A huge thanks to Bob Thompson, DC3-1145, for creating a Database of the DC-3 Airways' Regular Schedule Routes.

Not only has Bob's Database wrenched order out of the jaws of chaos but it has also moved the procedures for finding schedule details from the 1940s ... "When Flying was fun," but searching for flight information wasn't ... into the 21st century.

Best of all, Bob has provided the Database in two file formats:

Database format, v04 for those who are comfortable with Database programs, such as Microsoft's "Access," part of the MS Office package. This is the preferred format and provides the greatest flexibility in sorting the flight data.

CSV Format, v04 ... Bob has done us a great favor here by providing two CSV files, one for Domestic Flights and one for International Flights. These are comma-separated text files which one can directly import into Excel or similar spreadsheet. This format provides plenty of useful information, too. Sort the spreadsheet data by column and thus by cities, leg lengths, etc. Both files are in one zip file.

More CSV Options, v04 ... Bob has created several additional CSV files to offer some of the options available to users of the mdb Database file. The CSV Options download includes:

• A Flight Detail File ... all of the flights with airport details (no separation of Domestic and International Flights).
  
  
• A HomeFields file ... a list of airports where there is a DCA hanger.
  
  
• A Round_Trip file ... a list of flights where there is a to-from and back where you don't have to use the same outbound flight number for a return flight. (You don't have to add the "R" to the flight number in the PIREP.)
  
  
• And Much More ... Download it to check it out!
  
  

OK, now the fun begins. Want to know all of the flights that depart from Boston? How about all of the flights that arrive at Birmingham, England? Asthma bothering you? ... Perhaps sorting by airport altitude will find flights to ease your discomfort. Want to choose from among the 150 NM flights? These DB files give you all these possibilities and more.

Very Important Points

1. Database version ... A database only has value if it is kept current. Please note that the current version number is shown for each database format in the link titles above. Thus you can quickly and easily determine whether your download is the most current available.
   
   
2. Questions on the Database ... If you have questions or encounter problems, please post these on our Forum. Do NOT Email Bob Thompson directly. Many helpful people visit our Forum everyday. Forum posts also highlight the problems to others, and may eliminate the need of their posting a question, too.
   
   
3. Updating the Database ... Bob Thompson has volunteered to update the Database as changes and additions to the route schedules occur. However, schedule authors must submit a separate "DB Updating Document," preferably in Excel format. (If you don't have Excel, other spreadsheets will be OK, too.)
   
   The Update Document only needs four data items for each flight:
   
   
   1. Flight Number
      
   2. ICAO Code of Departing Airport
      
   3. ICAO Code of Destination Airport
      
   4. Route length in NM
      
   5. The Reference Filename of your flights.
      
      The fifth item, the Reference Filename, will be the same for each row of data. Simply enter it into the first row of data and then copy it through your entire DB Updating spreadsheet. (See the example spreadsheet.)
      
      The Reference File is the file posted for Pilots to download flight information. It is NOT the DB Updating Document.
      
      A Look Up table directly derived from FS2004 provides all of the rest of the airport information for the DB, such as City, State or Province, Country, and Field Elevations, etc. Not only does this greatly simplify the Updating Document task but it lessens the chances of error. This is the power of a well-designed DB program and it sure looks like the right man embarked on the DCA Schedule DB project.
      
      Here is an example of a DB Updating Document.
      
      The Update Document may be a spreadsheet or CSV File. It MUST NOT be PDF!
      
      The above procedure will result in the quickest and most accurate database updates. We don't want Bob mining data from the raw schedules for updates. After all he already did that for 1100+ routes and needs no more practice on that procedure.
      
      
4. New Route Schedules ... New Route Schedules will not be posted unless accompanied by a DB Updating document.
   
   Changes to existing schedules ... Occasionally an existing schedule requires a small correction, especially since some of these schedules cover three or four FS versions with all of their variations. In those cases, submit the corrected info to DC-3 Airways as you have in the past and Ron will forward it to me for validation and correction.
   

Enjoy the new Database! It's a very significant feature for our VA.