
<section id='BaseOps_FlightTrackChunk_id'
webfilename='flighttrackchunk'>
    <title>
        Editing Flight Tracks
    </title>
    <para>
        A flight track is a two-dimensional representation of an aircraft's
        flight path. Essentially, it is a line along the ground that defines
        the horizontal (but not vertical) component of the flight path.
    </para>
    <para>
        In BaseOps, flight tracks are defined as a sequence of one or
        more straight and curved segments. Every flight track has an associated
        <link target='#BaseOps_RunwayChunk_id'>runway</link> or <link
        target='#BaseOps_PointObjectChunks_id'>VTOL pad</link> that defines
        the track's starting location and (for runways) initial heading.
    </para>
    <exhibit>
        <img src='BaseOps_FlightTrack_Figure.png'
        standard_colors='true'/>
    </exhibit>
    <para>
        There are four types of flight tracks.
    </para>
    <unorderedlist>
        <listitem>
            <para>
                <bold>Arrival</bold> - Arrival flight tracks represents the paths
                of aircraft that arrive from outside the noise study area and
                land on a runway or VTOL pad.
            </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
            <para>
                <bold>Departure</bold> - Departure flight tracks represents the
                paths of aircraft that take off from a runway or VTOL pad and
                then depart the noise study area.
            </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
            <para>
                <bold>Closed Pattern</bold> - Closed pattern flight tracks represent
                the paths of aircraft that are performing touch-and-go operations
                on a runway.
            </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
            <para>
                <bold>Interfacility</bold> - Interfacility flight tracks represent
                the paths of aircraft that takeoff and land on different runways
                or VTOL pads in the noise study area.
            </para>
        </listitem>
    </unorderedlist>
    <note type='important'>
        <para>
            Arrival flight tracks are defined in reverse. That is, the first
            segment of an arrival (the one anchored to the destination runway)
            is the last segment that would be flown by an aircraft.
        </para>
    </note>
    <para>
        Flight tracks are used by the NMap, AAM, and RNM noise models.
        Unless one of these models is selected, the parts of the BaseOps
        user interface dealing with flight tracks will be hidden. See
        <iref target='BaseOps_NoiseModelsUsed_id'/>.
    </para>
    <para>
        To work with flight tracks, choose Flight Tracks from the <link
        target='#BaseOps_ListPane_id'>object type selector dropdown list</link>.
        Flight Tracks can be added, duplicated, and deleted as described
        in <iref target='BaseOps_ListPane_id'/>.
    </para>
    <para>
        To edit a flight track, first select it in the <link
        target='#BaseOps_ListPane_id'>object list</link>, then edit its
        properties in the <link
        target='#WCF_ApplicationMainWindow_id'>text pane</link>.
    </para>
    <exhibit>
        <img src='BaseOps_FlightTrackChunk_ScreenCap.png'/>
    </exhibit>
    <para>
        Flight tracks have the following properties.
    </para>
    <unorderedlist>
        [-include "BaseOps_NameLongNameNotes_ListItems.rxl" ObjectTypeName='flight track'-]
        <listitem>
            <para>
                <italic>Track Type</italic> - The flight track type (Arrival,
                Departure, Closed Pattern, or Interfacility). See above.
            </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
            <para>
                <italic>Runway or Pad</italic> - The runway or VTOL pad that defines
                the flight track's starting location and (for runways) initial
                heading. Select the runway or pad from the dropdown list. Press
                the Add Runway or Pad button <img
                src='intres:WCF_AddPlusSignToolbarButtonBitmap'/> to add a new
                runway or pad. Press the Go To Runway or Pad button <img
                src='intres:BaseOps_GotoToolbarButtonBitmap'/> to edit the selected
                runway or pad.
            </para>
            <para>
                For interfacility flight tracks, your must select both a From
                and a To runway or pad. The flight track location and orientation
                is determined by the From runway or pad. The To runway or pad
                is for documentation and error-checking purposes only.
            </para>
            <note type='note'>
                <para>
                    NMap does not currently support VTOL pads. Therefore, any flight
                    tracks used by NMap aircraft must be associated with runways.
                    RNM and AAM support flight tracks associated with either runways
                    or VTOL pads.
