Moving an Airport

Up to the current version of ADE we have not included any tools to move (or rotate) an airport. This was due to the possible issues that moving can lead to especially for the unwary. the AFD information that editors such as ADE (or AFCAD, AFX or FSX Planner) generate is both visual and hidden scenery. At larger airports we have Approach code that links waypoints and navaids (pretty much fixed in space in FSX) to the runways. Moving, or rotating an airport can easily result in Approaches missing the runway altogether or causing unexpected doglegs and turns. Another issue is buildings and other facilities. Do you move them with the airport? if not then the terminal will sit nicely at the old location while the passengers at the new will be out in the rain. With ADE 1.50 you will be able to move and rotate both the airport and the buildings together so that the whole stucture maintains its integrity and relationships. It is quick and easy to check the effects of the changes on approach code in the visual Approach Editor.

However that is not the end of it. Moving may well result in part of the airport now hanging off the flattens and excludes or airport background so runways may disappear or go into the air. Trees may grow in the middle of the apron and so on. There is a great desire to place airports as accurately as possible and there do seem to be some in both FS9 and FSX that are out pf place. They can also get out of place if new terrain scenery or photo scenery is introduced. Finally the altitude of the airport may no longer match the terrain that it is moved to and may in total be on a plateau or in a ravine.

Not show stoppers but something to think about before just grabbing the runway and shifting in a few hundred meters to the south............