Implementing geospatially enabled aviation web services

Abstract

Despite the fact that geospatial data is available in existing aviation databases, it is a key factor not being used in retrieving information, causing inability to make time-critical decisions. Searching NOTAM data based on a geographic area is a missing component in today's widely used NOTAM Web services. Geospatially enabled NOTAM Web service was implemented providing a solution for location-based searches against databases. Upon subscribing to a topic on the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), where Airspace Volumes of Interest (AVOI) are published, client invoked the search method by passing AVOI data in possible 3 different shapes, point, cylinder, and polygon. Projecting 3D AVOI onto 2D map and executing the retrieval by employing "point in polygon", "point in circle" and "compare points" methods was the procedure that took place on the server side. The outcome was a number of airports with NOTAM data available. The response was passed as a SOAP message over HTTP to client. Upon receiving, NOTAM data was displayed in a tabular form as well as graphical map providing visual support. In addition, topic publishing AVOI was secured using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and web service was secured using Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) token implementing Role Based Access Control (RBAC). Only those with proper keys were able to subscribe to the topic, as well as only those with credentials were allowed to invoke the web service. This implementation has been adapted to a test case where hurricane is approaching. With this test case, airmen have been informed about the threat and provided with tools to make time-critical decisions in order to determine airports at risk and possible mitigation options for reliever efforts.