Airport Guide Development Blog

New Social Toolbar and the Continued Redesign

2012-05-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I am again (still) redesigning the web site to allow pages to load faster and not look as cluttered with all of the information I'm providing. This will hopefully provide a much nicer user experience when it comes to finding the information you are looking for. To that end, I am focusing on 2 areas at the moment and thought you would like a heads up as pages will be changing over the next few months.

1) I am rolling out a new social toolbar that you can see at the bottom of every page on the site. This toolbar will have the following buttons:

- Select Language: You can change the language on the fly.

- Share: Easily share the page to any social network, email it, print it, etc.

- Google +1: This is the equivalent of a Facebook like button.

- Tweet: You can tweet a comment about this page and a link on Twitter.

- Pin It! on Pinterest: This will post images of your choice from the current page to your Pinterest account.

- Facebook Like: This button will post to Facebook that you like/recommend this page.

- Online: Shows how many users are online, the pages they are on, and where they are in the world.

- Join Chat: You can now have a live chat with your friends on any of the following social networks: Facebook, Twitter, myspace, and Yahoo. The best part is you never have to leave AirportGuide.com.

2) The redesigned airport page, though pretty is loading so much information that it can take up to 15 seconds for a page to load. This is unacceptable. I am going to keep the same tabbed look but will be doing a ground-up redesign to load those pages within a couple of seconds. I think you will really like it when you see it.

That's it for now and as always, I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve the site.

Regards,
Mike

New Airport Detail Pages Design Released

2011-11-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I haven't written in forever but I have been hard at work. Today, I released a redesigned template for Airport Guide and a completely redesigned page layout for the detailed airport pages. Go ahead and search for an airport and tell me what you think. FYI, I am making tweaks to the page daily so don't be alarmed when you see it change from one day to the next.

Mike

Facebook Like Button Added to Airport Guide

2011-03-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

After much procrastination I have finally added Facebook Like buttons throughout Airport Guide so go ahead and Like away.

Airplane Blog Added to Airport Guide

2011-03-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Over the years I have received a ton of emails with really great airplane photos, videos, jokes, you name it. I'm sure most of you have received them too. Well, I have decided to start posting those emails in this Airplane Blog. I'm sure you will enjoy browsing this section of AirportGuide.com.

Mike

Travel Blog Added to Airport Guide

2011-03-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I just wanted you to all know that I have added a Travel Blog to AirportGuide.com.

If AirportGuide.com is going to be a great travel resource, then I feel it is time to start a travel blog. In this travel blog, we will not just talk about airplanes and airports but all travel. This includes rail travel, road trips, cruises, ferries, etc., etc.

To make this work, I am calling on all of you, to submit your original articles for incorporation into this blog. This means that these articles can't be found on other web sites as we don't want to be penalized for duplicate search content. And YES, you can include a link back to your site in the article, provided it is to a travel-related web site. The only requirement I have is that the articles be written in proper English.

I know some of you are asking what's the catch. Well, as with everything on AirportGuide.com, there is no catch except that I have the final say on what does and does not make it. I want a travel blog with a variety of unique articles and you probably want links back to your sites. It's a win-win for everyone.

Please send your submissions to articles@airportguide.com

AirportGuide.com Latest Updates

2011-01-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

The redesign that I have been working on since the last update in August has been focused mainly on fixing little bugs I have run across over the last year. I still haven't tackled the redesign of the detailed airport information page but that is definitely the next major update. That page is so complex and affects so many other areas of the site that I have to take the time to do it right or get it as close to perfect as I can get the first time through.

The one major enhancement I have made though has to do with updating fuel prices. On any detailed airport page you can scroll down to the FBO and fuel information. There you will see a bright green button to update any fuel prices. The process is now efficient, easy, and fast.

Let me ask a question of you. Is there anything you really like or dislike on the site right now? How is the navigation? Is it easy / difficult? Anything you feel should be on the site that you don't see now? Is there too much information or not enough?
Please tell me so I can take these ideas into consideration as I keep enhancing it.

