Arinc Flight Planning

REFERENCE MANUAL
Rockwell Collins
Information Management Systems
2551 Riva Road
Annapolis, MD
21401-7465
U.S.A
ARINCDirect June 2016
Reference Manual ARINC Proprietary
Contents
Section 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Purpose.............................................................................................................................. 2
1.2 Organization ..................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Terminology...................................................................................................................... 2
1.4 General Website Features ............................................................................................... 3
Section 2: Login, Main Page, Account Details, and Preferences
Section 3: Computing a Flight Plan
Section 4: Equal Time Points (ETPs) and Extended Operations (ETOPS)
Section 5: Flight Plan Filing and Filing Status
Section 6: Flight Plan Packages
Section 7: Runway Analysis and Weight and Balance/Performance
Section 8: Weather and Messaging
Section 9: Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS)
Section 10: Safety Management System (SMS)
Section 11: Document Management
Section 12: Self Sufficient Customers
Section 13: Hazard Alerting
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Section 1: Introduction
1.1 Purpose
This manual provides information and procedures that will assist you with the various features
within the ARINC Direct applications. It is designed to serve as a reference document on how to
use the ARINC Direct system applications and is written with the assumption that ARINC Direct
customers have fundamental computer skills, are familiar with and have received basic training on
the ARINC Direct applications, and have an understanding of aircraft operational issues and flight
planning.
The ARINC Direct service and the Flight Operations Center are built on a foundation of
customer service. Should assistance be needed at anytime, contact an ARINC Direct Flight
Coordinator (FC) at 1-866-321-6060. Questions or requests for information that do not require
immediate response can be sent via email to flightops@arinc.com.
1.2 Organization
The Reference Manual consists of 12 individual sections. This document (Section 1) provides the
purpose, organization, and terminology. Use the links below or in the Table of Contents to open
other sections which address the various tabs and associated features. Section 2 discusses account
initialization, customer login, and provides an overview of various customer pages; Section 3
covers flight planning; Section 4 provides details on equal time points (ETPs) and extended
operations (ETOPS); Section 5 covers flight plan filing and filing status; Section 6 covers Flight
Plan Packages; Section 7 discusses Runway Analysis and Weight and Balance applications;
Section 8 covers weather products and messaging; Section 9 provides information on the
Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) interface; Section 10 provides information on
how to create, manage, and generate Safety Management System risk assessment forms and
documents; Section 11 describes the Document Management features; and, Section 12 provides
guidance for Self-Sufficient customers.
1.3 Terminology
Definitions are provided for the following terms and abbreviations which are used throughout this
document.
 Customer – any Company, organization, or individual that has signed a contract for
ARINC Direct services.
 User – an individual pilot, system administrator, or other employee within a Company that
has a User ID, password, and permissions to access some or all of the ARINC Direct
features.
 Flight Coordinator (FC) – the single point-of-contact (PoC) for all existing and potential
ARINC Direct customers. FC duties include but are not limited to the following:
 Process and reply to incoming messages
 Answer telephones
 Prepare flight plans
 Manage slot reservations
 Update ARINC Direct data bases
 Retrieve and distribute NOTAMS
 Obtain and disseminate weather
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 Create accounts for new customers
1.4 General Website Features

For consistency in look, feel, and function the majority of the ARINC Direct web pages follow
these basic rules:
1. Text font is standardized for all pages; labels, notes, and headers are only differentiated by
size.
2. Action button are consistent in and defined by color across pages
 Information and “on page” buttons (Airport Info, Wx/Info, etc.) are light gray
 Positive action buttons (Save, File, etc) are green
 Negative action buttons (Cancel, Delete) are red
 Navigation buttons (tabs and sub-tabs) are gray or blue (when selected)
 All page actions (including tabs, sub-tabs, and buttons) get darker when you hover over
them and “depress” when you click on them
Main page tabs

