Wind Tunnel Locator on DZ.com?

[Andy9o8 2]

HH- I mistakenly posted this in Wind Tunnels when I'd meant to post it here. Since it didn't get moved, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me cross-post the suggestion here. Thanks.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3025178#3025178

Quote

It would be great to have a wind tunnel locator on DZ.com like its current DZ locator. The best things about it would be:

- centralized location just like the DZ locator - no cumbersome Google searches with iffy results.
- it would be more up-to date, so recently-opened tunnels wouldn't be skipped.
- it would only list operational tunnels (or ones truly under active construction), eliminating all the hyped-up "phantom" tunnels that exist only in investors' press releases.
- it would be more or less "neutral" - it would not be a site run by anyone with a commercial agenda, so it wouldn't be biased toward listing only "allies" or omitting "competitors".

(There are a couple of so-called "directory" sites - one popular one in particular - that seem to have some glaring "gaps", i.e., some tunnels that exist are omitted. This would go a long way toward curing that.)

[Andy9o8 2]

For whatever it's worth, there's a discussion in the thread linked above about whether the need I've suggested for a broad, searchable DZ locator database is or is not yet filled on DZ.com. I think it is not. But in the interest of fair reporting, I'm mentioning it here.

[simpsora 0]

Hi Andy,

I did some of the work on the current DZ locator.
I'm interested in understanding the things you think the locator is missing -- the needs it doesn't fulfill.

I can't speak for Sangiro on whether or not they'd be implemented, but I would like to know.

Thanks,
Ross

[Andy9o8 2]

Quote

Hi Andy,

I did some of the work on the current DZ locator.
I'm interested in understanding the things you think the locator is missing -- the needs it doesn't fulfill.

I can't speak for Sangiro on whether or not they'd be implemented, but I would like to know.
Thanks,
Ross

Just to make clear, I'm talking about creating a new Tunnel Locator on DZ.com, not critiqueing the current DZ locator.

The current DZ locator on DZ.com is great. It is an actual comprehensive database, not just a list of a few tunnel links that DZ.com currently has.

For example, one thing I think is a really good feature that DZ.com's DZ locator has is the search function HERE that lets people plug in a certain central location and then find all DZ's in the database located within "X" miles of that location. I used it a couple years ago when I got recurrent, and I still use it whenever I want to find DZ's in other states to which I travel. If people searching for a tunnel could do the same thing, I'm sure they'd find it very helpful.

[BIGUN 1,409]

This help?
Course, the onus is on the DZO/M to ensure it's included in the DZ profile.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[NWFlyer 2]

Yes, but now there are quite a few tunnels that are not co-located with a dropzone. Also doesn't appear to be accurate either, as there's no tunnel at a couple of those for sure.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Remster 30]

And the result missed at least one dz with a tunnel.

Remster

[PhreeZone 20]

Issue is that that DZ did not enter the word "tunnel" in their DZ entry so it would not return as a result.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[BIGUN 1,409]

True... But one example is http://www.dropzone.com/dropzone/Detailed/1354.shtml where Aicraft = Wind Tunnel. So all they have to do is login, create a DZ account and do the same. There is one that says "Wind Tunnel coming soon." I think the key is going to be marketing this site's service to those stand-alone wind tunnels that they have a marketing/sales opportunity here.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.