I have a big preference for waypoints which use a full name, something you can look up on a map and also waypoints which are real waypoints, not some arbitrary coordinate.
If you have an app which displays waypoints and which show a map or satellite image which marks the coordinate associated with the waypoints, you can easily check that the coordinate is correct… the pin or marker sits on some real feature like an airstrip, silo, township etc. or can be adjusted to fit. If it's just an arbitrary point, it's impossible to check because there is nothing to see on a map. I only recently flew a task like this and most of us were unsure if we'd rounded the point or not. In this case it was because the old airstrip had overgrown but it proved the point. If you are flying long distances towards some remote airstrip, you can use some program like Ozrunways in the air to check… but only if there is a real location you're aiming for. If it is just a virtual, meaningless coordinate then you are out of luck. Sure, I have the advantage of using a glide computer which displays the full name and can store an almost unlimited number of waypoints, but even so, humans find names are a lot easier to work with in almost all cases than an alpha numeric code. And I don't believe that the accuracy of waypoint lists should be compromised so that short and meaningless alpha numeric codes are used because some old or cranky glide computers are slow to operate and won't accept full names. It's like tying the world to the old MS Dos 8.3 filenames in a world where filenames can be intelligent. It is amazing how many waypoints on "official lists" are wrong but if they are just arbitrary points, there is no way of checking with any software or map and it is hardly surprising. D _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
