[aprssig] "round the world Solar Flight - Operators needed

[Robert Bruninga]

We need volunteers in Phoenix Dallas and St Louis to maintain a track on the
flight of the Solar Impulse Solar powerd flight across America and output
that info live on RF along the flight path.  This is an exciting flight.  A
solar powered plane with the wingspan of a 747 but weighing no more than a
car.  Hams will want to see it if they are outdoors and monitoring APRS.

APRS is not just slapping a GPS on something, it is about providing INFO to
your fellow  hams about exciting Ham or other special events in your area.
Just like keeping track of VIP's at a Rae event, the task of APRS operators
is to maintain an OBJECT on the APRS map that conveys to everyone in RF
range all the relevant  information on that object.

So, we need APRS volunteers to help track this historic all-solar-powered
flight across America.  Here is the web page:
http://www.solarimpulse.com/en/across-america/

I cannot find on that web page any indication of when the SolarImpulse
leaves Phoenix, (problably a week or so) but we need to be ready.

NOTE!  We could do this centrally from one location if IGATE clients
implemented the ITEM-IN-MSG protocol.  This next phase of APRS has been
proposed in APRS1.2 for over 5 years now.  But I am not sure if any clients
have implemented it.  We need to get moving on this.  ITEM-in-MSG is
fundamental to a number of APRS initiatives to improve the ability to convey
info to others in real time.

Bob, WB4APR