lix blog

Here’s how one can convert latitude/longitude values from degrees to decimal format using GNU awk.

# description: convert dec values to lat/lon
# license: GPL 3.0
# input: "N010.00.21.698 E094.24.35.999"
# output: "10.006027 94.41

awk '{
lat=$1;lon=$2;
split (lat, latitude, ".");
latpre=substr(latitude[1],1,1);
latdeg=substr(latitude[1],2);
latmin=latitude[2];
latsec=latitude[3];
latmil=latitude[4];
latdec=latdeg+(latmin/60)+(latsec/3600)+(latmil/3600000);
if (latpre == "S"){
latdec=latdec*-1;
}

split (lon, longitude, ".");
lonpre=substr(longitude[1],1,1);
londeg=substr(longitude[1],2);
lonmin=longitude[2];
lonsec=longitude[3];
lonmil=longitude[4];
londec=londeg+(lonmin/60)+(lonsec/3600)+(lonmil/3600000);
if (lonpre == "W"){
londec=londec*-1;
}

printf "%.7f %.7f\n", latdec, londec;
}'

usage:
echo "N010.00.21.698 E094.24.35.999" | ./awk_converter.sh
output:
10,0060272 94,4099997

… the 27th of December was quite a windy day for LSZH approach. – Especially for the poor Phenom and Falcon 2000 the landing must have been quite shakey!1!!

METAR 27DEC2012:
LSZH 271650Z 21016KT 170V240 9999 -RA FEW015 BKN030 08/05 Q1009 TEMPO 26022G40KT RA
LSZH 271720Z 24024G40KT 7000 RA FEW015 FEW025TCU BKN030 08/05 Q1011 TEMPO TS
LSZH 271750Z 25017G29KT 9999 RA FEW015 SCT020 BKN040 06/03 Q1012 BECMG N

27DEC2012 1718Z BER338J go around
27DEC2012 1736Z SWR125M go around
Change of landing runway from 14 to 28 due to windsheer & gusts
27DEC2012 1740Z IBE34KV go around
27DEC2012 1746Z PJS702 exceptional holding
27DEC2012 1748Z VPBBP holding over AMIKI
27DEC2012 1832Z SWR325M go around
27DEC2012 1836Z SWR151E go around
27DEC2012 1938Z BER890J go around
27DEC2012 2040Z SWR5081 exceptional holding KLO VOR-DME

Recording 27th December 2012 starting at 1700Z:

Transcript [27DEC2012]
[1701Z] - BAW718 after final rwy 14, vacating rwy. BER338J go-around.
LSZH TWR: Speedbird 718 contact Apron 121 decimal 85
BAW718: 121.85 Speedbird 718. - Be advised we had windsheer when reaching 1800ft, - would you?
LSZH TWR: Windsheers at 1800ft QNH?
BAW718: Att 1800ft after passing 1200ft
LSZH TWR: Thank you. Break. Break. Wind 220 degrees 20kt 48Y cleared to land 14.
48Y: Cleared to land 14. 48Y thank you.
[...]
JAL330: JAT330 final 14.
LSZH TWR: Tower good evening, continue approach. We have a windsheer report 1800ft QNH speed loss.
JAT330: Thank you.
JAT330: Cleared to land rwy 14. Just confirm, ya?
LSZH TWR: Not yet. Just continue approach preceeding is mid runway.
JAT330: Ok, thanks.
[...]
BER338J: Tower good day Air Berlin 338J on the ILS 14
LSZH TWR: JAT330 cleared to land rwy 14 wind 220 20kt
JAT330: Cleared to land 14. JAT330
LSZH TWR: Air Berlin 338 JULIET Tower grüezi, continue approach. Wind check 220 degrees 20kt we have a windsheer warning 1800ft QNH speed loss.
BER338J: 338 JULIET
[...]
BER338J: AirBerlin 338 JULIET going around 14. Standard
LSZH TWR: BER338J continue missed approach
BER338J: Wilco
[...]
LSZH TWR: BER338J contact arrival 131.15
BER338J: 131.15 there was a windsheer warning. - Thank you
LSZH TWR: Thank you.