Sub-tabs
Action buttons Information buttons
3. Fields that require input are shaded yellow and are marked with a red asterisk.
4. A disabled text entry field is gray
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Contents
Section: 2 Login, Main Page, Account Details, and Preferences
2.1 Customer Accounts ........................................................................................................2-3

2.1.1 Creating a “Tail” ..............................................................................................................2-3
2.1.2 Account Login .................................................................................................................2-3
2.2 ARINC Direct Main Page .............................................................................................2-5
2.3 My Company Tab ..........................................................................................................2-6

2.3.1 Company Accounts ..........................................................................................................2-6
2.3.2 Tails..................................................................................................................................2-10
2.3.3 Aircraft Configuration Summary .....................................................................................2-25
2.4 Auto Forward Codes......................................................................................................2-26

2.4.1 Auto Forward Codes ........................................................................................................2-26
2.4.2 Dosimetry Reporting ........................................................................................................2-28
2.5 Flight ID Assignments ...................................................................................................2-30
2.6 Sharing Aircraft Information .......................................................................................2-32
2.7 Company Preferences ....................................................................................................2-34
2.8 Individual Preferences ...................................................................................................2-35

2.8.1 User Profile ......................................................................................................................2-35
2.8.2 Weather Preferences ........................................................................................................2-35
2.8.3 Flight Plan Preferences ....................................................................................................2-36
2.8.4 Site Preferences ................................................................................................................2-39
2.8.5 Package Preferences.........................................................................................................2-40
2.9 Bookmarks ......................................................................................................................2-41

2.9.1 Using Internet Explorer (IE) ............................................................................................2-41
2.9.2 Using Firefox ...................................................................................................................2-42
2.10 Training ..........................................................................................................................2-43

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2.1 Customer Accounts

Prior to using ARINC Direct, customers must have a Customer Account established in the system.
This can only be done by our Implementation Team (i.e., a customer cannot establish an account)
and includes setting-up a Customer Administrator and aircraft tails.
Each ARINC Direct customer has its own unique Customer Account which can only be accessed by
users authorized by the Customer. These users must have a Username and Password. User
Accounts are typically established by the Customer System Administrator. Section 2.3 provides
instructions on establishing User Accounts.
The Implementation Coordinators use the data provided on the ARINC Direct Service Order Form
to enter initial customer information. From these data, a Customer Administrator Account is
established. Login information (UserID and Password) is forwarded to the Account Administrator.
2.1.1 Creating a “Tail”

The ARINC Direct Service Order Form is used by the FC to create a record for each customer
aircraft that will use ARINC Direct services. The data entered in the aircraft record is used for
flight planning and flight plan filing and can be modified by Customer Administrators and FCs, if
necessary. A separate record is created for each customer aircraft. To request an aircraft be added
to your account, click the Service Order Form link on the Tails sub tab on the My Company page and
complete the electronic form or contact your ARINC Direct Regional Sales Manager.
Company Administrators can add an “APIS-Only” aircraft to their account using the Tails sub tab
on the My Company page (see Section 2.3.2.2—Tail Information).
NOTES:
 Tail Number*, Tail Type*, Color*, and Default Ground Speed* are required fields.
 The Default Ground Speed* is used to compute an optimized flight plan and providing the
border crossing point when filing your APIS manifest.
 Information on Shared, Managed, and Fractional aircraft is voluntary and is being collected
on behalf of the NBAA for information purposes.
2.1.2 Account Login

The login procedures for all ARINC Direct Users are the same. Once an account has been
established, you can initiate an ARINC Direct session by using the following steps:
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1. Access the ARINC Direct Home Page (URL – https://direct.arinc.net/).

