TM Airports

Submission & Maintenance Guide

Welcome to the Airport Mapping project! This guide will show you how to create, format, and maintain your personal airport visit data file to generate your interactive map.

How the Map Works: Maps are generated from text files called .alist files. Once your file is submitted and merged, your map updates automatically within an hour (expect to see it live at the next :15 past the hour).

1. How to Format Your File

Whether you are a new or existing user, your data must follow these strict formatting rules:

Visit Codes

Use the following letter codes to identify your experience at each airport. The order of A, D, and L does not matter.

Code Meaning / Type of Visit
A Arrival: You landed at this airport as your destination.
D Departure: You took off from this airport to start a journey.
L Layover: You caught a connecting flight here (with or without changing planes).
X Other: You toured the facility, picked up a traveler, or visited without flying. Note: Use X only if you have never visited the airport as a flyer.

How to Find IATA Codes

Unsure of a specific 3-letter airport code? You can look up official identifiers using these trusted resources:

Syntax Examples

ATL A D L   # Arrived, departed, and had a layover in Atlanta
LAX A D     # Arrived and departed from Los Angeles
ORD L       # Only had a layover at Chicago O'Hare
FFO X       # Toured Wright-Patterson AFB but did not fly there
Missing an Airport? If you have visited an airport that isn't on the main site map yet, put it in your .alist file anyway! The processing system detects unknown airports and adds them to the master database automatically. There is never a need to edit the database manually.

2. New Users: Creating & Submitting Your First Map

Ready to see your map live? Create a plain text file on your computer containing your airport list, and save it exactly as [your_username].alist (e.g., worldtraveler.alist).

You can submit your file to the project using one of two easy methods:

Method A: Direct Web Upload via GitHub (Preferred)

If you have a free GitHub account, you can upload your file directly to the project folder using your web browser—no Git installation or command line experience required:

  1. Log into your GitHub account and navigate directly to the project data directory: TravelMapping/AirportData/air/data.
  2. In the upper-right corner of the file list, click the Add file dropdown button and select Upload files.
  3. Drag and drop your [your_username].alist file into the box, scroll to the bottom, and click the green Propose changes button. Follow the prompts to finish your submission!
  4. Since the site's list of airports updates automatically, there is no need to edit any files besides your .alist.

Method B: Email Submission

If you do not have a GitHub account or prefer not to use it, you can send your file directly to the project host. Send your .alist file as an email attachment to travmap@teresco.org with the subject line "New Airport Map Submission".

3. Existing Users: Updating Your Map

Keep your travel history accurate as you log new flights by updating your existing data:

Known Issue — Browser Cache: After your updated .alist file is successfully pulled into the main project, you may need to manually clear your browser cache (or use an Incognito/Private window) to force the new map markers to render on your screen.

4. Accessing Your Map

Once merged, your personal map will be permanently hosted at the following address:

https://tmairports.teresco.org/AirportData/air/web/user.html?user=[your_username]

To see a full register of all participants on the platform, remove the user parameter and visit the User Directory.