which have had some kind of status change or other activity. This is a handy page for getting a quick view of what is going on in the warbird and classics world. If you would like to see any other types of reports here, please let me know…
Airframe Database, Suggested New ReportsThe Airframes Database Needs You! I would very much like to recruit “correspondents” who monitor the discussion boards and subscribe to magazines where data about airframe events (restorations, first flights, incidents, ownership transfers, movements, etc.) are mentioned. These correspondents can easily add to the history of an airframe using the editing tool available in each airframe dossier. If you feel like becoming part of a team to help document the history of these airframes let me know…
Airframe Database CorrespondentsAre there any new features planned? Yes! Well, not obvious features. The main task will be to build the content of the locator and airframes databases going forward. Google Maps has upgraded their interface and the old interface, which the Locator uses, is now obsolete, so the Locator must be transitioned. I will be adding the ability to have assistant editors login and share in some of the fun. All of this should be transparent to most users but will enhance the tools usability.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments. I look forward to them!
Mike
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Mike R. Henniger
Aviation Enthusiast & Photographer
http://www.AerialVisuals.cahttp://www.facebook.com/AerialVisualsDo you want to find locations of displayed, stored or active aircraft? Then start with the
The Locator.
Do you want to find or contribute to the documented history of an aircraft? If so then start with the
Airframes Database.
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