What is ArcGIS for Aviation? (Aviation)

This topic applies to ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced only.

ArcGIS for Aviation is part of a complete system for managing data, products, workflows, and quality. It is an ArcGIS for Desktop extension that tightly integrates with ArcGIS for Server and other extensions such as ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension for Desktop, ArcGIS Spatial Analyst extension, ArcGIS 3D Analyst extension, and ArcGIS Workflow Manager for Desktop. ArcGIS for Aviation is bundled with complementary components that include Esri Production Mapping tools, ArcGIS Data Reviewer for Desktop, and Task Assistant Manager. Together, these components provide the aviation industry with a comprehensive solution to solve challenges and inefficiencies for aviation data, product, workflow, and quality management. ArcGIS for Aviation provides a resolution to the challenges that the aviation industry faces, such as the demand for more products, operating budget cut-backs, dynamic lists of standards, and numerous changes to information.

ArcGIS for Aviation focuses on four main sections: data, product, workflow, and quality management. The primary objective of ArcGIS for Aviation is to efficiently manage aviation information, products, and integrated workflows to generate navigational products compliant with standards.

The Esri Mapping and Charting solutions include industry-specific, standards-based templates, rules, and tools. Through configuration, the tools and processes can be adapted to meet maturing business needs, and therefore an API is not included for customization.

Managing data

With ArcGIS for Aviation, you can

• Manage aviation information in a central geodatabase and produce multiple products in an enterprise environment.
• Access, manage, and share datasets securely in an enterprise environment that provides accessibility and scalability for multiple users.
• Use a logically designed aviation data model to organize features, attributes, metadata, symbology rules, labeling properties, and data integrity checks in a geodatabase.
• Configure data with a partner extension (Data Interoperability).
• Share data using the aeronautical information exchange model (AIXM).
• Use the same data for traditional products, products on demand, 3D visualization, and other Web services.
• Use a suite of sophisticated tools in addition to a comprehensive suite of GIS tools provided with ArcGIS for Desktop for editing, visualizing (cartography), and analyzing information.
• Create and edit data from mathematically based tools that create features based on inputs such as airspace.
• Archive and retrieve historical changes to features.
• Use customized editing tools to streamline aviation data-editing operations that are reflected on all related products.

Managing products

With ArcGIS for Aviation you can

• Create, maintain, and update aeronautical charts with database-driven symbology, grids, labels, attribute rules, and map surround elements.
• Visualize, analyze, and disseminate tools to increase production efficiency in an enterprise environment.
• Configure tools that help manage layers added to the chart and rules to define symbology and text.
• View, edit, organize, and store products within a product library.
• Export, publish, and archive electronic and cartographic aviation products.
• Integrate the data editing and product finishing environments in a single application with multiple views on information.
• Work in conjunction with other ArcGIS products to enhance the visualization and reporting experience.

Aviation products you can create include International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-compliant charts, standard instrument departure charts, instrument approach charts, enroute charts, and visual flight rule charts (visual approach charts or sectionals).

Managing workflows

Workflow management is crucial to managing the flow of information and keeping track of the status of jobs, data updates, and chart production. Workflows manage all components to perform and monitor work efficiently by standardizing processes, centralizing knowledge, and organizing tasks and people.

You can

• Author workflows that match business processes to guide staff with different skills through step-by-step instructions.
• Keep a detailed history log of tasks.
• Enable resources at production and management levels to assign, monitor, and follow predefined workflows.
• Provide a desktop or Web-based solution (Workflow Manager) for deploying and receiving assignments to resources.
• Develop customized workflows that can be shared among users with different permission levels and access points.
• Track and archive feature modifications across multiple databases by multiple personnel.
• Centrally manage and track units of work with simplified and standardized workflows.

Managing quality

With ArcGIS for Aviation, you can verify data integrity with native spatial or attribute and topological data validation within a GIS environment (Data Reviewer) before it is committed to the database.