NOTE:   Please be sure that you are running                  the latest version of the Flight Table                  Manager (FTM) software before                  proceeding to trouble-shoot your                  product. You may download and                  install the latest updates from:                 http://www.flytecomm.com/support/downloads.html   General I keep hearing about tail number blocking. What exactly does this mean? Why are some International Flights missing data? How often does the weather radar and satellite image update? Why do I sometimes see hollow airplanes on my display? Why are flights over the ocean almost always hollow? When running a log, must my browser remain open to log continuous updates? Error Messages "SQL error detected three times in a row."   "No status information returned from authorization server." "Error in connection to FTM user validation box." "No authentication information returned from authorization server." "Current traffic file is more than 10 minutes old, please check to see that the FTM is operating properly." "Could NOT write to directory..." and then the FTM shuts-down "Could not open binary airway.dat file." "Your paging file size is too small." Technical When I run FlyteTrax, my computer clock is set backwards. How do I fix this?   I'm setting-up a Networked configuration, but my FlyteTrax viewer isn't seeing the traffic updates. Why?   Some data tags appear to be stuck on the screen. Why? I can't find a flight that should be active (in the air). No flight information is displayed when I start FlyteTrax. Why? I can't get FlyteTrax to display any weather overlays. The flight data tag is missing some information. When I launch FlyteTrax, my screen is completely black. Why? I’m on a new network setup through a proxy server, why do I continue   to receive a “no authentication” error message? I receive an error that my “pathway” is not correct. What does this mean?   General   Q: I keep hearing about tail number blocking. What exactly does this mean? A: NBAA recently instituted an aircraft tail number blocking program to allow aircraft owners and operators to have their aircraft blocked in the data stream in order to insure privacy. Each data vendor is responsible for blocking these aircraft, and every 30 days, NBAA sends each vendor a list of aircraft tail numbers to block. FlyteComm blocks these aircraft in such a way that that the aircraft still appears on the display with all relevant data tag information except the call sign, which is changed from the aircraft's call sign to "GA". In addition, FlyteTrax also has an alias system that allows an owner or operator to block its aircraft but still see them on its display through the use of a pass code. Back to Top Q: Why are some International Flights missing data? A: The graphical display can be incorrect because of the way the FlyteTrax software was originally written. We've always had a problem with flights crossing the International Date Line. The SW has trouble understanding the 'date' change and does the best it can to try and compensate. The time error also has to do with the International Date Line. When flights leave the US Flight Tracking Range and enter a Foreign Control Zone, the FlyteTrax software can then only estimate the flight's location; it does this until ETE (Estimated Time Enroute = 0) and then 'drops' the flight. FYI...Over the Atlantic Ocean, this happens when the flight passes 20W. FlyteTrax 2000 is a 'Domestic Air Traffic Monitoring System' (including Canada). As more countries make their flight tracking data available, FlyteTrax's coverage area will continue to expand. Back to Top Q: How often does the weather radar and satellite image update? A: Radar weather updates every 20 minutes at 20 past, 40 past and 00 on the hour. The satellite image updates hourly with data valid on the hour. Back to Top Q: Why do I sometimes see hollow airplanes on my display? Why are flights over the ocean almost always hollow? A: The FlyteTrax 2000 receives a radar position report on each aircraft once every 4 minutes when they are in the ARTCC airspace. When they are within 40 miles of the airport the system receives a radar position report every minute. If the system goes for 7 minutes with no position report the target is hollowed to let you know that the position you see the aircraft in is based on dead reckoning from a radar position received more than 7 minutes ago. Oceanic flights only provide position reports crossing every 10 degrees of longitude. These reports can be as much as an hour apart. Therefore they will spend most of their flight being dead reckoned (or hollow). Back to Top Q: When running a log, must my browser remain open to log continuous updates? A:  Answer: Yes. Logging is a function of the FlyteTrax viewer, so it must remain open to receive real time updates into your log. Back to Top   Error Messages   Q: "SQL error detected three times in a row."  