diff --git a/src/blackmisc/aviation/atcstation.cpp b/src/blackmisc/aviation/atcstation.cpp
index 3bacba943..53317fe87 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/aviation/atcstation.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/aviation/atcstation.cpp
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
         int CAtcStation::comparePropertyByIndex(const CPropertyIndex &index, const CAtcStation &compareValue) const
         {
-            if (index.isMyself()) { return this->getCallsign().comparePropertyByIndex(CPropertyIndex::empty(), compareValue.getCallsign()); }
+            if (index.isMyself()) { return this->getCallsign().comparePropertyByIndex(CPropertyIndexRef::empty(), compareValue.getCallsign()); }
             const ColumnIndex i = index.frontCasted<ColumnIndex>();
             switch (i)
             {
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             case IndexBookedUntil: return Compare::compare(this->getBookedUntilUtc(), compareValue.getBookedUntilUtc());
             case IndexCallsignString:
             case IndexCallsignStringCrossCopuled:
-                return m_callsign.comparePropertyByIndex(CPropertyIndex::empty(), compareValue.getCallsign());
+                return m_callsign.comparePropertyByIndex(CPropertyIndexRef::empty(), compareValue.getCallsign());
             case IndexCallsign:    return m_callsign.comparePropertyByIndex(index.copyFrontRemoved(), compareValue.getCallsign());
             case IndexController:  return m_controller.comparePropertyByIndex(index.copyFrontRemoved(), compareValue.getController());
             case IndexFrequency:   return m_frequency.comparePropertyByIndex(index.copyFrontRemoved(), compareValue.getFrequency());
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/propertyindex.cpp b/src/blackmisc/propertyindex.cpp
index a1c007722..be640ef2c 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/propertyindex.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/propertyindex.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         this->parseFromString(indexes);
     }
 
+    CPropertyIndex::operator CPropertyIndexRef() const
+    {
+        return CPropertyIndexRef(m_indexes);
+    }
+
     CPropertyIndex CPropertyIndex::copyFrontRemoved() const
     {
         BLACK_VERIFY_X(!this->isEmpty(), Q_FUNC_INFO, "Empty index");
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/propertyindex.h b/src/blackmisc/propertyindex.h
index d24fa8d99..745f81b90 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/propertyindex.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/propertyindex.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #ifndef BLACKMISC_PROPERTYINDEX_H
 #define BLACKMISC_PROPERTYINDEX_H
 
+#include "blackmisc/propertyindexref.h"
 #include "blackmisc/blackmiscexport.h"
 #include "blackmisc/mixin/mixincompare.h"
 #include "blackmisc/mixin/mixindbus.h"
@@ -199,6 +200,9 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         //! From string
         CPropertyIndex(const QString &indexes);
 
+        //! Return a simplified non-owning reference
+        operator CPropertyIndexRef() const;
+
         //! Copy with first element removed
         CPropertyIndex copyFrontRemoved() const;
 
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/propertyindexallclasses.h b/src/blackmisc/propertyindexallclasses.h
index 9dd53c853..ce380d7c4 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/propertyindexallclasses.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/propertyindexallclasses.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 #include "blackmisc/propertyindexlist.h"
 #include "blackmisc/propertyindexvariantmap.h"
+#include "blackmisc/propertyindexref.h"
 #include "blackmisc/propertyindex.h"
 
