Thanks for taking the time to provide the full explanation.
autorouter: instant messenger interface
Yesterday, we released a WhatsApp auto-responder for autorouter which was quite a fiasco because WhatsApp blocked our account within two hours. They do not welcome any sort of interactive service. As the feature is extremely useful, both on the ground and in the air, we chose a different way of providing it.
It now uses Telegram which is very much like WhatsApp but free, open source and non discriminating. It is available for all important platforms like iOS, Android, Windows Phone, web browsers. With over 50 million downloads in the Android app store, it surely has traction so it’s a good idea to install it.
Once you have installed Telegram and associated with your phone number, you can start a conversation with @autorouter_bot. Just search for “autorouter” and it will be shown. When you send it a message, it will respond that it doesn’t know who you are. This is because we need to associate your Telegram account with your autorouter account and this works via the phone number. Make sure that your autorouter profile has the right phone number and then share your contact with the Telegram bot. On Android, you can click in the top right corner and choose “Share my contact”. The same on iPad but on iPhone you have to click the paperclip, select contact and then choose your own phone book entry. Now we recognize you via Telegram and you can use the account from all devices in the future.
The commands have not changed, here’s what’s currently available. First the commands that can be accessed both via Telegram and SMS to +49 157 92340092:
When using Telegram, the following additional commands are available:
Awesome.
Great service! This is also very useful for VFR only pilots!
Wow – really clever!
Fantastic – really super. Looking forward to testing it for real.
Now, what about automatically paying landing fees or sorting PPR through AutoRouter. When we land at a destination, it would debit our credit cards (charge a commission) and avoid the hour long process of paying at the counter and the associated paperwork. At this rate, we will soon be able to just fly and the ‘admin’ bit will be mostly seemless in the background.
Simply amazing. It’s lightning fast…
Now, what about automatically paying landing fees or sorting PPR through AutoRouter. When we land at a destination, it would debit our credit cards (charge a commission) and avoid the hour long process of paying at the counter and the associated paperwork.
Yes! Any volunteers to setup the global infrastructure at all airfields to support this?
It could be just for participating airports – say starting with the big GA fields – EGBJ/JB/KB/TE etc.
It could work as follows: Enable Automatic Landing Fee payment? If then, after filing a flight plan, the system anticipates the AC landed at the destination, it debits the card. I imagine airfield owners would be delighted not to have people collecting £15 manually and would prefer a monthly payment.
How would you deal with diversions or multiple landings?