2. Enter Username and Password.
NOTES:
 User ID and Password are case sensitive.
 Each ARINCDirect customer will have his/her own Username and Password to access the
ARINCDirect applications. FCs have the capability to login to ARINCDirect as a customer
to provide assistance or complete certain tasks. When calling Flight Operations to have an
FC access your account, you will need to provide your Username for security.
3. Click the Login button

4. The ARINC Direct default page is displayed.
5. If the Login is unsuccessful, a message is presented on the home page.
6. Retype the Username and Password
7. Click the Login button
8. If login problems persist, contact an FC for assistance.
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2.2 ARINC Direct Main Page

Upon successful login, the ARINC Direct Main Page is displayed. The page consists of the title
bar, several tabs that allow the user to select different capabilities, and a sub-menu that provides
access to different functions within a capability. The main tabs are labeled:
 Flight Planning
 Weather
 SMS
 Messaging
 APIS
 My Account
 My Company (available to those with System Administrator rights only)
 Fuel
 Handling (for our ITPS customers)
 Reference
In addition, the current Zulu time, the ID, and company name for the individual currently logged-in
to the system are displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. The Sign Out > link ends your
ARINC Direct session. To the left are buttons that give you quick access to the Tankering feature;
the Reference Manual and a list of upcoming training sessions (Help/Training); a Track Flights
button that automatically launches the ARINC Direct flight tracking feature (FlightAware); access
to our Weather Videos; and a link by which you can send comments or questions to the Flight
Operations Center (Feedback).
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2.3 My Company Tab

FCs will use the data provided on the ARINC Direct Service Order Form to enter initial customer
information. From these data, a Customer Administrator Account is established. Login information
(UserID and Password) is forwarded to the Account Administrator.
2.3.1 Company Accounts

Once a Customer Administrator Account has been established, Company personnel can be added
and deleted. To manage your Company accounts, refer to the sections below.
2.3.1.1 Adding an Account

To add individuals to your company account:
1. Login as Company Administrator

2. Select the My Company tab
3. Select Users from menu bar
4. From the Users page, click the Create New User button
5. Complete the information requested for the individual (shaded fields are required).
NOTE: For security, Company Administrators are required to enter their password when making,
creating a new, or making changes to an existing account.
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6. Specify which User Privileges the individual is authorized to access by checking the
appropriate box(es). A tab must be selected to allow access to any of the sub-tabs. To
designate a person as an Administrator, you can check the Allow My Company box.
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7. Click the Save New User button

8. The New User Confirmation window is displayed. Select Create another user and repeat
steps 4 through 7 for each new account or Close and Continue
NOTE: Each ARINC Direct user, regardless of Company, must have a unique username and
password.
2.3.1.2 Password Management

Company Administrators have control over account access and password management via the
Company Preferences sub-tab under My Company.
To prevent company personnel from requesting an email-based reset of their password, check the
Disable emailed-based Password Reset box. [This does not affect an individual’s ability to change
their password.]
Checking the box disables the Reset Password link on the ARINCDirect login page for that
individual and requires either a Company Admin to access the individual’s account and issue a new
password or the individual to change their password on the Expired Password page before being
allowed to access any other pages.
To change an individual’s password:

1. Select the individual from the company list under the Users sub-tab under My Company
2. Check the Change Password box

3. Enter YOUR password in the first field
4. Enter the new password for the individual
5. Reenter the new password for confirmation
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6. Click the Update button at the bottom of the page
Administrators can also force password resets after a configurable number of days, should company
security procedures dictate. This is a company-wide setting accessed via the Company Preference
sub tab under My Company. The minimum reset period that can be entered is 30 days.
When the password reset timer is enabled, individuals see a notification on the top of the website
starting a week before password expiration reminding them to make the change. Once the password
expires, they will be able to login to their account but will be directed to Expired Password page.
They will not be able to browse to other pages until they change their password.
NOTES:
 Individuals must know their old password to effect a change.
 If someone does not know their old password, the change must be completed by an
Administrator using step 1 through 6 above.
2.3.1.3 Deactivating Users

To deactivate an existing individual from your Customer Account follow the procedures listed
below:
1. From the Users page, select the name(s) to be deactivated.

