1 Introduction
Display FIRs, UIRs, airports and favorite airports
In this topic, you learn how to view and use a variety of flight and navigational information on one of the N-Tracking navigational layers.
We estimate that this will take 6 minutes to complete.
2 Detailed Explanation
Navigation Layers
Use the Navigation layers to add
important navigational information to the map:
■ Flight Information Region (FIR) / Upper Information Region (UIR): Display flight information region boundaries on the map with detailed information.
■ Grid MORAs: This function is "under construction" and is not discussed in this topic.
■ Airports: This layer displays all airports with an optional display of detailed information.
■ Favorite airports:
Use this layer to differentiate a selection airports as
favorites on the map.
The following high and low navigational
elements are explained in other topics:
■ Airways
■ Waypoints
■ Holdings
■ Navaids
■ Restricted airspace
■ Controlled airspace
For more details, consult Depict high and low level airways, navaids, holding patterns, and waypoints and Display restricted or controlled airspaces and/or communication areas.
Let's get oriented: The map is focused on Western Europe, at a 100 nm zoom level and the ACTIVE LAYERS pane shows that the Radar (for Europe) weather layer is active.
Hide the weather layers list (ACTIVE LAYERS) as you don't need this information while you learn to use the navigational layers. The weather layers remain active. Hiding the list does not affect that.
Click the Hide button.
Access the NAV layers in the Layers menu.
Click the Layers menu button.
Click the NAV
Layers
tab.
Notice that several of the layers in the lower
half of the pane are not accessible at this zoom level. You can tell this
because the slider is grayed out.
To control the
zoom levels at which you want the different NAV layers to be
usable, adjust the zoom level settings in the User
Settings menu (Zoom levels).
Click the FIR/UIR slider.
The areas bounded on the map with chunky white lines represent FIRs (Flight
Information Regions). They are specified regions of airspace
in which a flight information service is provided.
Some countries
split their FIR/UIRs to make controlling the airspace easier.
For example, the United Kingdom has a north and a south FIR.
Other countries may use a single FIR.
Start by examining a FIR in Germany.
Click the
highlighted area.
Click the EDGG list item.
When you expand the information displayed for EDGG, the selected FIR is highlighted in orange on the map. This is particularly useful when FIRs overlap, as in this example.
EDGG is a FIR.
Click the EDVV list item.
A different area, north of the previous FIR is outlined in orange. The EDVV area is a UIR.
HINT
Be attentive to your zoom level changes as you zoom out. If you zoom out too far while investigating FIRs/UIRs, the boundaries may disappear due to default zoom levels you have set. You can always zoom back in to display the FIR/UIR or to select a different one.
Zoom out to a higher zoom level (200 nm ) to see how the FIR layer behaves differently.
Click the Zoom
out (-)
button.
In this example, because of the default zoom
levels set for the display of FIR/UIRs, the white, chunky
lines showing FIRs do not display.
The last FIR/UIR you examined is still selected
and shows with an orange outline.
You can still consult the
information in the NAV pane, by clicking
any listed FIR.
Click the EDGG list item.
Notice that the area outlined on the map continues to show
your previous selection.
To change the FIR
selected on the map, you must use the zoom level set in your default
zoom levels for FIRs/UIRs to be enabled. (In this example,
200 nm.)
Click the Close button.
For this airline, the zoom level at which FIR/UIRs can be enabled or disabled is 100 nm. Zoom in to that level.
Click the Zoom
in (+)
button.
Remove the FIRs from your display for the next part of the example.
Click the FIR/UIR slider.
Next, add symbols to the map to show the location of airports.
Click the Airports slider.
As with FIR/UIRs, your default zoom level settings can affect whether or not you can enable the display of airport symbols at given zoom levels. Keep this in mind.
Click the Zoom
in (+)
button.
At a 50 nm zoom level, click one of the gear-shaped airport symbols. For this example, select the highlighted symbol.
Click the
highlighted airport symbol.
The teal-colored airport symbols on the map reflect the airports in the "My Airports" list.
The NAV pane displays the ICAO code and name of the airport. You can click this entry for more details.
Click the EDDL
/ DUS
list item.
Review the details about the Düsseldorf airport, as needed.
As you saw with the FIR/UIRs, the airport symbol you selected is highlighted in orange on the map.
Click the Close button.
Next, examine another way in which navigation elements work by zooming in again to the 20 nm level.
Click the Zoom
in (+)
button.
At the 20 nm zoom level, the ICAO airport codes display automatically.
Disable the Airports slider while you learn how to work with favorite airports.
Click the Airports slider.
"Favorite" airports might be a selection of airports that your airline uses regularly and/or as alternates.
Click the Favorite
airports
slider.
If this is the first time you are working with
airports on the map and you have not previously coded any airports
as favorites, you can
use the Edit 
button and add some without enabling the
slider.
Click the Edit button.
Click the airports input field.
As the field label shows, you can enter either ICAO or IATA codes for the airports.
Enter egkk into the airports field.
Press the 
key.
HINT
You can create your list vertically as shown
in this example, putting each code on a new line.
Alternatively, you can enter the codes separated by a comma
(egkk,lfpg).
You cannot enter
the airport name (such as Gatwick) in this field. Only
airports identified by their codes display on the map.
Enter etmn into the airports field.
Press the key.
Enter lfpg into the airports field.
Click the Save button.
After you save your favorites, you may need to refresh the display of the Favorite airports layer by disabling and then re-enabling the layer.
The favorite airports you added display on the map, showing the light blue symbol, like this one for the EGKK airport (Gatwick) in England. LFPG represents the Charles de Gaulle airport in France; it is not currently shown in this view of the map.
SUCCESS
Congratulations! You have successfully displayed FIRs and UIRs on the map and added airport symbols to assist with your flight tracking and planning tasks.