Mike

Redesign Update

2010-08-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

The first thing I would like to say is thanks for sticking with me. I haven't communicated nearly enough but I have been working hard on the site. Unfortunately, I have not yet implemented a lot of what I'm planning to do. Work and family commitments have slowed this process down.

AIRPORT GUIDE ON YOUR SITE - At my own peril with the search engines, I have decided to redo my link structure to make it easier for you to add links to your favorite airport right on your web site. The new linking is http://AirportGuide.com/id/XXXX where XXXX is the ICAO, IATA, or FAA ID. You can read more about direct linking in the development blog.

BAD LINK FIX - I started working again on the site today and noticed that the video and Buy Now link for the LogTen Pro logbook for Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad was not working. I have fixed it now so you can try out the LogTen Pro links.

AIRPORT SEARCH UPDATE - I have updated the Airport Search Form search capabilities. This search is found in the top left area of the main content on most every screen. Anyway, the search is really cool now in that it will take any number of words or portions of words and perform an AND search on them. So what does this mean to you? In the past you could only search on a single word and use wild card characters on either end of the word to find something. Now you can type something like Angeles heli and find two records that contain both words in any combination of the ICAO ID, FAA ID, IATA ID, Name, City, State, Country, and Type.

You will also notice that the headers are links. Clicking on any of them will sort the list by that column. A column heading in green, like Country shown below, is the column sorted on.

Everest & Jennings Helistop Nr 1

Los Angeles

California

United States

Heliport

8CL5

R I Ai Canoga Park B/2 Helistop

Los Angeles

California

United States

Heliport

AIRMEN CERTIFICATED DATABASE - I just updated the airmen certificated database. It's such a massive database that I have been letting it slide for the other items above. Well, it was time so have fun searching.

DETAILED AIRPORT PAGE - This is next on my list. I want to completely update the layout of the detailed airport pages. I have received feedback saying thanks for having all of the information in one place BUT I have also received feedback saying too much information. Here's my take on this. All of the information is important but to different sets of people, therefore, the goal is to maintain all of the information but display it so it is right there but out of the way. You will see what I'm talking about when I get around to this page.

There are so many more items on my plate here that I don't want to mention them for fear of my well-funded and well-staffed (at least 1 full time person) competitors implementing before me. Stay tuned as there is much coming......

If there is anything you would like to see or any changes to the site to make it easier to use, please tell me about it.

Happy flying and remember to keep the dirty side down,

Mike

The Site Redesign Continues

2010-04-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I have been watching how people have been using this site and the questions they ask and have come to the conclusion that my redesign over the last 8 months has helped in some cases but hasn't solved the simple problem of finding what you need quickly. AirportGuide.com has so much information and so many different ways to interact with it that it can be difficult at times to figure out the best approach to accomplish something.

That being said, I am continuing to refine the user interface to help you find what you want quickly. When the volcano blew up in Iceland last week, my traffic went through the roof because I had recently added worldwide airport delay pages. That idea came from an AirportGuide.com user.

Any of you can come up with a great idea that will show up on this site. If you have one, please let me know.

Anyway, it's back to the redesign for me.

Mike

New Site Design Deployed

2009-10-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well, after months of work, the new look and feel of Airport Guide has been deployed.* Please tell me what you think, good or bad.

I would like to point out a few new features to look for.

At the top of every page you will see a pulsating red button. Click on it and a pull down window deploys with Airport Delay maps. I love this feature!
You will notice a question mark in a small circle next to many titles and fields throughout the site. Just click on it for help and definitions on that section.
All of the site navigation has been moved into a horizontal green bar with drop down menus. This should provide you a more friendly user experience when trying to find your way around the site.
Speaking of navigation, I found that people coming to the site were not really sure where they should go since the site is now catering to both pilots and travelers. The site is now broken into six main areas:

