ROMANIA, 25 Feb. 2009. The Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority (RCAA) is upgrading its implementation of geographic information system (GIS) software from ESRI in Redlands, Calif., to enhance safety and security and increase aviation efficiency.
"ESRI's GIS software gives RCAA the ability to efficiently create and edit cartographic products that support our aviation operations," says Mihai Necula, head of the Air Navigation and Aeronautical Information System (AIS) department, RCAA.
RCAA has been using ESRI's ArcGIS software, an integrated collection of GIS software products, for three years. RCAA used the standards-based product for data management and the mapping and viewing of spatial data.
"We saw the benefits of centrally managing our aeronautical data with GIS once we started using the software," says Necula. "Upgrading our implementation means we will be further integrated into our AIS and capable of doing more spatial data viewing and analysis including creating 3D representations, which is very important when managing airspace."
RCAA upgraded its current ArcGIS solution to include the specialized extensions ArcGIS Data Interoperability, Production Line Tool Set (PLTS) for ArcGIS—Aeronautical Solution, and 3D Analyst. The ArcGIS Data Interoperability software extension makes data import easier for RCAA by eliminating barriers to data sharing through direct data access, data transformation, and import/export capabilities. The RCAA production lines also utilize ESRI business partner Safe Software Inc.'s Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) 2008, which extends ArcGIS' data translation and integration.
Once data is imported, PLTS for ArcGIS – Aeronautical Solution allows RCAA to efficiently manage its aeronautical information and produce high-quality charts, ESRI officials say. "Using PLTS for ArcGIS – Aeronautical Solution gives us a robust editing environment in a map-based visual editing workspace," says Iuliana Radu, aeronautical inspector, RCAA. "This gives me precise control of feature parameters, one-touch data maintenance, and the ability to make a change to a feature once in the database that is reflected on all related products automatically. The software is very efficient and allows me to produce data and chart products faster with better quality."
ArcGIS 3D Analyst allows RCAA to effectively visualize and analyze surface data from many viewpoints, query a surface, and determine what is visible from various locations – all important tasks when working with aviation data.