2. Click the Deactivate button.
3. A confirmation window is displayed.

4. Select OK to delete the user or Cancel to cancel the operation.
5. A confirmation the user has been deleted is displayed.
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2.3.2 Tails
ARINC Direct customers have the capability to manage their aircraft data using the Tails submenu
within the My Company tab.
2.3.2.1 Adding an Aircraft

Aircraft information is typically added to the system by FCs using the information provided on the
Service Order Form. An electronic version of the Service Order Form is accessible by clicking the
Service Order Form link on the Tails page. An APIS-only aircraft can be added (or deleted) directly
by an Administrator by clicking the Add APIS-only Tail button.
To add an APIS-only aircraft to your account:

1. Click the Add APIS-Only Tail button
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2. Complete the fields in the window and click the Save button.
NOTES:
 Tail Number*, Tail Type*, Color*, and Default Ground Speed* are required fields.
 The Default Ground Speed* is used to compute an optimized flight plan and providing the
border crossing point when filing your APIS manifest.
 Information on Shared, Managed, and Fractional aircraft is voluntary and is being collected
on behalf of the NBAA for information purposes.
To view and edit information for an existing aircraft, select the Tails sub tab from the menu bar and
click on the registration number (Tail) of the aircraft you want to view.
Tail information for full service aircraft is provided in 12 sections. To view the options in each
section, click inside the section title bar. To open (or close) all sections simultaneously, use the
Expand All (Close All) buttons. Services, information, or features that are grayed-out are for
information only and can only be edited by an FC.
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2.3.2.2 Tail Information

The Tail Information section contains information specific to the aircraft: tail number, aircraft type,
home base, cruise schedules, etc. This section is used to set-up basic aircraft information and default
formats and performance schedules.
The Tail Number, Aircraft Type, and Aircraft Serial Number fields are populated by ARINC Direct
when the aircraft is entered into the company account. These fields, along with the Allow Flight
Plan Filing and Enable Track Flights can only be edited by ARINC Direct.
For APIS filing, you can automatically include your CBP Decal Number and Expiration Date.
2.3.2.3 Datalink Communications and Services

1. The upper portion of Datalink Communications and Services section is used to indicate the
aircraft’s datalink and satellite equipage and configurations, if applicable. The Winds Aloft
Uplink Altitude Range indicates the altitude range for which winds aloft forecasts are
provided when requested from the aircraft.
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Below this portion of the page is a list of the ARINC Direct “services” that are enabled for the
aircraft. The service items can only be enabled or disabled by an FC based on instructions from a
Company Administrator. A brief description of each service item is provided below.
2. AFIS with Collins FMS Installed — indicates the avionics and data link combination
3. Don’t use Collins/AFIS NDB suffix — when checked, the “NB” suffix is not attached to the
NDB name in a flight plan uplink. Only some versions of the Collins FMS require this.
4. Allow graphical WX Uplinks — when checked you can request and receive graphical weather
data in the cockpit.
5. OOOI Immediately — when enabled, ON/OFF messages are sent as soon as they are received
from the avionics without waiting for FAA radar confirmation.
6. Autoforward Code Single ACK — when checked ensures only 1 acknowledgement (ACK) is
sent to the aircraft for messages sent to multiple addresses within an Autoforward code.
7. Include U.S. NOTAMS for WX uplink — allows you to include or exclude NOTAMs for U.S.
airports when up linking weather for a particular airport.
8. Include U.S. Military NOTAMS for WX uplink — allows you to include or exclude NOTAMs
for U.S. military airports when up linking weather for a particular airport.
9. Include non-U.S. NOTAMS for WX Uplinks — allows you to include or exclude NOTAMs for
non-U.S. airports when up linking weather for a particular airport.
10. Include Weather with Flight Plan Uplink — when checked provides departure and destination
weather (TAFs, METARs, etc) when a flight plan is sent to the aircraft.
11. Automatically Recompute Flight Plans — when checked allows flight plans to be
recomputed using the most current winds prior to filing, uplink to the aircraft, and sending a
fax package.
12. Enable TOC/TOD waypoints — when checked TOC and TOD waypoints are removed from
your flight plan when it is uplinked to the aircraft. The waypoints are also removed when
you save the flight plan to disk.
13. Enable U.S. Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC) — when checked allows you to receive PDC via
data link at participating airports. This is defaulted to enabled for all data link equipped
aircraft.
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14. Enable Atlantic Eastbound Oceanic Clearances — when checked indicates aircraft is
equipped to receive eastbound Oceanic Clearances via data link. This is defaulted to enabled
for all data link equipped aircraft.
15. Allow data link messaging via the SITA network — when checked data link messages use the
SITA network instead of satellite when the aircraft is operating outside of ARINC ACARS
coverage. The use of the SITA VHF network incurs an additional charge. This is typically
set to disabled.
16. Notify Aircraft on Receipt of Third Party Flight Plan — when checked you will automatically
receive a data link message “Your flight plan XXXX is available for uplink” when we receive a
flight plan from a service provider other than ARINC Direct and the avionics are powered
on.
2.3.2.4 Flight Planning Information

