Airport Map Contest

We invite members from the geospatial aviation community to submit and share a map that explains an idea, problem, or solution using cutting-edge data visualization methods and geospatial technology. The subject matter must be aviation-focused, but the style and choice of platform/tools are entirely up to you.

Showcase your cartographic creativity! Don't forget that your map submission for the contest qualifies for points under the “Contribution to the Profession” category in your GISP Portfolio!

All submitters must include the following:

Submitter’s name, organization, contact information (email address and phone number)
Title of map
A brief description of the map
A high-resolution digital map image file or URL (must be publicly accessible)

To further clarify, we ask that each submission be provided either as a PDF or a story-based map. We're not evaluating the application or its technical functionality - our main focus is on the story the map tells and the quality of its content.

All maps will be reviewed and accepted entries will be displayed in an online gallery.

All maps must be submitted by Monday, July 28, 11:59 pm MT.

Beneath the Flight Path: Historic Cemeteries at the Edge of DFW Airport

By: Adan Banda

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

This map reveals three historic cemeteries—Harrington, Hitch, and Tompkins Family Cemetery—located just outside the boundaries of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. These small, often-overlooked burial sites predate the airport and reflect the region’s early settlement history.

Once part of rural homesteads and farming communities, the cemeteries now sit quietly amid highways, commercial buildings, and airspace infrastructure. While easy to miss today, they hold deep meaning—offering a glimpse into lives lived long before the airport existed.

By mapping their locations in relation to surrounding roads and development, this map encourages viewers to consider how the past remains present, even in fast-changing landscapes. These cemeteries are more than points on a map—they are reminders of families, faith, labor, and legacy.

Airfield Marking Maintenance Application

By: Jacob Wilson

Clark County Department of Aviation

These are two different views of an application I created in ESRI's Experience Builder for our Airside team to aid in the maintenance of our airfield's surface markings. GIS will still manage some aspects of the data, such as the geometry, but Airside will now be able to make edits to that same data and have a good visualization of the marking conditions as they are updated.

Every marking has an Overall value that is automatically calculated whenever the Reflectivity, Condition, or Color values are updated by Airside and the symbology is then updated as well to show which markings are deteriorating. They are also able to keep track of when the markings have last been verified and painted over, so that they know when the markings need to be completely removed and repainted.

Clark County Dep. of Aviation Noise Comments Report - June 2025

By: Vian Dawood

Harry Reid International Airport

The Noise Comments Report map shows project areas receiving land use application noise comments for June 2025, for Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Henderson Executive Airport (HND), and North Las Vegas Airport (VGT).

The map is part of the Land Use Tracking quarterly report that is submitted and published on the Harry Reid Airport website (https://harryreidairport.com/business/Planning/NoiseReports) and used as an official reference in Land Applications and Management.

The Airport Environs Overlay Districts (AEOD) layer in Clark County is added to the map to manage land use around airports and to ensure safety, compatibility, efficiency, and to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration regulations

Airport Apron Parking Information

By: Bryan Avery

City of North Bay & Jack Garland Airport (YYB)

The City of North Bay, a small city in northern Ontario, Canada, is home to YYB Jack Garland Airport. YYB serves as a national and international connector for North Bay and surrounding northern Ontario communities. It is one of only four airports in Ontario with a 10,000 ft runway.

In 2024, the City’s GIS team partnered with the airport manager to explore ways of improving airport services and operations using the City’s enterprise GIS system. A key focus was apron management, the coordination of activities and movements where aircraft are parked, loaded, unloaded, or maintained. YYB has five aprons, with apron 2 being the primary area where aircraft parking and movement operations take place. It accommodates scheduled and chartered passenger aircraft, cargo aircraft, the Department of National Defence (DND), search and rescue, or public emergency services. Apron 2 features six aircraft stands, two helicopter pads, and two general aviation tie-down areas, all of which are subject to temporary closures for events, maintenance, or construction.

Previously, the airport had no efficient way to communicate these closures. The process relied on static maps manually updated by the airport manager, which were time-consuming and could lead to stakeholders having conflicting information. Recognizing the growing need for real-time, accessible data among aircrew, dispatchers, and flight planners, the airport saw the value in a modern, digital solution.

To meet this need, the GIS team developed two applications: an internal app for airport staff to enter current and future apron restrictions, and a public-facing app to display real-time updates for parking restrictions at apron 2.

The internal tool uses a GIS-developed form to input restrictions linked to specific stands, helipads, or tie-down areas, including start and end dates. A background script automatically filters and displays only active or upcoming restrictions on the public portal, archiving old restrictions that are no longer active. This automation keeps the public app current without the need for manual updates, streamlining stakeholder communication.

The system allows YYB airport to efficiently share aircraft parking restrictions in real time via the YYB website, ensuring pilots, airlines, and airport partners are all working from the same up-to-date information.

This tool has already supported several key use cases:

• Armed Forces Day: Coordinating restricted parking for RCAF aircraft during the airshow.

• Diversion Management: Quickly sharing available space for diverted flights.