                </para>
            </note>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
            <para>
                <italic>Initial Heading</italic> - The initial heading of the
                first flight track segment, in degrees east of magnetic north.
                This property is displayed only for flight tracks that are associated
                with a VTOL pad (for flight tracks associated with a runway, the
                runway defines the initial heading).
            </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
            <para>
                <italic>Segments</italic> - The straight and curved line segments
                that make up the flight track. Segments are presented in a table.
            </para>
            <para>
                For straight segments, Angle is zero, and Dist/Radius is the length
                of the segment.
            </para>
            <para>
                For curved segments, Angle is the angle of the curve, and Dist/Radius
                is the curve radius. Angle is negative for left turns and positive
                for right turns.
            </para>
            <para>
                Length is the linear length of the segment, and Cumulative Length
                is the cumulative linear length of the track up to and including
                the segment. This information is useful when calculating flight
                profile track distances, although care must be taken to account
                for runway displacements. See <iref
                target='BaseOps_FlightProfileChunk_id'/> for more information.
            </para>
            <para>
                Heading is the magnetic heading at which the plane would be flying
                at the end of each segment, in degrees east of magnetic north.
                This non-editable information-only field is optional. See <iref
                target='BaseOps_FlightTrackAdvancedOptions_id'/> of <iref
                target='BaseOps_CaseChunk_id'/> for instructions on choosing whether
                you'd like to display this field.
            </para>
            <para>
                You can change the units used to specify flight track dimensions:
                see <iref target='BaseOps_CaseUnits_id'/>.
            </para>
            <para>
                The triangle icon <img
                src='intres:BaseOps_RowSelectionIcon_Selected_CroppedForDocumentation'/>
                indicates the selected segment. To select another segment, either
                click somewhere on that segment's row, or navigate to that segment
                using the <keytext>Tab</keytext> key.
            </para>
            <para>
                To add a new segment, either press the Add Segment button <img
                src='intres:BaseOps_AddPlusSignSmallButtonBitmap'/>, or press
                <keytext>Ctrl + A</keytext>. The new segment will be added directly
                below the selected segment.
            </para>
            <para>
                To delete the selected segment, either press the Delete Segment
                button <img src='intres:WCF_DeleteCrossToolbarButtonBitmap'/>,
                or press <keytext>Ctrl + Del</keytext>.
            </para>
            <para>
                To move the selected segment up or down in the table, press the
                Move Up and Move Down buttons <img
                src='intres:WCF_MoveUpToolbarButtonBitmap'/> and <img
                src='intres:WCF_MoveDownToolbarButtonBitmap'/>, or press <keytext>Ctrl
                + U</keytext> and <keytext>Ctrl + D</keytext>.
            </para>
            [-include "BaseOps_CopyPasteSegments.rxl" segment_name_lowercase='segment' segment_name_uppercase='Segment' object_name='flight track'-]
            <para>
                When you add a new segment, BaseOps displays the Extend Track
                dialog box, which asks for information about the type of segment
                you wish to add. Specify this information, then press OK.
            </para>
            <exhibit>
                <img src='BaseOps_FlightTrackChunk_ExtendTrack_ScreenCap.png'/>
            </exhibit>
            <para>
                Alternatively, you can use the quick-add feature, which lets you
                efficiently add segments to a flight track. To add a segment,
                type a quick-add command into the text box, then press the Add
                Segment button <img
                src='intres:BaseOps_AddPlusSignSmallButtonBitmap'/> or the <keytext>Enter</keytext>
                key.
            </para>
            <para>
                The quick-add commands are somewhat cryptic, but once learned,
                they allow you to add segments very quickly. Frequent users will
                find it worthwhile spending a few minutes learning the quick-add
                commands. To display a list of the quick-add commands that you
                can use, either press the Quick-Add Hints button <img
                src='intres:BaseOps_QuickAddSmallButtonBitmap'/>, or press <keytext>Ctrl
                + H</keytext>.
            </para>
        </listitem>
    </unorderedlist>
    <note type='tip'>
        <para>
            Using the Select and Edit map tool, you can graphically edit a
            flight track's segments. See <iref
            target='BaseOps_MouseTool_SelectAndEdit_id'/> for more information.
        </para>
    </note>
</section>
