24. Search

The search dock window contains several tabs with similar functionality that allows to search for objects by name, ident or other criteria.

Filters are defined by various controls which are mostly self explaining. Only text filters and the tri-state checkboxes like Lighted, Approach or Closed need a few extra remarks below.

All filters can be used together where all conditions have to be met (and operator). All filters except the distance search filter are applied immediately. The distance search is applied after a short delay for each change.

Entering three or four characters in the ICAO Code field of the airport search tab will trigger a quick search which ignores all other filters.

A tooltip on the blue help button on the top right shows information about searching.

See Tables for more information how to rearrange columns in tables.

Tip

You can use the cursor key Down to jump from the input fields into the result table.

Using keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+I for Show Information or Ctrl+M for Show on map are usable directly from the input fields and will apply to the topmost airport in the result table.

The same applies to other tabs like navaid and logbook search as well.

24.1. Text filters

The standard is to search for entries that start with the entered text.

The placeholder * stands for any text. Once a * is included in the term, the standard search (match start of text) is no longer used. In that case you might have to add a * at the end of the search term as well to get the expected result.

The search is negated (i.e. find all entries that do not match) if the first character in a search box is a -.

Note that all of the above does not apply to numeric fields like Runways: Min or Altitude: Max.

24.2. Airport and Navaid Ident Text filters

The fields Ident for the airport and navaid search allow more functionality besides the one described above:

Put an ident in double quotes " to force an exact search (i.e. avoid partial matches). Example: SEA finds two airports one being SEAM while "SEA" finds only KSEA because of the matchin IATA code.
Separate several idents by space to do a search for each ident. EDDF EDDM find the two airports Frankfurt and Munich, for example.

24.3. Tri state checkboxes

These are used to filter airports by presence of certain facilities or properties.

Below are the states as they are shown in Windows 10:

Black Box: Condition is ignored.
Checked: Condition must match.
Empty Box: Condition must not match.

Colors and look of these checkboxes vary with theme and operation system. So instead of gray another color might be used (red fill on Linux or a - for macOS).

24.4. Menu Button

Airport, navaid, userpoint and online search tabs contain multiple rows of search filters. These rows can be switched on and off with the drop down menu on the menu button on the top right.

The drop down menu prefixes menu items with a change indicator * to show that the related filter row has modifications. You can use this to find out why a search does not give the expected results.

Tip

If you do not get the expected results or no results at all use the Reset Search menu item, the button Reset Search or press Ctrl+R to clear all search criteria.

24.5. Distance search

This function is only available in the airport and navaid search.

This function allows you to combine all other search options with a simple spatial search.

The checkbox Distance has to be selected to enable this search. The result will include only airports or navaids that are within the given minimum and maximum range of NM from the search center. This allows you to quickly search for a destination that is within the range of your aircraft and fulfills other criteria like having lighted runways and fuel.

The center for the distance search is highlighted by a symbol.

To restrict the search further you can select a direction (North, East, South and West).

Check the drop down menu for the change indicator * and the search fields for any remaining text if the distance search does not give any or unexpected results. Use the Reset Search menu item, the button Reset Search or press Ctrl+R to clear all search criteria.

_images/complexsearch.jpg — A complex distance search: Find all airports within a distance between 200 and 400 NM from Frankfurt (EDDF). Airports should have a rating greater than 0 and should have at least one lighted runway. Military and closed airports are excluded. The resulting airports are highlighted on the map by selecting them in the search result table. *Click image to enlarge.*

_images/complexsearch2.jpg — A complex search for scenery: This example shows how to find specific add-on scenery by using the `Scenery Path` search field. This shows all airports of the Orbx New Zealand South Island add-on scenery that have lighted runways. *Click image to enlarge.*

24.6. Random Flight in Airport Search

Selects a random departure and destination based on the current airport search result. A progress dialog allowing to cancel the selection is shown if the process takes longer. Once done the user can accept the departure/destination pair or start a new calculation.

You might want to refine the flight plan further by running the Flight Plan Calculation to get airways or intermediate navaids, selecting procedures ( Search Procedures) and Select Start Position.

_images/randomflight.jpg — Generating a random flight from a search result showing all airports in Germany, having 5,000 feet minimum runway length and are neither closed nor military. *Click image to enlarge.*

24.7. Ident in Airport Search

The input field Ident in the airport search tab searches for all available airport identifiers. These are:

Ident: Mostly equal to ICAO code but can be differnt especially for small airfields. X-Plane uses partially an unofficial code in this field like XPA000B. Available for all simulators and Navigraph navdata.
ICAO: Four letter ICAO code. Only available in X-Plane.
FAA: Airport code used in the United States given by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA code is only available in X-Plane.
IATA: Three letter IATA airport code. Available in X-Plane and Navigraph navdata.
Local Code: Official local airport code mostly used for small airfields. Only available in X-Plane.

