Information for Updaters

Leon

  • Information for Updaters

    Topics covered are

    • How to update records
    • New record – Making changes to an Update before it is Released to Everyone – IMPORTANT
    • Updating to ‘Preserved’
    • Deleting an Operator
    • Reducing the number of Duplicates

      [To add – Top & bottom screens – only do one or the other ] How to Update Records

      Needs rechecking by Jim Sending in Updates

    • Main Menu page
    • “Data Admin”
    • “Update Review”
    • Click “Produce Update” box
    • Right-click “nKJoutupdate.mdb” in the “c:\DataAir” directory where n = number of update automatically produced, and KJ (say) are your initials
    • Send to “Compressed (zipped) Folder”
    • Email resulting “nKJoutupdate.zip” file to Bob Clarke
      • Email to “bcwithe@ntlworld.com“
      • Message header = “Update n” where n = update number
      • Attach file “nKJoutupdate.zip”

        Frequency of Update Submission

    • Jim sends one in when he has updated 50-100 airframes
    • For me, may be 1-2 per month
    • Say, after LAAS and A-BN done for one month, or a whole register done
    • Avoid submitting very small quantities. They are checked! New Operator
    • Main Menu page
    • “Data Admin”
    • “New Operator”
    • In the “Check Existing Operator names” input field
    • Click first dropdown “(blank) X”
    • In the ‘Enter New Operator names’ input field, type the New Operator names
    • Enter
    • Select Country code from dropdown

    • Amend the A-ctive / H-istoric flag as appropriate

    • If known, type in 2 letter code, else leave as “-“ (note – do NOT delete “-“ as db does not accept a null)
    • If known, type in 3 letter code, else leave as “-“ (note as above)
    • If known, select Type of operator in dropdown. Else select “Business Operators” (note as above)
    • Click “Save” button appearing
    • Click “Exit”

A Note on Operator Name

The rules for how much detail to include, and who the operator is, can be summarised by the examples given in the table below. For individuals, the Data Protection Act (now the GDPR) requires that we can’t pinpoint an individual.

Operator reported as

In the database as

P.R.Dalton

P.Dalton

J.L.Smith & J.M.Reed

J.Smith

C.K.Davis, M.B.Margetson & P.R.Wilson

C.Davis

J.G.Cox t/o* The Moray Firth Flying Group

The Moray Firth Flying Group

Airxcite Ltd (tr)** Virgin Balloon Flights

Airxcite

Inuit Holdings Ltd op*** by Solent Helicopters Ltd (tr) Elite Helicopters

Elite Helicopters

LCI Helicopters Eighteen Ltd for op by Elitaliana

Elitaliana

SASOF III ( C ) Aviation Ireland Designated Activity Co op for I-Fly

I-Fly (the rest is the leasing company)

CityJet Designated Activity Co op in Brussels Airlines livery

if leased to Brussels Airlines then it would be Brussels Airlines

  • t/o = trustee of

    ** (tr) = trading as

    *** op = operated Operator Country

    This is the country where the Operator is based, not the registration country. So if a G- aircraft is operated by a company in Belgium, then it’s Belgium.

    New Record

    • Main Menu page
    • “Data Admin”
    • “New Record”
    • Minimum data to enter is
      • Manufacturer
      • Model
      • Series can be left as “-“ (but must not be blank) o Variant can be left as “-“(but must not be blank) o Current Registration Date
        • If not known enter as “00-00-00”
      • Registration
        • At least the country e.g. CN-
      • Civil / Military
      • Operator
        • If not known enter as “Unknown” from dropdown
      • Status
      • Click “Add” button appearing
      • Click “Add Previous” button appearing if want to add previous registrations

        Note that sometimes the Manufacturer – Type – Model – Variant is not set up as you might think. For example, for “Cameron Z-425LW”

    • “Cameron” = Manufacturer
    • “Hot Air Balloon” = Model from dropdown
    • “-“ = Series from dropdown
    • “-Z-425” = Variant from dropdown
    • “LW” is omitted (would have to be requested as an addition. Meanwhile could add it in the Group Note)

Read ‘Finding an Aircraft Type’ if it is not obvious where an aircraft is included in the database.

The Manufacturer is normally the original designer and later production by other companies (legally or not) are recorded against the designer. Thus, the modern Cub Crafters’ Carbon Cub is listed as a Piper Aircraft PA-18 Replica. However, some inconsistencies exist – the American Legend (Super Cub) is separately recorded.

If you can’t easily find the manufacturer, then obtain a listing of aircraft types and do a search/find for it. See here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once you have saved the completed New Record, you MUST NOT add any further updates to that record until it has been sent to Bob and subsequently has been sent out to everyone as a formal database Update. Any such further edits will show on your own copy of the database but will NOT be added to the Master Database and everyone else’s copy.

For further details, view the correspondence on this here.

New Base

  • If not in base dropdown, email Bob Clarke off-Forum Re-Registration
  • Click “Re-Registration” box
  • Add “day number” in dropdown box to left – if don’t know, select “00”
  • Add “month number” in dropdown box appearing to the right – if don’t know, select “00”
  • Add “year number” in dropdown box appearing to the right – if don’t know, select “00”
  • Add “Serial”
  • Skip “Occurence No.” small box unless this is a repeat registration e.g. if reused once = 2. NB: same as “acur”
  • Select “Country Code” in dropdown appearing to the right
  • Select “Operator” in dropdown appearing to the right
  • Select “Civil or Military” in dropdown appearing to the right
  • Select “Status” in dropdown appearing to the right
  • Select “Update” box or “Abandon” box Order & Sequence Numbers

    The Order and Sequence numbers can be understood by reading the ‘FAQ’ hyperlink next to their reference on the screen. The following example adds further clarification.