- Pilot Information - This area encompasses the original Airport Guide where you can Browse Airports, perform an Airport Search (you can actually do this on every page now in the upper left of the page) and see detailed information about an airport such as runways, frequencies, approach plates, FBOs, etc. You can also search our Certificated Airmen, Navaids, and other databases (coming soon) and get Customs Forms to name a few.
- Pilot Resources - Here you can try out some great pilot logbooks, read the entire FARs and AIM, update FBO and fuel information, review NTSB Accident Reports, use Aviation Calulators, and read interesting aviation related white papers. There is more than I can list here but keep checking back as I will be constantly adding to this area. If you have any ideas for what you would like to see in this area please tell me.
- Pilot Store - You need supplies so this is where you look for them. There is an Aircraft for Sale/Auction page as well as a full blown aviation store with most any pilot supply you could need including:

* Note: The detailed airport pages are undergoing their own redesign and should be deployed within a week.

Site Redesign Almost Ready

2009-10-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

AirportGuide.com has been undergoing a 4 month site redesign to address our traveler visitors as well as our pilot visitors. I may be wrong but I believe we are the first site to take it to this level of catering to both groups.

As I start to transition to the new site this week, please be patient. You may notice some pages have changed and some haven't. This is a result of selectively replacing pages as they are proven to work.

Also note that this is just the beginning as I have a ton of ideas to implement. Look around the site and you may see glimpses of what is to come.

As always, if you feel you have a new feature, data source, web tool, idea, etc., that would be a good fit for this site then please contact me.

Thanks! --Mike

Site Redesign

2009-07-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while but I have been overwhelmed with the work on this site. It may look quite comprehensive to most of you but the truth of the matter is that only about 10% of my vision is functioning right now.

I read all feedback that users of the site have been providing to me and find I agree with most comments. Some comments such as
- Less is more
- I like all the information on one page
- I wish you had terminal maps
- etc.

The first two seem a bit contradictory but I have though of a way to have all airport information on one page without cluttering it up. This will take some time to get right but it will be worth it when it's done. The bottom line is I'm performing a COMPREHENSIVE SITE REDESIGN to enhance the user experience.

I am adding a full-blown weather section so you will never have to look at another site no matter what your weather needs are.

Airport Parking has now been added to 138 major airport pages. Look for the Red button in the upper right of the page. Also, look for a dedicated parking page in the future.

There are so many more things I'm working on that I can't list here. Just keep checking back to see the improvements.

Remember to keep the dirty side down. :)

Mike

Aircraft For Sale

2009-05-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Airport Guide is pleased to offer Aircraft For Sale through the eBay network. Check it out for yourself.
Whether you are looking for a Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft, Aviat, Lancair, Cirrus, Grumman, Diamond, or any other type of aircraft, you've come to the right place.

FREE US Instrument Approach Procedures

2009-05-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

AirportGuide.com is pleased to provide the immediate availability of U.S. Terminal Procedures charts online*. As we refine this enhancement to AirportGuide.com, we solicit your suggestions for how this service can be made more convenient and useful to you. Please send your comments and suggestions to info@airportguide.com.

The types of charts available are as follows :
APD - Airport Diagram
DP - Departure Procedures
IAP - Instrument Approach Procedures
MIN - Minimums
STAR - Standard Terminal Arrival Route

* Charts may be found on an individual airport's page. Perform a search for an airport and scroll down the page to locate them.

Thanks for your assistance as we improve the process by which we provide these services to you.

Airport Info Popup for Your Site

2009-02-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

I just realized that when I put up the direct linking blog post last summer, I forgot to tell you about another little popup feature I created for YOUR websites. It's a small popup screen with basic airport info. This will keep visitors on your site and if they want more info they can just click a link.

So here is how it all works.

MINI POPUP
http://AirportGuide.com/search-mini/XXXX
where XXXX is any 3 or 4 letter airport id (ICAO, FAA, or IATA)

To link to John F Kennedy airport in New York use the following:
http://AirportGuide.com/search-mini/KJFK

If you are at a smaller airport with only three letters as the identifier such as Hendersonville, North Carolina’s 0A7 just type the following:
http://AirportGuide.com/search-mini/0A7

Flight Arrivals and Departures Added

2009-02-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

At the top right of all airport pages there are two buttons

and

Each of these will allow you to view ALL aircraft arriving or departing from an airport. This, of course, has some restrictions as it is only valid for public use airports AND the aircraft will have had to have filed a flight plan so they are being tracked. For anyone leaving to catch a flight or picking someone up from the airport, this will have everything you should need.