• Special Events: Informing visiting pilots about overnight parking restrictions for public events.

• Dedicated Stand Use: Reserving space for medical flights or official delegations during peak periods.

YYB airport believes this GIS-powered communication tool represents a first of its kind, reinforcing the North Bay Jack Garland Airport Corporation’s strategic goals of improving and enhancing communication with all aviation stakeholders in support of modern efficient airport operations. The system also has future potential for further expansion for runway closures and snow removal operations.

Map URL: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/b8bd2cdc23f74af28fd4eade45ef24fd/

Please find map imagery at: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/4e9f13471ba44da7b83ac5f785630eba

El Paso International Airport Interactive Terminal Map

By: Javier Jaime

El Paso International Airport

This interactive map allows airport visitors to view locations of and information on airport amenities such as restaurants, shops, restrooms, ground transportation, and parking. Users can toggle between floors and click on features to view information and photographs in pop-ups.

This solution, created in-house, is accessible through the airport's website. It is mobile friendly and QR code has been generated and has been placed on signage to allow visitors to open the application without having to visit the airport website.

This interactive map is also bilingual, allowing all visitors to easily find information on airport amenities and services through a GIS application.

Please find map imagery at: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/12370a7ec9224c3d895ce7f9381bfc9c

El Paso International Airport Public Art Projects

By: Stephanie Urbina

El Paso International Airport

This story map provides a virtual tour of public art installations at the El Paso International Airport.

As we all know, travel can be stressful and artwork provides airport visitors with a welcomed distraction. Public art also provides for an enhanced airport experience when traveling.

It is our hope that our visitors enjoy the public art displayed in our airport. This story map has also been placed on our airport website for our community to enjoy.

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Comparison of Airspace Surfaces and Height Limitation Zoning Ordinance – Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)

By: Alysha Keeling

Ricondo & Associates, Inc.

Ensuring the protection of navigable airspace around an airport is critical for airport and public safety. The submitted map is a product of an effort conducted by Ricondo & Associates, Inc., (Ricondo) for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) to evaluate the adequacy of Height Limitation Zones (HLZs) defined in the Milwaukee County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 84 (the Ordinance). Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Ricondo developed several airspace surfaces that were considered most restrictive around the Airport, including Part 77 airspace surfaces, runway end siting surfaces, and one-engine inoperative surfaces. Ricondo meticulously reviewed the Ordinance, and prepared HLZs boundaries in GIS. Using existing Digital Elevation Models (DEM), HLZs, and existing airspace surfaces, Ricondo conducted various geospatial analyses to identify areas within HLZs that are above (higher elevation than) existing airspace surfaces.

The map depicts the combined analysis of select existing airspace surfaces into a single, generalized representation to convey areas of potential concern without disclosing detailed, site-specific data. This approach maintains a level of abstraction appropriate for public display while effectively communicating the importance of aligning local height restrictions with federal airspace protection requirements. As shown in the map, HLZs that are above an airspace surface indicates that the Ordinance language for these zones does not fully protect for the existing airspace surfaces. Development compliant with the Ordinance in HLZs that are higher than airspace surfaces can potentially lead to airspace surface penetration, presenting potential obstructions and/or hazards to safe air navigation, and impacts on approach decision height minimums, climb gradients, and/or aircraft payload. The analysis also included comparison of HLZs with future airspace surfaces based on proposed runway configuration (not depicted in submitted map). This effort was prepared to support Milwaukee County in evaluating the adequacy of its zoning ordinance and to inform potential future updates that would ensure continued safe and efficient airport operations.

Map URL: https://ricondo-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/p/kdoughty/EZAbWb4XjVBIgIQjGUQpCSgBjVQBfS7rPSTKuuXeGv1QMQ?e=kfSIUf

Please find map imagery at: https://pearlsimpact-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/aquinteros_illuminex_ai/Emmjh7A8VINNq5Mtr88JtfgB_SMlLEN1wKVyvDzRaADakg?e=X6MmD4

Morristown Airport Crack map

By: Ariel Quinteros

Illuminex AI

We developed a way of having high resolution satellite image applied to a real-time model inside Unreal Engine, and we managed to create a way of adding cracks to the model to maximize realism.

The novel addition to our process is that we can utilize ultra-high-resolution satellite/aerial images (40000px by 40000px or more) in our real-time Unreal Engine digital twin by splitting the runway geometry and textures into tiles to be loaded and mip-mapped at runtime.

Our process to create ultrarealistic-looking cracks on the runway is based on the aforementioned satellite data for crack distribution.

We take the high-resolution satellite image and, through post-processing, isolate the lines that follow a crack pattern.

This high-resolution crack map is then split into tiles, too.

Then, through the processing of each tile, we are able to create normal maps and ambient occlusion maps that are applied to our runway material.

MAP URK: https://pearlsimpact-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/aquinteros_illuminex_ai/Emmjh7A8VINNq5Mtr88JtfgB_SMlLEN1wKVyvDzRaADakg?e=X6MmD4

Airport Map Contest

Airport Map Submissions