The Flight Planning Information section contains default values used for flight planning and filing.
The Allow Flight Plan Filing checkbox enables the File button on the Filing page.
Many ARINC Direct customers use a specific format for their flight plans. This format is assigned a
2-letter code and is set as a default during initial account activation however; customers can use any
format that is supported by ARINC Direct using the Default Flight Plan Format drop down menu.
There is a link on the Reference tab that allows you to view all of the available formats.
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Unless otherwise specified by the customer, the Default Flight Type is set to G (General Aviation).
This can be over-ridden on the Filing page for specific flight plans, if necessary.
Default Climb, Cruise, and Descent schedules are set using the appropriate drop down menus. Two
additional cruise speeds for multi-route calculations (see Section 3.4.4—Multi- Route Option) can
also be set using the Extra MRO Cruise Mode 1 and Extra MRO Cruise Mode 2 drop downs.
To set a default maximum flight planning altitude for the aircraft for flights over 300 nm, enter the
altitude in the Maximum Flight Level field. When you run a plan for a flight that is more than 300
nm, the system automatically restricts the maximum altitude to the default value (or the next lower
legal altitude). The Create FPL page is annotated with a note identifying the aircraft as having a max
altitude limit.
To remove the filing status information from your flight plan, uncheck the box labeled Display
Filing Info On Flight Plan. This box is checked by default when an aircraft is set-up in the system.
If you always file flight plans using a specific FAA Flight ID rather than the aircraft “N-number,”
you can default to that Flight ID on the Create FPL, Quick File, and Slot Request pages by checking
the box labeled Auto select Flight ID. Tail number to Flight ID mapping is done using the Flight ID
Assignments sub-tab under the My Company tab (see Section 2.5—Flight ID Assignments).
NOTE: The Auto Select Flight ID feature can be used ONLY if there is a one-to-one mapping of tail
number to flight ID. If you have multiple Flight IDs associated with an aircraft, you must select the
appropriate ID from the drop down list on the Create FPL, Quick File, and Slot Request pages.
Any “other” services that are enabled for the aircraft are also listed:
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1. CDR Authorized — when checked allows display of the Include CDR Calculations on the
flight planning page and adds “CDR Capable” to the Remarks section of your flight plan
when it is sent to the FAA.
2. Forward Flight Plan To — computed flight plans are forwarded to the listed data link service
provider other than ARINC.
3. Subscribed to Flight Following — when checked indicates the aircraft is signed-up for our
premium Flight Following services.
4. Aircraft flies under FAR Part 135 — used by ARINC Direct to update FAA PDC files.
5. CFMU Validation — when checked allows you to send a computed route to the Eurocontrol
CFMU for validation prior to filing the plan.
6. Send position data to Flight Explorer — we can send aircraft position reports to Flight
Explorer for customers with subscriptions to this service.
7. Send position data to PFM — we can send aircraft position reports to PFM for customers
with subscriptions to this service.
8. Enable Hazard Alerts Evaluate — enables/disables weather hazard alerts evaluations and
display on the flight planning pages, route plot, and flight plan.
2.3.2.5 Aircraft Weights

