Computerized Flight Plans

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

● The products offered include crew scheduling, flight tracking and flight planning solutions like weight and balance calculations, load planning, performance calculations as well as airport, runways and obstacles data analysis

Question 2

Operational Flight Plan

Answer 2

● Once the OFP is printed and signed by the PIC, the flight dispatcher and the PIC now share the responsibility for the flight watch i.e. monitoring the flight progress and amending the OFP according to the operational conditions.
● In this presentation we will discuss how to decode and analyze the flight plans in a SABRE system format commonly used by some of the Canadian Airlines (705 operators)

Question 3

section 1 identification

Answer 3

● Unique ID number ensures that, when any changes happen to the flight plan, the PIC and the Flight Dispatcher use the current release and are on the same page when they discuss it on the phone

Question 4

Weather and NOTAMs briefing

Answer 4

● Additionally, the OFP package will contain METARs, TAFs and any relevant NOTAMS like runway surface condition reports, obstacle information etc.
● This information would be included for the departure, destination and all the alternates for the flight including takeoff alternate, main destination alternate, second alternate and any drift down alternates

Question 5

ACARS OFP

Answer 5

● There is also ability for the flight dispatch to send the OFP to pilots via ACARS datalink.
● It is not a preferred method because even though the format of the OFP would be similar but the amount of the information would be limited by the ACARS system.
● ACARS printer uses a paper that is only a few inches wide which limits the readability.