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New spin on travel Spin Maps based on data from a Medford company will help air passengers track their route By LEWIS McCOOL The Associated Press DURANGO, Colo. � The view from an airliner�s window seat cruising six miles above the mountain West can be awe-inspiring, but identifying a particular location or landmark can be a challenge. Help will arrive in March with the debut of Spin Maps, a creation of four Durango designers and cartographers. Spin Maps President Frank Lister created Time Traveler Maps in 1995 to produce thematic maps of the American Southwest. His "Tony Hillerman�s Indian Country Map & Guide" has been one of the company�s best sellers. A little more than two years ago, Lister met with Creative Conspiracy partners Neil Hannum and Kris Hickcox to brainstorm other uses for the mapping data, which had been licensed from Raven Maps & Images of Medford. "We�re always looking for new things, to develop new products," Lister said during a recent interview. The brainstorming session took place shortly after Hannum returned from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Why not make maps for aviators, not for navigation but for sightseeing? That was the impetus, although it was clear that balloonists would comprise a small market. Airline passengers, on the other hand, seemed a natural because thousands take to the air every day. Cartographer Mark Stroud, who had worked with Lister on several mapping projects, joined the endeavor. "We started this as a combined effort," Hannum said. About a dozen people, including subcontracted editors and proofreaders, have taken part in the project. "People tell us they take road maps when they fly," Lister said, to follow the flight path and identify landmarks. The Spin Maps, which will sell for $6.95, are designed to present the information in a compact, easy-to-use format for popular routes. The first series of six maps will feature flight corridors from Denver to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Chicago and Dallas. The company has produced a custom version of the map for Denver International Airport. It features the Denver to Salt Lake City route and is being used by the city to promote Denver and the airport for access to the Winter Olympics. The DIA map, intended for distribution at trade shows and among foreign travel writers, made its debut Sept. 1. Preliminary production versions of the public version were released at a book show three days after the Sept. 11 attacks. Although the maps received favorable reviews, the sudden drop in air travel caused the company to delay the release. "We decided to let the dust settle and wait for spring," Lister said. A March 1 release date is planned to coincide with the March edition of Sunset magazine, which will include an article mentioning the maps. The initial printing will be for 2,000 to 3,000 per map, Hannum said. In addition to sales at DIA shops, maps will be distributed through Books West and wholesaler Map Link. They will also be available on the company�s Web site, www.spinmaps.com. In addition to the flight-path map, each Spin Map contains information about points of interest and topics related to the region and aviation. For example, the Denver-San Francisco map includes topics such as weather patterns (to explain the frequent Bay-area fog), mining (a typical activity in Nevada with evidence visible from the air), how jet contrails are formed and how to identify nationality of airline operators (from the registration prefix painted on the airplane). "They�re not for everybody, but it�s an educational piece, and it makes a nice souvenir or gift," Lister said. The company plans to develop maps one airline hub at a time, mapping the six most heavily traveled routes at each. Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta are in line after the Denver launch. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.