The Aircraft Weights section contains aircraft weight and default fuel information. These values are
specific to each airframe within the system and are used during flight planning. Aircraft can be
configured to use either pounds (lbs) or kilograms (kgs), based on information provided by each
customer as recorded on the Aircraft Service Order Form.
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If a value is entered in the Minimum Fuel Burn to Alternate field and an alternate is selected when
computing a flight plan, the system displays either the minimum alternate fuel OR the actual fuel
required to get to the alternate, whichever is greater.
CAUTION: Changes to aircraft weights will disable the runway analysis and weight and balance
tools for the aircraft for up to 3 days and can only be made through the Flight Operations Center. A
Company Administrator must authorize any changes. Changes to Default Reserve Fuel, Default
Holding Fuel, Minimum Fuel Burn to Alternate, and Default Passenger Weight can be made by an
Administrator without affecting the availability of the weight and balance tools.
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2.3.2.6 Aircraft Biases

This section allows you to enter adjustments to fuel burn calculations (if needed) for different
portions of the flight to compensate for differences between manufacturer and actual aircraft
performance values. Recommended biases, based on data collected from customers operating
similar aircraft types, are provided for information.
2.3.2.7 Runway Analysis and Weight and Balance

The Runway Analysis/Weight and Balance Settings is section sets the initial default flap settings and
runway conditions for runway analysis reports. The units for runway length and aircraft weights are
also set on the page. Aircraft can be configured to use either pounds (lbs) or kilograms
(kgs), based on information provided by each customer as recorded on the Aircraft Service Order
Form. Entries/changes on this page can only be made by ARINC Direct.
When the aircraft is enabled for weight and balance the Enable Weight and Balance/Performance
box at the top of the section is checked.
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2.3.2.8 ATC Filing Information

This section contains aircraft communications and surveillance information and flight plan filing
suffixes. The data provided in this section, including any information entered in the Remarks field,
are automatically included on domestic and international flight plans when they are filed.
To avoid potential filing problems, equipment suffixes should be kept current by System
Administrators. Administrators can view and select the appropriate equipment suffixes by clicking
the Comm/Nav/App link.
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At the bottom of the section are two fields that allow you to enter your Operator Name and Contact
Number. This information is not required but if provided, will be automatically appended to your
flight plans at the time of filing. Our Flight Operations number (866-321-6060) is used if no other
information has been specified. Do not re-enter the information in the Remarks field.
NOTE: Company Administrators should review their OpSpec, aircraft equipment, AFM and all
AFM Supplements, and the appropriate FAA and ICAO documents to determine RNAV and RNP
capabilities. This information was effective November 15, 2012, in conjunction with the new
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electronic flight plan filing standard (ICAO 2012). If the RNAV and RNP information is not
updated, you may not be able to file flight plans.
For additional information on RNAV and PTP requirements, see:

− Advisory Circular 90-100A, U.S. Terminal and En Route Area Navigation (RNAV)Operations
− Advisory Circular 90-45A, Approval of Area Navigation Systems for Use in the U.S. National
Airpsace System
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2.3.2.9 Survival Equipment
The Survival Equipment section lists the aircraft survival equipment provided by each customer as
recorded on the Aircraft Service Order Form. The data provided in this section are automatically
appended to international flight plans when they are filed and should be kept current by System
Administrators.
2.3.2.10 RAIM Prediction Parameters

