Runway Finder shutting down.

I always used Skyvector but this is worrysome. Obviously the same monetary pressures exist in Skyvector's case.
 
boooooooooo

i don't think any other site will allow me to idly draw 500 km circles around my home base and memorize which airports i need to pass in particular directions to make diamond distance :(
 
Dang... My favorite route-planning, day-dreaming, eye-balling web resource. Morgenthaler compares
 
zaitcev said:
I always used Skyvector but this is worrysome. Obviously the same monetary pressures exist in Skyvector's case.
Click to expand...

I think this one has to do with a competitor claiming intellectual property rights.

I could be wrong...
 
It is a business with a very limited revenue opportunity, banner adds, maybe a couple of $$ from airnav.

There was some noise from the FAA that they didn't like any of the sites that stitch together maps in the way that he did this as it can lead to obscuration of features in the areas covered by two adjoining charts.
 
Good riddance.

After he dropped to his knees and wiped his mouth for FlightPrep I hadn't been to his site since. He is largely responsible for any power that FlightPrep actually gained over their bullying tactics.
 
That seems a little cruel, Nick. The Runwayfinder guy was an enthusiast who also provided a nice service to others, while he could. I think he deserves a nice thank you, and not scorn.

I would agree, though, that FlightPrep is just a bully, and is deserving of scorn.
 
Flightprep specifically targeted him because they knew he couldn't afford NOT to license, and they wanted to get a precedent set. IMHO. YMMV.
 
What's stunning is even now we have lots of members at PoA that continue to maintain how the patents are not to be abolished utterly, and that all the suppression of innovation that results is only from the rotten nature of few bad apples like FlightPrep. But this result is in fact built into the core of patents.
 
zaitcev said:
What's stunning is even now we have lots of members at PoA that continue to maintain how the patents are not to be abolished utterly, and that all the suppression of innovation that results is only from the rotten nature of few bad apples like FlightPrep. But this result is in fact built into the core of patents.
Click to expand...
I have re-read that several times and still don't quite follow you.

At any rate, I know that there's been a lot of pro-/anti- discussion wrt software patents.

The only thing that's perfectly clear to me is that the status quo wrt software patents is broken. I don't know what the fix is, but right now it seems to suck pretty badly for IP holders, for innovators, and for consumers. I think the only people who wholly benefit today are the lawyers.
 
According to a friend, this reply was received after showing an interest in following up:
RunwayFinder Offline
I appreciate all the emails of thanks. Sorry I haven't been able to respond personally to all of them. To those offering to purchase RunwayFinder or encouraging me to open source the site, unfortunately neither of those options is possible. Instead of writing to me, please write your congressperson (https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml) and tell them to end software patents. http://www.quora.com/Do-software-patents-help-or-hurt-innovation
Click to expand...
 
End Software Patents????????????????????????

I worked in a niche software industry and if patents were done away with, there would be LOTS of extra folks on the unemployment roles. Of course it's already a long list that began developing when so much software development began being done off shore.

It costs LOTS of money to develop good software. If they have to turn it over to anyone that wants it, how could a software company possibly make any money? I expect a response will come back regarding Linux, but that is an operating system, not an application.
 
SkyVector is hiring programmers. Seems they are planning on developing something for Apple. I like that hey require that you fly or learn how to fly to work there.

http://skyvector.com/jobs

Are you a pilot who programs? Are you a programmer who flys? Are you an iOS ninja who wants to get your pilot's license? Your dream job is here!
SkyVector is hiring 2 iOS developers. This is your chance to work for an exciting startup in Seattle making iPad apps for pilots. This is a real full time job, not freelance work. We offer full medical, dental, and vision benefits plus matching IRA contributions. All the fun of a startup without the startup headaches.
Ideally, we'll hire one senior and one junior developer.
You must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer.
At SkyVector, everyone flies. Our employee flight training program means that we all benefit from continual flight instruction. If you are not already flying, you must be able to obtain an FAA Medical Certificate, be a US citizen or expect to qualify under the TSA's Alien Flight Student Program.

Required Skills:
  • Objective C with iOS experience
  • Experience with test driven development and agile methodologies
  • BSCS and/or talent
Desired Skills:
  • Pilot certificates. (The more letters, the better.)
  • GIS background a plus.
Applicants: Send cover letter and resume to jobs@skyvector.com
Recruiters: Send your spam to trash@skyvector.com
 
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AirDC said:
SkyVector is hiring programmers. Seems they are planning on developing something for Apple. I like that hey require that you fly or learn how to fly to work there.

http://skyvector.com/jobs

Are you a pilot who programs? Are you a programmer who flys? Are you an iOS ninja who wants to get your pilot's license? Your dream job is here!
SkyVector is hiring 2 iOS developers. This is your chance to work for an exciting startup in Seattle making iPad apps for pilots. This is a real full time job, not freelance work. We offer full medical, dental, and vision benefits plus matching IRA contributions. All the fun of a startup without the startup headaches.
Ideally, we'll hire one senior and one junior developer.
You must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer.
At SkyVector, everyone flies. Our employee flight training program means that we all benefit from continual flight instruction. If you are not already flying, you must be able to obtain an FAA Medical Certificate, be a US citizen or expect to qualify under the TSA's Alien Flight Student Program.