    Order

    1

    Sequence

    1

    Registration

    G-ABCD

    Operator

    Alpha Airways

    1

    2

    G-ABCD

    Bravo Airlines

    1

    3

    G-ABCD

    Alpha Airways

    2

    1

    N1234

    Yankee Airlines

    2

    2

    N1234

    American Falcon

    3

    1

    N67890

    Capital Airways

    3

    2

    N67890

    United Air

    4

    1

    G-ABCD

    Alpha Airways

    4

    2

    G-ABCD

    Bravo Airlines

    4

    3

    G-ABCD

    Alpha Airways

    Operator Change

    Note The Operator Change routine via the “Op. Change” box does not correctly maintain the entered date. Instead use the “Re-Registration” routine above.

    Written Off (W/O)

  • Select “Written Off” box
  • Add “day number” in dropdown box to left – if don’t know, select “00”
  • Add “month number” in dropdown box appearing to the right – if don’t know, select “00”
  • Add “year number” in dropdown box appearing to the right – if don’t know, select “00”

  • Type in details into Text Box appearing to the right. If no details known, enter a space (can’t be empty) so that an “Update” box appears. Keep concise.

  • Select “Update” box (unless you want to abandon the update, in which case select “Abandon” box).

  • Routine automatically moves current registration down to Previous box, replaces it by “Canx”

    Civil / Military

  • Applies to the service e.g. 7T- for Algerian Air Force = Military. Is this still the case? CIA aircraft are more problematic (probably = civil)

    If Cancelled by Authorities

    Cancellation by the CAA or FAA could be for a number of reasons e.g. the aircraft has been exported; the expiry of a CofA (Certificate of Airworthiness) or PtoF (Permit to Fly).

  • Select “Dbr” box (or “Written Off”)
  • “Status” will show “Dbr” – change in dropdown to “Status Unsure” if no reason known. If it is due to the expiry of a CofA or PtoF then set Status to “Withdrawn”
  • “Final Fate” shows “Dbr” – change in dropdown to “Cancelled by Authorities”

  • If it is due to the expiry of a CofA or PtoF then write “ CofA [or PtoF] expired dd-mm-yy” to show that it is very unlikely to fly again, anywhere. (add the leading spaces to separate it from the Fate output on the resulting screen). Add any other relevant information.

    If Cancelled by Operator

    May be reported as ‘Cancelled’ or ‘Cancelled as wfu’ (withdrawn from use) or similar.

  • Select “Dbr” box (or “Written Off”)
  • “Status” will show “Dbr” – change in dropdown to “Status Unsure” if no reason known. If it is due to the expiry of a CofA or PtoF then set Status to “Withdrawn”
  • “Final Fate” shows “Dbr” – change in dropdown to “Notified as Withdrawn”

  • If it is due to the expiry of a CofA or PtoF then write “ CofA [or PtoF] expired dd-mm-yy” to show that it is very unlikely to fly again, anywhere. (add the leading spaces to separate it from the Fate output on the resulting screen). Add any other relevant information.

    Group Notes

  • For anything you want everyone to read
  • Keep short
  • For example, Jim uses them for recording
    • Manufacturers c/n (the CAA uses the PFA/LAA number for the register)
    • CofA expired date

      Cancelling an Editing Mistake

  • Can’t cancel in Edit page
  • Come right out of the aircraft record to main menu
  • Go back into aircraft record and correct by new edit
  • Can submit multiple edits for the same aircraft in the same Update submission

NEW RECORDS – Making changes to an Update before it is Released to Everyone – IMPORTANT

Once you have saved the completed New Record, you MUST NOT add any further updates to that record until it has been sent to Bob and subsequently has been sent out to everyone as a formal database Update. Any such further edits will show on your own copy of the database but will not be added to the Master Database and everyone else’s copy.

When you add a new airframe, a flag is set to ‘N’ for ‘New’. If you then amend it (say to add a HEX) before sending the update, this will reset the flag to ‘U’ for ‘Update’. However, because there is now no ‘New’ record to apply the Update to, it fails. Wait until your update is released in a formal Update to everyone, then make any further updates.

For further details, view the correspondence on this here.

Updating to ‘Preserved’

Q: I have an aircraft which has been cancelled by the authorities. It’s still preserved in a museum. I have updated the status to ‘Preserved – non flying’ and added the preservation details. The registration still shows as current. Should I also do a ‘Dbr’ on the record to cancel it?

A: If by ‘Dbr’ you mean the macro on the edit screens then I would say no as this will cancel the registration and the frame will not show up in the museum listing. The best way is to complete the ‘Final Fate:’ section of the record manually and that way the registration is left alone and so is the museum listing.

Deleting an Operator

This has to be done centrally. Email your request to Bob Clarke.

Reducing the number of Duplicates

All editors should periodically have a look at the duplicates in an effort to reduce the number. If there any duplicates in your area of updating, please investigate and amend the records if possible.

Go into ‘Data Admin’ and click on ‘Duplicate’. You will bring up a list of all duplicated records.

If you have some duplications in your managed register that are caused by some preserved non-flying aircraft, change the latters’ Country to ‘X’ and 7Status to ‘Preserved Non-Flying’.