The AIRAC Process on GitHub

(This page is a work in progress (LB 14102017)

What's an AIRAC?

Aeronautical information is constantly changing: airspace structures and routes are revised, navigation aids change, SIDs and STARs are amended, runway and taxiway information changes. It is essential, for both efficiency and safety, that Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Air Traffic Flow Managers, Flight Management Systems and Aviation Charts all have the same information working from the same information base.

This can only be achieved by following the AIRAC system.

We attempt to follow the AIRAC cycles as closely as possible on VATSIM, creating and amending data to ensure controllers and pilots are using the most up to date procedures. AIRAC data for the UK is controlled by NATS, using their IAIP portal, we can access this data to ensure VATSIM UK rolls with the times.

Timeline

AIRAC +28 Downloading the AIRAC change documents to our local google drive folder (for correct linking in issues)

AIRAC +28 -> AIRAC +22 - we take some time to scan through changes proposed from AIP - make issues in Github tagged to relevant Milestone and ensure that nothing gets missed and linked to the documents from the first step.

[Behind the scenes, all the other tasks generated by this AIRAC change will be identified (non-sector file related) and create a working list of these for me and other members to work on.]

AIRAC +22 -> AIRAC +10 - The Sector File team (you!) complete outstanding issues

AIRAC +10 -> AIRAC +7 - DEV version of sector file is generated and shared for testing of big or complex changes (and provide the link here)

[Behind the scenes, the controller pack is also updated in this time if required]

Approx AIRAC +3 Development Freeze - after this time the current state is packaged for download.

Approx AIRAC +2 Release versions of SCT/ESE etc. build and double checked

Approx AIRAC +1 Forum Posts Updated, Download links Updated, Euroscope's Automated Download Tool Updated

Keeping your repo up to date with the master

So, you've completed your first few issues, great job! Now, as we move to the next AIRAC cycle, you need to keep your local repo updated with the master on GitHub.

Deleted merged branches

Once issues have been meged into the master branch, you can delete issues on your local repository as these are no longer required. Obviously, only be sure to do this once you are 100% certain the issues have been merged by an admin.

Updating your local repo

There are three main elements to this, to ensure that going forward into the next cycle, you are branching from the latest version of the master.

Adding the master (if you have already done this before, you don't need to repeat this step)
git remote add upstream https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/UK-Sector-File.git

This tells git where to find the new master version you want to be rebased with

Fetch the master
git fetch upstream

This gets the data

Rebase
git rebase upstream/master

Your fork should now be sync'd with the UK master, without any commit mess in doing this process, thus when you branch, make changes and open your first PR, only the commit message from the changes should be visible and nothing else.

Simples!