AIRSTEP Model
This STM model has a piece of transparent material representing the airspace for approaching aircraft directly on top of and interacting with the model. The piece is removable and was created from CAD data.
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Close Up (134 KB)
Full Model (134 KB)
From the press release:
Rick Watson, EDAC (Earth Data Analysis Center) senior research scientist, said, “We initiated a case study on the Santa Barbara Airport to analyze and evaluate remote sensing applications. We introduced the use of solid terrain models of the airport and vicinity to illustrate airport runway approaches and their relationship to the local terrain. Using transparent 3-D model overlays, we can illustrate, in a realistic and easily understood way, the relationship of air traffic routes to terrain, buildings, and other objects that may pose a threat to approaching aircraft.”
“This case study had an interesting challenge for STM: a requirement to display the limits of two different airspace surfaces just above the surface of the solid terrain model”, commented Mark Fisher, executive vice president of STM. “We used CAD data files which described the surfaces and then created molds with our existing equipment. Our process enabled us to render the surface representations in a transparent material. The surfaces are interchangeable and placed on top of the terrain model, so the viewer can clearly understand the relationship of different complex airspaces in the context of surrounding terrain.”