Helping to make the NZ skies safer

[Ralph Stoker]

It seems that IE is the preferred browser for accessing weather information from the CAA sponsored met site...below is a brief description of previous correspondence. I intend to further respond to ensure that they take greater account of the differing web browsers out there...and would appreciate any brief comment from more technically competent computer users on CLUG on the two points raised:   POP-ups: This option was not disabled on my machine (certainly in Mozilla and Netscape...for the life of me I can't find the POP-up option in Explorer ..even in help topics!). In case there was a cookie issue this too was enabled.   What are the limitations in Netscape vs. Explorer to which they refer??   Initial E-mail to MetFlight     As a recreational pilot I've just tried to use the new metflight service. I have tried Explorer, Netscape and Mozilla browsers and all three of them failed to provide full functionality with the website.   None automatically started the webpage after login ...had to use the manual 'start' button shown on the webpage. Netscape was able to select the regional areas from the map as did Mozilla. Netscape was able to operate the buttons for radar maps etc...Mozilla was not. Explorer indicated 'Error on page' and couldn't pull up items from the map or buttons.   When trying to download radar maps no pictures were shown (Macromedia Flash 7.0 was installed on my computer) and downloads were extremely slow .   The format of the website is very nice, however in my humble opinion it really does need to be speeded up (the use of Shockwave / Flash may look slick but it makes for really slow downloading) and browser configuration problems sorted for it to be readily useable.     Ps. I 'picked on you' not knowing if you are infact the correct contact because the 'Contact' button on the metra homepage refused to function! Response from MetFlight Hi Ralph   Thanks for the e-anil received 2 days ago, I have been away on Business travel , hence the delayed reply.   711 registrations so far this month, and your e-amil is the 1st with the dreaded browser problems.   I thing your browser has been set to restrict/prevent POP-ups, hence half of the functuality will not work.   The site has been designed to work with Internet explorer due to limitations of Netscape and high use of IE as the browser.   The speed of the site is dependent on the speed of the internet connection and if the pop-up screens dont work, then things will be painfully slow.   I hope this helps       Unfortunately unless you are a licenced pilot (like me ;-) ) you are not permitted to sign onto this site ..hence I can't show you CLUGers what the page actually looks like. But basically it consists of a POP-up map of New Zealand over which one places and clicks the mouse button to select met data for that specific area...plus several clickable (supposedly) buttons to pull up current radar charts.   Ralph