SkyInsight is a one-stop pre-flight planning resource and hangout for general aviation pilots, providing information required by 14 CFR 91.103 for any airport in the National Airspace System and creating a hub for pilots to share reviews, stories etc. for airports they have visited.

Tech Stack

SkyInsight was written using the React framework, bootstrapped with Create React App. It was 100% styled using vanilla CSS (no UI libraries!). Using a custom-built light Node Express API, SkyInsight interfaces with data from:

• FAA's 28-Day NASR subscription, some of which has made conveniently available through the aeroinfo API
• Aviation Weather Center
• Google Maps API
• VFRMap
• A locally-hosted "dummy server" using JSON Server which accepts full CRUD operations

Developed using VSCode, GitHub, JSON-Server, Node Express, Create React App, and Postman API.

Demonstration

View a quick demonstration of SkyInsight here:

Install

SkyInsight requires the Node.js runtime environment. Follow their instructions for install.

SkyInsight requires two local servers to run:

• SkyInsight JSON-Server - database handling persistent data storage for users, as well as select airport information (frequencies, Chart Supplements & Airport Diagrams for limited airports for cycle ending 10/5/23) using JSON-server. (Just a heads up, it's a big database!)
  • Install JSON Server from link above.
  • Navigate in your browser to the repo.
  • In your terminal, run git clone + repo's SSH to download.
  • Once in the database directory, run in terminal: json-server database.json -p 8088 -w (to quit: Ctrl + C)
• SkyInsight Node Express API - a custom-built Node Express API for interfacing with SkyInsight's many external datasets, using Node Express.
  • Navigate in your browser to the repo
  • In your terminal, run git clone + repo's SSH to download.
  • Once in the app directory, follow Node Express's installation directions.
  • Run in terminal: node app.js (to quit: Ctrl + C)

Once the above is up and running, SkyInsight is ready to rock!

• In your terminal, run git clone + this repo's SSH while in your target directory.
• Once inside the SkyInsight directory, run npm start (to quit: Ctrl + C). SkyInsight will automatically open in your default browser.

Some Important Notes

Secret Key for Google Maps

A Google Maps API key has been omitted from this repository. For embedded Google Maps to work properly:

• obtain a private API key here
• create a JS file in the src directory named GoogleAPIKey.js
• In GoogleAPIKey.js, copy + paste: export const googleAPIKey = "YourAPIKeyHere"

For the demonstrational purposes of this app, not all information is currently up to date.

Information which is up to date:

• Basic airport information (ownership, location, runways, etc.)
• Current METARs and TAFs

Information which is NOT up to date:

• Frequency data
• Chart Supplement and Airport Diagram, if available

Finally...

SkyInsight is for demonstration purposes only, and is not to be used for navigation. Go use a proper EFB :)

Wireframe

ERD