Required Skills:
  • Objective C with iOS experience
  • Experience with test driven development and agile methodologies
  • BSCS and/or talent
Desired Skills:
  • Pilot certificates. (The more letters, the better.)
  • GIS background a plus.
Applicants: Send cover letter and resume to jobs@skyvector.com
Recruiters: Send your spam to trash@skyvector.com
Click to expand...


This is a smart move on their part. I have seen many, many applications developed for all different things by all different types of developers. The knowledge of what is needed in an application, the way it is presented to the user and how intuitive it is to operate will make or break an application.

I've seen some GREAT applications built by people with marginal software development skills and I've seen brilliant developers build applications that stink from an operator standpoint. In many cases the person operating the software is the customer and is the one that needs to find it useful and easy to use. It's the person that UNDERSTANDS what it's for, how it is used and so forth that can build the great applications.

My $0.02,
 
AirDC said:
SkyVector is hiring programmers. Seems they are planning on developing something for Apple. I like that hey require that you fly or learn how to fly to work there.
...
At SkyVector, everyone flies. Our employee flight training program means that we all benefit from continual flight instruction. If you are not already flying, you must be able to obtain an FAA Medical Certificate,
Click to expand...

Sport / glider pilots need not apply?
 
Now that runwayfinder has shut down, airnav.com no longer shows you a section chart for an airport.

Try this typical airnav page for an airport, look for the "Sectional Chart" on the right side, and click it. It leads you to a blogspot announcing that runwayfinder is shut down and you should complain to your congressman about software patents.
 
The company that started this should be shamed out of business.

And there should be a line of people so deep at their booth at OSH waiting patiently to explain their complaints civilly that they have a very hard time selling anything.

I did my part last year. Walked up with a smile and asked casually if they were the guys who were suing everyone over "a magenta line on a map, closing down or hampering some of the best aviation resources on the Internet?"

While the guy fish-jawed I continued with, "If you have a solid patent why haven't you gone after Garmin? What harm were the online companies doing that they deserved first shot? Was it about setting legal precedent?"

More fish-jawing from the sales drone and at least three potential customers walked away.

Pilots aren't stupid. They heard those words and walked away with their money still in their wallets.
 
NoHeat said:
Now that runwayfinder has shut down, airnav.com no longer shows you a section chart for an airport..
Click to expand...

They used skyvector before switching to runwayfinder.
 
MBDiagMan said:
End Software Patents????????????????????????

I worked in a niche software industry and if patents were done away with, there would be LOTS of extra folks on the unemployment roles. Of course it's already a long list that began developing when so much software development began being done off shore.

It costs LOTS of money to develop good software. If they have to turn it over to anyone that wants it, how could a software company possibly make any money? I expect a response will come back regarding Linux, but that is an operating system, not an application.
Click to expand...

Yep, end em. I write software for a living, lots of it. I used to contribute quite a bit to open source projects back when I had more time. You don't have to turn over your software to anybody who wants it if patents are abolished. Think, if there were only one company that made wheel barrows or only one company that made mouse traps, if you wanted to make a better one, you'd have to get that companies permission. My take is, if you think you can write something better than I have.. By all means, go for it. If you succeed, I might just have to buck up and one up you. That's how competition and innovation succeed. Hell 90% of the software patents (I pulled that number out of my ass but it's quite a few) aren't even patents on any software that actually exists. It's just Patent holding firms (Coughn NTP, Cough) that see what they can get through the nonsense of the patent office, then when they get their license to sue, they go at it, they contribute NOTHING and serve only themselves while wreaking havoc on the software industry.
 
I doubt that RunwayFinder shutdown because of the FlightPrep patent
debacle. The whole FlightPrep lawsuit certainly poisoned the well for
many, and I happen share his disdain for software patents ... as presently
implemented by USPTO.

I think it is more likely that he couldn't come up with the $120-$250/user fee
that the FAA will soon insist on collecting from everyone using their (formerly
free) electronic data.
 
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rainsux said:
I doubt that RunwayFinder shutdown because of the FlightPrep patent debacle.

I think it is more likely that he couldn't come up with the $120-$250/user fee that
the FAA will soon insist on collecting from everyone using their (formerly free)
electronic data.
Click to expand...

He had very limited revenue sources relative to the cost of hosting the thing. Then he got himself into this stupid fight with flightprep that drained away whatever pennies he made. Add to that the user fees I guess he just figured it wasn't worth his while anymore.
 
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