[1718Z] SWR125M go-around
SWR125M: Swiss 125M in a go-around.
LSZH TWR: Roger
[...]
SWR125M: And Swiss 125M is reaching 5000ft
LSZH TWR: Swiss 125M roger, contact Arrival 131.15
SWR125M: 131.15 SWR125M

[1718Z] IBE34KV go-around
IBE34KV: Zurich Tower. Good afternoon Iberia 34 KILO VICTOR runway 14
LSZH TWR: IBE34KV LSQH TWR good evening. Wind 270 degrees 20kt, runway 14 cleared to land.
IBE34KV: Cleared to land IBE34KV
[...]
IBE34KV: Tower for your information we are performing a ???
LSZH TWR: IBE34KV standard missed approach
IBE34KV: Standard missed approach IBE34KV
[...]
LSZH TWR: Iberia 34 VIC... correction 34KILO VICTOR contact Arrival 131.15
IBE34KV: 31.15 IBE34KV

[1722Z] Departure cancellation SWR032U
LSZH TWR: Swiss 032 UNIFORM
SWR032U: SWR032U listen we can accept 15kt crosswind maximum.
LSZH TWR: Yeah it's 26kt from 260 degrees and it doesn't look like its gonna get better within the next minutes. - Would you like runway 28 for departure?
SWR032U: We're too heavy for 28 that's the problem. SWR032U
LSZH TWR: And SWR33U how about 32? - From the wind, well with the wind of 260 degrees at 27?
SWR032U: Ahh, negative. - 32 UNIFORM
LSZH TWR: Ok.
[...]
SWISS032U: SWR032U we have a new calculation and we are able 28 right now
LSZH TWR: SWR032U taxi down the runway and I call for the left turn to exit
CALLSIGN: Ok, let's copy taxiing down the long runway 16 and standing by for a left turnout SWR032U
[..]
LSZH TWR: SWR032U vacate ECHO 3. You're ready copy new plan?
SWR032U: Vacate ECHO 3 and standby for the clearance SWR032U
[...]
LSZH TWR: SWR032U Report when you're ready to copy
SWR032U: Will call when ready to copy SWR032U
[...]
LSZH TWR: SWR032U ready to copy clearance for 28?
SWR032U: 5 seconds standby shortly SWR032U
LSZH TWR: Danke
[...]
SWR032U: SWR032U ready to copy
LSZH TWR: SWR032U recleared runway 28 VEBIT 3 WHISKEY departure
SWR032U: Runway 28 VEBIT 3 whiskey departure SWR032U
LSZH TWR: SWR032U right on ECHO 121.85 bis nachher
CALLSIGN: Right E, 121.85 jawohl bis gleich SWR032U
[...]

[1733Z] SWR125M second approach
]SWR125M: SWR125M on ILS 28
LSZH TWR: SWR125M your number one for 28. Wind check 270 degrees 40kt.
CALLSIGN: SWR125M
[...]
SWR125M: Say again the wind for the Swiss 125 MIKE
LSZH TWR: The wind for landing 28 270 degrees 38
SWR125M: OK. That's copied.
[...]
LSZH TWR: SWR125M current winds 270 degrees 37kt runway 28 cleared to land, runway 16 is available for taxi
SWR125M: Cleared to land SWR125M
[...]

ATC conversation between LSZH Tower and DLH3EK (21st December 2012 06:32 UTC):

[21DEC2012 0632Z]
DLH3EK: Lufthansa 3 ECHO KILO we have to go around, we are a little too high.
LSZH TWR: Lufthansa 3 ECHO KILO roger.

