aviation data

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Peter Kovari

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Jul 12, 2026, 10:30:42 AMJul 12
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I have been downloading my current airport data and airspace from "Sport Aviation" for many years, great service.
What I noticed lately is that while downloading the "cup" and ".dat" data in older navigational programs (TopHat in in this case) is missing the airport details section.
Are there other places I could obtain these files with the complete information any longer? 

christopher behm

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Jul 12, 2026, 10:34:37 AMJul 12
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Check the new Turnpoint Manager. 

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From: rasp...@googlegroups.com <rasp...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Peter Kovari <p.kov...@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, 12 July 2026 07:30:41
To: RAS_Prime <rasp...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [RAS_Prime] aviation data
 
I have been downloading my current airport data and airspace from "Sport Aviation" for many years, great service.
What I noticed lately is that while downloading the "cup" and ".dat" data in older navigational programs (TopHat in in this case) is missing the airport details section.
Are there other places I could obtain these files with the complete information any longer? 

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Tony Condon

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Jul 12, 2026, 10:38:18 AMJul 12
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soaringdata.info has always worked well for me for current faa airport data and airspace

Peter Kovari

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Jul 12, 2026, 10:42:56 AMJul 12
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Thank you for the quick responses.
Sport Aviation and soaringdata.info is one of the same. Sorry if I did not make that clear

Lynn Alley

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Jul 12, 2026, 11:06:44 AMJul 12
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Hello Peter,

I am the author and website manager of soaringdata.info.  I'm not completely sure what you mean by the "airport details section".  Everything appears to be working properly on my end.  Here are a couple of things to try:

1.   In section 4 of the form, where you choose the output formats, select the legacy .CUP file format instead of the .CUP file with runway widths.  It is possible that TopHat doesn't like the CUP extensions that Naviter implemented some years ago.
2.  If that doesn't help, try changing the Comment detail setting in section 3 from Automatic to Medium or Long.

Of neither of these things work, please reach out to me directly using the Questions and Comments link on soaringdata.info.  I'll need some more specific info as to exactly what is missing.

Lynn Alley
"2KA"

Peter Kovari

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Jul 12, 2026, 12:21:36 PMJul 12
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Hello Lynne,
First, thank you for the great service you've been providing.
In XCsoar and TopHat there is a detail section on the bottom window once one clicks on the airport symbol. It contains all the frequencies , tower, ground, AWAS, runway lengths, widths , etc.
The downloaded file works well in XCsoar with newer devices, but TopHat is only working on older tablets and other than the primary frequency to the airport, elevation, gps fix, official sunset- all is missing now. I tried an earlier 2024 file and that still works, so something changed recently.
I also tried the steps you recommended and it did not work unfortunately.
Because of some overheating issues of the new "sunlight readable" device I started using, I reverted back to my older trusted device (not as bright but works).
Again, I like to thank you for all your help 


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lalley

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Jul 12, 2026, 12:54:56 PMJul 12
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Sounds like Tophat is choking on something that is legal, but different than something in the legacy file.

Please send me the old file that still works.

Lynn (no 'e' on the end)
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Peter Kovari

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Jul 12, 2026, 1:35:05 PMJul 12
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Thank you for going out of your way Lynn.
Please see the attached old file

airports-8448.cup

lalley

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Jul 12, 2026, 1:41:13 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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It might take a little time, but I'll try to figure it out.  One tough thing is that TopHat won't run on current Android devices.  I'll see if I can reproduce the problem on the Windows version.

L.

Lynn Alley

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Jul 12, 2026, 3:56:18 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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OK, I think I reproduced the problem, but it goes away when I select the option for the .CUP file in the legacy format in section 4 of the query form.  Please send me the file where you selected that option and still had the problem.

L.

Peter Kovari

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Jul 12, 2026, 4:39:47 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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Hi Lynn,
Please see the attached file that I downloaded this morning.

airports-9401.cup

Lynn Alley

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Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:12 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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Hello again Peter,

Just checked that file and the log from when it was produced.  It definitely has the newer format instead of the legacy CUP formatting option selected.  Here is the step-by-step of what you need to do:
  1. As you have in the past, go to the airport query form on SoaringData.info by following the link from the main screen.  You may wish to start by clearing your browser cache by holding down the shift key while hitting the reload button in the browser, assuming your browser has such a thing.
  2. Find numbered section 4, labeled "Choose output files"
  3. In the column to the right, look for ".CUP file [with runway widths]" .  Note that the [with runway widths] part is actually a drop down menu.
  4. Select that drop down, and change [with runway widths] to [in legacy format].
  5. Complete your query has usual.

If this doesn't resolve the problem, I suggest getting back with me using the Questions and Comments email (webma...@soaringdata.info) at the top of the query form, so that we don't further clutter up RAS_Prime.

I'm certain at this point that TopHat can't handle files produced using the newer formats that include some extra columns.  It looks like anything after the "freq" (frequency) column gets lost.

Best,

L.

Lynn Alley

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Jul 12, 2026, 5:49:46 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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Peter, I just noticed something.  The file you just sent me was from run #9401, which had the incorrect .CUP formatting option selected.  It appears, however, that you made a later run, #9403, which was done with the correct option.  You may wish to just double-verify that you are using the CUP file from #9403 in your testing.  If you are still having troubles, please send it to me.

L.

Peter Kovari

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Jul 12, 2026, 6:28:37 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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Lynn,
Whoa,...this worked like a charm!
I much appreciate all your hard work and willingness to help

Lynn Alley

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Jul 12, 2026, 6:37:47 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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No worries, Peter.  Glad to help.  It's also good to know that there was a reason to keep the legacy CUP formatting code around.

L.

Ryszard Krolikowski

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Jul 12, 2026, 7:10:29 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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Thank You Lynn for creating .cub (I use in LX9000) airspace file for my old club in northern Poland, Slupsk.
Also I need to thank John Leibacher for creating .SUA file I use here on my ClearNav2.

Ryszard Krolikowski

Bill Barnard

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Jul 12, 2026, 9:45:54 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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On Jul 12, 2026, at 6:37 PM, Lynn Alley <lal...@xmission.com> wrote:

 No worries, Peter.  Glad to help.  It's also good to know that there was a reason to keep the legacy CUP formatting code around.

Lynn Alley

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Jul 12, 2026, 10:47:03 PM (14 days ago) Jul 12
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Happy to help, Ryszard.

L.
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