A: This indicates that the My SQL database running on FlyteComm's servers was stopped or shut-down. In most cases, this problem will fix itself within 15 minutes. Even thought the error message says to call FlyteComm, please refrain from doing so for at least 15 minutes. Try restarting your FTM during this time to see if the problem has been resolved. Back to Top Q: "No status information returned from authorization server." A: The browser's Security settings are set too tight. Modify them from 'HIGH' to 'MEDIUM'. Also, allow browser to accept cookies and enable ‘allow per session cookies (not stored)’. Back to Top Q: "Error in connection to FTM user validation box." A: SW is not sensing an Internet connection. Make sure dial-up connection is established (if applicable). If networked, make sure Firewall Settings are not blocking FT2K from sensing the Internet. If so, have the Network Administrator allow Firewall to access: (see Firewall Specification doc.) Back to Top Q: "No authentication information returned from authorization server." A: There are two possibilities here... Either the unique registration (App. ID) associated with each load of the software has been deleted from FlyteComm's database, turned-off, or has expired. Many times, a current, paying customer will upgrade/change computers, thus reloading the software. After registration, the 'new' registration is set-up in our Admin database as 'TRIAL'. After 15 days, this trial expires and the SW stops working. (If this is the case, please contact FlyteComm @ (650) 404-8100.) Or, the user is having a Firewall access issue: (see Firewall Specifications doc.) Back to Top Q: "Current traffic file is more than 10 minutes old, please check to see that the FTM is operating properly." A: When the FlyteTrax display hasn’t received updated traffic data in ten minutes, this error message will appear. First, check to see that the FTM is still functioning. If not, restarting it should fix your problem. If the FTM’s functioning, then pleas verify the pathways to your Traffic & Weather folders in both the FTM and the FlyteTrax viewer. (see User Manual) Another reason for this error could be that the customer has lost Internet connectivity. Either their dial-up or ISP has failed, or their LAN is down. After re-gaining Internet connectivity and restarting the FTM, this problem should be fixed. Back to Top Q: "Could NOT write to directory..." and then the FTM shuts-down A: In the set-up options tab of the FTM, pathways can be set-up for the Main, Traffic, & Weather directories. If someone has incorrectly changed these settings and the SW cannot locate one of these directories, then this error message is displayed and the FTM shuts-down. If you experience this error message, please contact FlyteComm @ (650) 404-8100. Back to Top Q: "Could not open binary airway.dat file." A: This happens when the path to the airway.dat binary file is incorrect and the FTM cannot locate the file. If, when the FTM is running, someone enters 'setup options' and changes the paths, the error message will appear the next time the FTM is started. If you experience this error message, please contact FlyteComm @ (650) 404-8100. Back to Top Q: "Your paging file size is too small." A: This error usually occurs when the virtual memory is low or you have limited hard disk space available. You can increase you virtual memory within the Control Panel under the System Icon under the Advanced Tab. Press Performance for the option to increase or decrease. Back to Top   Technical   Q: When I run FlyteTrax, my computer clock is set backwards. How do I fix this?  A: If your computer clock is set backwards immediately after starting FlyteTrax, then your Browser's cache memory needs to be cleared. From the 'Tools' drop-down menu of your Internet Browser, select 'Internet Options'. On the 'General' tab, under 'Temporary Internet Files', select 'Delete Files' and then press 'OK'. If your clock is set backwards each night at midnight Zulu (GMT), then you need to update your FTM to the latest version. See: www.flytecomm.com/support/downloads.html Back to Top Q: I'm setting-up a Networked configuration, but my FlyteTrax viewer isn't seeing the traffic updates. Why?  