[… other chatter]

LSZH TWR: Lufthansa 3 ECHO KILO continue climb to 5000ft
DLH3EK: Lufthansa 3 ECHO KILO on the established missed approach climbing to 5000ft
LSZH TWR: Lufthansa 3 ECHO KILO and contact arrival again on 131.150. – Bis gleich.
DLH3EK: Lufthansa 3 ECHO KILO 131.150. Bis gleich

DLH3EK (21rd December 2012): Flight route recording
Source: LiveATC

ATC conversation between LSZH Tower and SWR674H (23rd December 2012 12:09 UTC), one day before Christmas:

[23DEC2012 1209Z]
LSZH TWR: Swiss 6-7-4 HOTEL contact departure. – Ade.
SWR674H: Contacting Departure, Swiss 6-7-4 HOTEL. – Tschüss Huggi, guete Dienscht!
LSZH TWR: Tschau Roger, Dir au und schöni, frohsinnigi Oschtere! (Engl: Happy Easter!)
SWR674H: Genau, wünschi au, tschüss!
LSZH TWR: Tschau.

SWR674H (23rd December 2012): Flight route recording
Source: LiveATC

Courtesy of xkcd

Coincidentally I stumbled across the “Wingsuit Man” for X-Plane, which is a simulated parachute man droping at 220 knodts in a wingsuit. – Pure fun!

The next upgrade of the “plane model” will possibly contain the “Felix Baumgartner” livery … 😎

On Planefinder one can see police and fire brigade objects like EUGEN11, EUGEN5, URSULA4 and GALA18 taxying along the run- and taxiways in LSZH at night.

This is quite handy, as any attacker with a Smartphone can see, where the cops are located, which would ease access to the airport facility and the aircrafts … 😎
*sigh* – What a misconception!

… they can even be tracked with the live and fully movable webcams of the airport. – And they actually should be audible on frequency as well!?

[Update]
Ambu = Ambulance
Apron = Apron Control
Argus = Sight seeings
Diana = Gamekeeper
Eugen = Electro
Fabian = Workshop
Florian = Fire Brigade
Flupo = Airport Authority
Gala = Maintainance
Guido = Skyguide
Gusti = Airport Authority
Kondor = Snow Truck
Meteo = Weather
Orion = Ramp Safety
Parking = Parking
Riva = Airport Police
Simon = Safety Office
Turm = Approach / Runways
Ursula = Construction supervisor
Viktor = Cleaning
Zebra = Apron Service (Marshaller)

20120526 0938 UTC: Tonight there was an ELT signal on 121.500 Mhz around 3.7nm on final approach to rwy 34. – Maybe a glider in LSZK, which hit the runway hardly? Or a test ELT?

Source: LiveATC

This is how an ELT sounds like:

ATC conversation between LSZH Tower and OLT 277 (25th of May 2012 2126 UTC) cut-together:

[20120523 2126Z]
OLT277: Tower good evening OLTRA 277 [taxiway] KILO [runway] 28
LSZH TWR: Grüezi OLTRA 277 tower lineup and wait runway 32
OLT277: Lineup and wait runway 32 OLTRA 277

[20120523 2127Z]
LSZH TWR: OLTRA 277 winds 340 degrees 2 knots runway 32 cleared for takeoff
OLT277: cleared for takeoff runway 32 OLTRA 277

[20120523 2129Z]
LSZH TWR: OLTRA 277 confirm passing 3000 feet.
OLT277: affirm OLTRA 277
LSZH TWR: Danke identified remain on my frequency climb flightlevel 120
OLT277: Level 120 [OLTRA] 277 und vielen Dank, dass das auch so schnell ging
LSZH TWR: Ja ansonsten hätten wir Sie zum Kaffee eingeladen hier oben
OLT277: Das nächste Mal, danke

[20120523 2131Z]
LSZH TWR: OLTRA 277 when passing FL80 proceed direct ALAGO
OLT277: when passing [FL] 80 direct ALAGO OLTRA 277

[20120523 2132Z]
LSZH TWR: OLTRA 277 contact swissradar on 133.9 Schönen Heimflug
OLT277: Ok, danke 133.9 OLTRA 277 Schönen Dank nochmal

OLT277 (23. May 2012): Flight route recording
Source: LiveATC