ENJOY!
Mike

Flight Status Added

2009-02-02T23:15:00.000-08:00

You can now check your airline flight status by Airline Name and Flight Number or by Departure and Arrival Airports. Just click on the Flight Tracker link in the Navigation Menu.

Travel Supply Store is Being Built

2009-01-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

I have been getting inquiries lately as to when I will be getting the travel supply store online. Well, as you may have noticed I have started working on it.

Here is a current list of what I am adding to the store:
Travel Insurance
Maps
eBooks / iPods
Language Software / Books
Phone/SIM Cards
Backpacks
Luggage
Mens Wallets
Airport Lounge Passes
Travel Supplies
Zagat Reviews
Also, I have just added Home Exchange Services to the Reservations area.
If you have any suggestions for other items you would like to see just contact me and I'll do my best to include it.
Mike

International Airports Now Online

2008-12-17T23:29:00.000-08:00

After many months scrubbing data, I am finally confident enough to put the international airports online alongside the US data. There is not as much information out there for the international community so bear with me as the airport pages are modified and tweaked over the coming months.

If you have a good source of data for any international area such as the UK or France, I would be more than willing to talk about an arrangement to get this data supplied on an ongoing basis.

If you see any issues with the data please let me know. Otherwise, enjoy!

International Airports Being Added

2008-11-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Ever since the United States government stopped releasing the DAFIF data to the public, it has been very hard to build a complete list of international airports. I apologize for the time it is taking to get the international airports up on AirportGuide.com but I want to let everyone know that each airport's codes are being verified prior to posting them on the site. There are over 10,000 airports outside of the FAA's jurisdiction so this will take a while but as I always say 'don't waste your time doing it if you don't plan on doing it right.'

To that end, as the international airports are released onto the site, I will be adding the links to the countries on the Browse Airports by Country page. Initially, the list of airports will not be complete for a country but you will be able to watch the list grow over time as I release more and more airports into the database.

If you have any questions about what I am doing, have suggestions on how to speed this process along, or just have a recommendation for the site, please feel free to contact me.

Airmen Database

2008-10-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

You can now search for all domestic and foreign airmen registered with the FAA by clicking on the Airmen Search link in the navigation bar. This database will be updated monthly.

Country List Added

2008-10-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

A list of world countries has been added to the site to allow airport browsing by country. We are diligently scrubbing data from multiple sources before we make it available online. As data is added for each country, the link on the Airport Country page will become active.

International Airport Update#2

2008-10-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

I have been working many long hours on cleaning up the international airport data and unfortunately it was much worse than I thought. Ever since the US government stopped publishing the international data in 2006, it has been a very tedious and laborious process.

So here are the plans for the release. As soon as I can I will be releasing the basic airport data with the name, location, etc. Definitely no frills here but it will be enough to get you the basic airport data. The one thing I must verify first is that the ICAO and IATA identifiers are correct. There have been quite a few changes over the years and I want to make sure this is accurate.

In the meantime, I will be building up the database in the background and slowly adding items such as airport diagrams, approach charts, and other detailed information to the website so check back often.

If anyone reading this has a good for international data that is known to be clean please tell me.

And as always, if you have an aviation product that you think would integrate well with this site, such as a flight planner, please contact me so we can discuss it. I'm always looking for ideas to make this site the best aviation site on the web.

Thanks,
Mike

International Airport Update

2008-10-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

I just wanted you to all know that we are probably within one week of releasing international airports on Airport Guide.

Airport Guide "pick of the week" at AirplaneGeeks.com

2008-09-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

Airport Guide is honored to be mentioned as a "pick of the week" on the AirplaneGeeks.com September 29th podcast.

Browse Airports by State

2008-09-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

You can now browse airports by U.S. state and territories on AirportGuide.com. Give it a try.