Harnessing GIS Data

“Some airports use GIS to manage leases, and for locating and identifying utilities. When you select certain data points on a digital GIS map, there is metadata [data about the data] attached to certain points.” With this, airports have access to critical information about individual assets on the airport setting, he adds.

FAA’s recent ACs regarding airport GIS drove the development of SAAMS, relates Mamary. “SAAMS isn’t so much teaching people how to use GIS, but what it does is gives them a platform with GIS data to play with,” he says. Airports simply have to send the same GIS data they are required to send FAA to the SAAMS platform.

SAAMS has nothing to do with data collection or verification, but it’s a platform to put information into, and airports can get different information out of it, says Mamary. “We are just rolling this out; so far it’s been the small airports that are most interested in the platform.”

More information on SAAMS can be found on the Web at: saams.aaae.org/index.cfm.