A: When running FlyteTrax in a Networked configuration, where the Traffic & Weather folders are shared so more than one viewer can access the data, the Traffic folder MUST be shared with full 'read/write' privileges. If it is shared with only 'read' privileges, the viewers will not be able to access the data. Back to Top Q: Some data tags appear to be stuck on the screen. Why? A: Right-click on the display and choose the "Toggle Data Tags" option. This will remove any "stuck" data-tags. Back to Top Q: I can't find a flight that should be active (in the air) A: Make sure that the flight is flying under an IFR flight plan. VFR flights are not displayed on FlyteTrax. If the flight is flying under an IFR flight plan and you’re sure that the flight is active, compare the time of the display to your system clock to ensure that the data being displayed is current. By default, a warning box will be displayed anytime FlyteTrax has not received an update in a 10 minute period. If you still cannot locate the flight, please contact FlyteComm @ (650) 404-8100. Back to Top Q: No flight information is displayed when I start FlyteTrax. Why? A: Compare the display time shown in the lower right hand corner of FlyteTrax with your computer system time. If the FlyteTrax time is current, make sure that all flights have been turned on by checking the buttons marked "GA" and "COM" in the toolbar or by making sure that both are selected in the Flights menu, which can found under the Display menu on the menu bar. If data still does not appear, then clear all filters and lists by selecting "Clear all filters and lists" from the Filter or List menus. If data still does not appear then reset the projection and Zoom level by selecting "CONUS" from the Projections menu. If flight data is still not displayed, restart FlyteTrax and contact FlyteComm @ (650) 404-8100. Back to Top Q: I can't get FlyteTrax to display any weather overlays. A: Make sure that you are set up as a weather data subscriber. Please contact FlyteComm if there is any question of the data you have subscribed to. The Flight Table Manager (FTM) database will generate error messages if it is unable to retrieve a weather image file. If this message appears, please contact FlyteComm for further analysis of the problem @ (650) 404-8100. Check the status of the weather buttons on the toolbar. If weather files are available, both buttons will be accessible. If no weather files are available, one or both buttons will turn gray. If the buttons are not gray, then weather files should be available for display. If this is the case, click on the button of the weather overlay you wish to display. Messages should appear alerting you to the status of weather file loading and display. If you receive no such messages, and no weather appears, please contact FlyteComm for further analysis @ (650) 404-8100. If the buttons have turned gray, check the location that FlyteTrax uses to find weather files. This location can be displayed by selecting "Directories" from the File menu. Back to Top Q: The flight data tag is missing some information. A: FlyteTrax relies on flight plan information for each flight to display an aircraft's departure and destination airport and times. Occasionally, a flight plan will not be initially received for a variety of reasons. When this happens, the only information available will be from radar position messages on the aircraft. These messages consist of a latitude/longitude position, ground speed, and altitude. When the aircraft passes from one air traffic control center to another, however, the flight plan will be passed and the data tag information should fill in at that point. ’Limited' Data Tags = no arrival/departure info. and no aircraft type. If this is the case, then the FTM is not using info. based on a flight plan or boundary crossing, but rather ONLY on tracking positions. Maybe the database was downloaded incompletely (possible line interruption). Or if using PPP dial-up, then maybe the line is being disconnected for 2-3 minutes (before reconnecting automatically). OR, spurious missing data from T1. The best way to correct this is to 1) Shut-down the FTM, 2) Delete the checkpoint.dat file. 3) Restart the FTM. Back to Top Q:  When I launch FlyteTrax, my screen is completely black. Why? A: This occurs when you uncheck the “Borders” option, which is available under the Display drop-down menu. Back to Top Q:  I’m on a new network setup through a proxy server, why do I continue   to receive a “no authentication” error message? A: When setup through a proxy server it is common to receive a” no authentication server error” due to cookie permission.  To avoid this error please enable the option that reads “Allow cookies that are stored on your computer”.  You also want to enable the option that reads “Allow per session cookies not stored”.  These options are available within the control panel under “Internet Options”.  Click Security tab the options are located under the “Custom Level button”. Back to Top Q:I receive an error that my “pathway” is not correct. What does this mean? A: This usually occurs when there is no information ”pathway” leading to the FTM.exe within the Startup options of FlyteTrax. To fix this, either enter a “pathway” or browse the system for the FTM.exe file. Back to Top