May 31, 2007

ESRI's PLTS for ArcGIS—Aeronautical Solution Provides Platform for Aeronautical Data Production

Creation of Complex Data Simplified for Aeronautical Agencies, Commercial Airlines, and Commercial Chart Producers

Redlands, California—ESRI announced today the availability of Production Line Tool Set (PLTS) for ArcGIS—Aeronautical Solution, tools and functionality to manage aeronautical information and produce database-driven aeronautical charts. This new version of the software broadly supports the aeronautical information exchange model (AIXM), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, and the aeronautical community at large.

"With the first release of Aeronautical Solution, ESRI entered the aeronautical charting market with a rich set of tools for generating U.S. Department of Defense-style Enroute charts and European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) planning charts from data feeds," says Brian Cross, product manager, ESRI. "This release expands and improves how we serve our aeronautical customers by adding advanced data management tools as well as international standards-based charts such as approach and departure charts."

Aeronautical Solution combines data management tools, database models, aeronautical symbols and styles, cartographic utilities, and workflow management components, enabling a streamlined, more efficient information-centric production environment. Completely database driven, data is "one-touch," meaning that features on multiple charts or products exist as one collection of objects in the database instead of stand-alone graphics. This makes it easier to enforce quality control and run a production environment smoothly.

The solution capitalizes on ESRI's ArcGIS, the world-leading enterprise GIS platform, providing a service­oriented architecture framework and cutting-edge server capability. The open system is extendable to interoperate with Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS) tools/Procedures for Air Navigation Services—Aircraft Operations (PANSOPS) and Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) applications.

New functionality includes

• Specific tools to aid in editing complex geodesic aeronautical information such as airspace and distance-direction calculations. These new tools allow aeronautical organizations to maintain their aeronautical data using all the power of a geographic information system (GIS), keeping topological relationships intact and giving the data editor instant geospatial feedback on edits made.
• Support for ICAO Annex 4 defined charts including all the necessary symbology and tools supporting data-driven chart elements. ESRI provides sample chart templates for many ICAO charts.
• A new AIXM-based data model and interoperability support to AIXM version 4.5, allowing for data feeds and exports in AIXM format.
• Support for ESRI Map Production System—Atlas (MPS-Atlas), allowing for rapid creation and easy maintenance of map books containing hundreds of charts such as terminal procedures.

For more information about PLTS for ArcGIS—Aeronautical Solution, please visit www.esri.com/pltsaeronautical or call ESRI at 1-800-447-9778 or your ESRI regional office. Outside the United States, contact your local ESRI distributor.

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Press Information:
Karen Richardson, ESRI
Tel.: 909-793-2853, extension 1-3491
E-mail (press only): press@esri.com
General Information: info@esri.com