 #endif // guard
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/propertyindexref.cpp b/src/blackmisc/propertyindexref.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..030307d70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/blackmisc/propertyindexref.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/* Copyright (C) 2013
+ * swift project Community / Contributors
+ *
+ * This file is part of swift project. It is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file found in the top-level
+ * directory of this distribution. No part of swift project, including this file, may be copied, modified, propagated,
+ * or distributed except according to the terms contained in the LICENSE file.
+ */
+
+//! \file
+
+#include "blackmisc/propertyindexref.h"
+#include "blackmisc/propertyindex.h"
+#include "blackmisc/verify.h"
+#include <QtGlobal>
+
+namespace BlackMisc
+{
+    CPropertyIndexRef::CPropertyIndexRef(int index) :
+        m_begin(nullptr),
+        m_sizeOrIndex(index)
+    {}
+
+    CPropertyIndexRef::CPropertyIndexRef(const QVector<int> &indexes) :
+        m_begin(indexes.data()),
+        m_sizeOrIndex(indexes.size())
+    {}
+
+    CPropertyIndexRef CPropertyIndexRef::copyFrontRemoved() const
+    {
+        BLACK_VERIFY_X(!this->isEmpty(), Q_FUNC_INFO, "Empty index");
+        if (this->isEmpty() || !m_begin) { return -1; }
+        CPropertyIndexRef copy = *this;
+        ++copy.m_begin;
+        --copy.m_sizeOrIndex;
+        return copy;
+    }
+
+    bool CPropertyIndexRef::isNested() const
+    {
+        return m_begin && m_sizeOrIndex > 1;
+    }
+
+    bool CPropertyIndexRef::isMyself() const
+    {
+        return this->isEmpty();
+    }
+
+    bool CPropertyIndexRef::isEmpty() const
+    {
+        return m_begin ? m_sizeOrIndex < 1 : m_sizeOrIndex < 0;
+    }
+
+    int CPropertyIndexRef::frontToInt() const
+    {
+        Q_ASSERT_X(!this->isEmpty(), Q_FUNC_INFO, "No index");
+        return m_begin ? *m_begin : m_sizeOrIndex;
+    }
+
+    bool CPropertyIndexRef::startsWith(int index) const
+    {
+        if (this->isEmpty()) { return false; }
+        return this->frontToInt() == index;
+    }
+
+    QString CPropertyIndexRef::toQString(bool i18n) const
+    {
+        Q_UNUSED(i18n);
+        QString s;
+        if (this->isEmpty()) { return s; }
+
+        auto it = m_begin ? m_begin : &m_sizeOrIndex;
+        auto end = it + (m_begin ? m_sizeOrIndex : 1);
+        for (; it != end; ++it)
+        {
+            Q_ASSERT(*it >= static_cast<int>(CPropertyIndex::GlobalIndexCValueObject));
+            if (!s.isEmpty()) { s.append(";"); }
+            s.append(QString::number(*it));
+        }
+        return s;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/propertyindexref.h b/src/blackmisc/propertyindexref.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fca735dab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/blackmisc/propertyindexref.h
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+/* Copyright (C) 2013
+ * swift project Community / Contributors
+ *
+ * This file is part of swift project. It is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file found in the top-level
+ * directory of this distribution. No part of swift project, including this file, may be copied, modified, propagated,
+ * or distributed except according to the terms contained in the LICENSE file.
+ */
+
+//! \file
+
+#ifndef BLACKMISC_PROPERTYINDEXREF_H
+#define BLACKMISC_PROPERTYINDEXREF_H
+
+#include "blackmisc/blackmiscexport.h"
+#include "blackmisc/typetraits.h"
+#include <QVector>
+
+namespace BlackMisc
+{
+    class CPropertyIndexRef;
+
+    namespace Private
+    {
+        //! \private
+        template <class T, class X>
+        int compareByProperty(const T &a, const T &b, const CPropertyIndexRef &index, std::true_type, X)
+        {
+            return a.comparePropertyByIndex(index, b);
+        }
+        //! \private
+        template <class T>
+        int compareByProperty(const T &a, const T &b, const CPropertyIndexRef &index, std::false_type, std::true_type)
+        {
+            return compare(a.propertyByIndex(index), b.propertyByIndex(index));
+        }
+        //! \private
+        template <class T>
+        int compareByProperty(const T &, const T &, const CPropertyIndexRef &, std::false_type, std::false_type)
+        {
+            qFatal("Not implemented");
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /*!
+     * Non-owning reference to a CPropertyIndex with a subset of its features.
+     */
+    class BLACKMISC_EXPORT CPropertyIndexRef
+    {
+    public:
+        //! Construct from a single index.
+        CPropertyIndexRef(int index);
+
+        //! Construct from the data of a CPropertyIndex.
+        explicit CPropertyIndexRef(const QVector<int> &indexes);
+
+        //! Forbid accidental constructor from an rvalue.
+        explicit CPropertyIndexRef(QVector<int> &&) = delete;
+
+        //! Copy with first element removed
+        CPropertyIndexRef copyFrontRemoved() const;
+
+        //! Is nested index?
+        bool isNested() const;
+
+        //! Myself index, used with nesting
+        bool isMyself() const;
+
+        //! Empty?
+        bool isEmpty() const;
+
+        //! Front to integer
+        int frontToInt() const;
+
+        //! Starts with given index?
+        bool startsWith(int index) const;
+
+        //! \copydoc BlackMisc::Mixin::String::toQString
+        QString toQString(bool i18n = false) const;
+
+        //! First element casted to given type, usually the PropertIndex enum
+        template<class CastType> CastType frontCasted() const
+        {
+            static_assert(std::is_enum<CastType>::value || std::is_integral<CastType>::value, "CastType must be an enum or integer");
+            return static_cast<CastType>(frontToInt());
+        }
+
+        //! Compare with index given by enum
+        template<class EnumType> bool startsWithPropertyIndexEnum(EnumType ev) const
+        {
+            static_assert(std::is_enum<EnumType>::value, "Argument must be an enum");
+            return this->startsWith(static_cast<int>(ev));
+        }
+
+        //! Return a predicate function which can compare two objects based on this index
+        auto comparator() const
+        {
+            return [index = *this](const auto & a, const auto & b)
+            {
+                using T = std::decay_t<decltype(a)>;
+                return Private::compareByProperty(a, b, index, THasComparePropertyByIndex<T>(), THasPropertyByIndex<T>());
+            };
+        }
+
+        //! an empty property index
+        static CPropertyIndexRef empty() { return -1; }
+
+    private:
+        const int *m_begin = nullptr;
+        int m_sizeOrIndex = -1;
+    };
+}
+
+#endif