The Saga Continues!
I had previously disregarded checking via the Ground Station Replay Tool for 6th April as there was no data reported in the PilotAware database for that date - presumably due to the previously reported server issues.
Wrong decision
!
Looking again at the Groundstation Replay Tool with this new information, I can track your aircraft
on PilotAware and Cellular heading south-west towards LFLG
from just north of Tencin - reporting at that point on screen as at ~ 5000ft, though your virtual radar 'profile' clearly shows your height as 6000ft plus - but with significant altitude fluctuations*. You are reporting from the same point as connected to the LFLG ATOM as you passed over Laval and Saint Mury-Monteymond, then LFLG lost contact with your PilotAware briefly (probably due to terrain) as you passed south of Lac de Freydieres. It picked you up again very briefly as you crossed the D111 Route de Chamrousse for the first time, then seems to have lost contact with you again (on PilotAware) a few seconds later at 10.04 as you were about to cross the Route de Chamrousse for the second time. Your track, however continues via cellular all the way to your landing at Gap Tallard at 10.32.
* at this time of night, I can't remember what the reason for that is - might be a GPS or Baro issue - perhaps Lee can advise.
I then see you again (via Cellular) taking off from Gap at 13.05
and can follow you all the way back to your landing at Chambery - mainly on cellular, except for a few small breaks in cellular signal from where you pop back up on PilotAware at 13.20 as you pass over the ridge into the valley south of Grenoble and you then drop out of P3i contact again at 13.24 very near the point at which LFLG first picked you up on P3i on your outward flight. Your track then continues (on Cellular only) all the way back to Chambery.
This means that your PilotAware and iGRID
were both working as expected during both flights on 6th April, and confirms that PAW uplink is limited along that route (due to terrain) to the area between Tenom and La Petoune de Belledonne and along the Grenoble Valley in close proximity to the only existing ATOM Station at LFLG - which is exactly as I would expect.
Not sure how I can see the aircraft at Gap on 7th April via a Cellular report, though this looks like a genuine report. I guess it must be a glitch in the data.
The (Cellular) reports I see from your aircraft on the ground at Chambery on 8th April are obviously from when you were looking for the local gliders. The only reason I can think of for
not seeing any would be that the local OGN station(s), the gliders themselves, or both, hadn't yet updated their software to the new Flarm Protocol, so they weren't 'visible, or available for uplink locally via iGRID.
This now makes much more sense
Best Regards
Peter
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