The airport codes are also shown in the information windows, tooltips and in the map labels as well as in Flight Plan Route Description. ICAO, FAA, IATA, and local codes are shown and the internal ident is avoided if possible.

Example:

Akutan is shown as Akutan (PAUT) with its official ICAO code PAUT instead of the internal X-Plane code XPA000B.

Search Example:

Searching for ident KOI gives the airports Oberlin Muni (KOIN), Lt Warren Eaton (KOIC) and Kirkwall (EGPA) where EGPA has the IATA code KOI.

Tip

Hide the additonal airport codes if you do not use X-Plane or if you are not interested in these columns. You can do this by moving the columns to the rightmost position or by shrinking them to minimum size. See Search Result Table View.

24.8. Country, State/Province and City in Airport Search

Note that quality and availability for administrative data depends on the selected simulator.

MSFS provides names in the local language as selected in Options on page User Interface but country names are not available.

X-Plane airports are community work and therefore administrative names have varying quality if set at all. Country names are often used in several variants like USA, U.S.A., United States and more.

24.9. Override in Airport Search

Entering an airport ident using three letters or more ignores all other search options and shows only airports matching this ident.

This is indicated by the message Ident overriding other search options. in the search window footer.

24.10. Search Result Table View

All selected elements in the table view will be highlighted on the map using a black/yellow circle. See Highlights in the map legend for more information.

Use Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click to select two or more elements (multi-selection).

See Tables for more information how to rearrange columns in tables.

_images/airportsearchtable.jpg — Airport search result table. All additional search options are hidden by using the drop down menu of the menu button on the top right.

_images/navaidsearchtable.jpg — Navaid search limited to ICAO region `LI` (Italy) and VOR, VORTAC and TACAN stations that have a range of 100 or more NM.

24.10.2. Mouse Clicks

A double-click on an entry in the table view shows either an airport diagram or zooms to the navaid or other feature. Additionally, details are shown in the Information dock window. Single click selects an object and highlights it on the map using a black/yellow circle.

24.11. Top Buttons

Available buttons and menu items depend on search tab. This chapter explains common buttons and menu items.

24.11.1. Reset Search

Same as Reset Search in the context menu.

24.11.2. Clear Selection

Same as Clear Selection in the context menu.

24.11.3. Help

Display a quick help in the tooltip. Click to open this chapter of the manual in the default browser.

24.12. Context Menu Search

Available menu items depend on search tab.

Many menu items are mirrored from the Context Menu Map and provide the same functionality for the selected item below the cursor or the selected rows in the result tables. These are omitted here.

24.12.1. Show on Map

Show either the airport diagram or zooms to the navaid, userpoint or other features on the map. The zoom distance can be changed in the dialog Options on the tab Map Navigation.

24.12.2. Filter by Entries including/excluding

Use the field under the cursor to set a search filter that includes or excludes the text of the field. This is only enabled for text columns.

24.12.3. Reset Search

Clear search filters and revert to showing all entries in the search result table view.

24.12.4. Show All

The table view does not show all entries initially for performance reasons. This menu item allows to load and show the whole search result. The view switches back to the limited number of entries after a search filter is modified or the sort order is changed. The number of all, visible and selected entries is shown at the bottom of the tab.

Be aware that showing all navaids and airports can take some time especially if they are highlighted on the map when selecting all entries in the search result. The program does not crash but needs a few seconds to highlight all the objects on the map.

24.12.5. Follow Selection

The map view will be centered, but not zoomed in, on the selected feature if this function is enabled.

24.12.6. Copy

Copy the selected entries in CSV format to the clipboard. This will observe changes to the table view like column order and sort order. The CSV includes a header line. Columns which are hidden or shrinked to minimum width are excluded.

Import the CSV-Text into spreadsheed programs using UTF-8 encoding and a semicolon as a separator.

See Tables for more information how to rearrange or hide columns in tables.

24.12.7. Select All

Select all visible entries. To select all available entries the function Show All has to be used first.

24.12.8. Clear Selection

Deselect all entries in the table and remove any highlight circles from the map.

24.12.9. Reset View

Reset sort order, column order and column widths to default.