To generate RAIM reports (see Section 3.9—Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) for
details), data on FD/FDE, Baro-Aiding, Mask Angle, and GPS Receiver Type (TSO 129 or TSO
145/146) must be designated for the aircraft in the RAIM Prediction Parameters section. To include
RAIM predictions check the Include RAIM Calculation. . . . box at the top of the section.
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1. Algorithm – defines the RAIM calculation algorithm used for the computation. The default
value is FD which requires a minimum of 5 satellites to perform RAIM calculations and
detect the possibility of coverage issues.
2. Baro-Aiding – determines whether the aircraft’s altimeter is attached to the GPS device to
assist with determining altitude (and thus requiring one less satellite). The default for this
value is Off.
3. Mask Angle – the ability of the GPS unit to locate a satellite signal relative to the horizon.
The smaller the number the more the GPS unit can see. The default value is 5.
4. GPS Receiver type – a Technical Standard Order is a minimum performance standard issued
by the FAA for specified materials, parts, etc. used on civil aircraft. TSO 129 is the default
receiver type.
2.3.2.11 Alternate Airport Criteria

The Alternate Airport Criteria section allows you to set the alternate search criteria used when you
click the Find Alternates button on the Create FPL page.
2.3.2.12 ETP and ETOPS Parameters

This section allows you to set the values used for calculating ETP, depressurization, medical
emergency diversion, and extended operations (ETOPS) scenarios see Section 4—Equal Time
Points(ETPs) and Extended Operations (ETOPS).
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2.3.2.13 Cost Analysis

Default fuel and operating cost parameters for each aircraft in your account are set in the Cost
Analysis Settings section of the Aircraft Profile page. In addition, you can add time to account for
additional ground taxi time (Additional Time) and there is a checkbox to automatically include the
cost summary as part of the computed flight plan.
NOTE: The Additional Time value is applied only to hourly costs specified for a trip. It does not
affect fuel burn or fuel cost calculations.
When entering a Default Fuel Cost, chose the desired Currency and Units of Measure from the drop
down menu. If desired, enter the “cost” in the Value field.
For other operating costs, select the desired Currency from the drop down menu and list default
items and their associated costs. You can also select whether to always include the item in
calculations and whether an item is a per flight or per hour cost.
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To save any changes made on this page, click the Save Aircraft Profile button at the bottom of the
page.
2.3.3 Aircraft Configuration Summary

Company Administrators can view a summary report containing a list of all services and
configuration items (weights, filing codes, cabin services, etc.) for a specific aircraft within the
account. The .pdf file containing the aircraft information is accessed via the Tails sub tab under the
My Company tab.
Upon clicking the .pdf icon, the configuration report is generated in a pop-up window.
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2.4 Auto Forward Codes
2.4.1 Auto Forward Codes

Auto forward codes enable you to send messages to a set of addresses without having to enter each
individual address. The auto forward code feature is similar to the distribution list function found in
many of today’s email applications. Existing codes are displayed on the Auto Forward Codes page.
1. To create a new Auto Forward Code:

a. Click the Create New Auto Forward Code button at the top of the page.
b. Enter the name of the code in the box labeled Auto Forward Code Name.
c. Select the Address Type from the drop down list and enter the appropriate in formation
in the Address field. The entries are added to the Address List. To remove an entry,
click the Remove button.
d. To set-up an auto forward code with special instruction messages to FCs without having
to enter the full set of instructions from the aircraft, check the box on the right side of the
page and enter FC instructions in the text box.
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e. Click the Save Auto Forward Code button at the bottom of the page.
2. To modify an existing Auto Forward Code:

a. Click the link for the address in the list that you want to modify to display the Auto
Forward Code page.
b. Add and remove addressees and FC instructions, as desired. To remove an entry, click
the Remove button.
c. Click the Save Auto Forward Code button to save the changes.
NOTE: Auto Forward Code names for ON and OFF reports are automatically created when a tail
is entered into your account. Specific addressees must be added using the modification procedures
described above.
To delete an existing Auto Forward Code:

1. Check the box next to the address and click the Delete button.
2. A confirmation window is displayed. Select OK to delete the user or Cancel to cancel the
operation.
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2.4.2 Dosimetry Reporting

For customers that track flight crew dosimetry information, Company Administrators can configure
their account to collect and report crew and flight plan information on a weekly basis. Crew
information for a flight is entered on the Filing page at the time the flight plan is filed. The report
includes crew names, route of flight, altitude, and flight times. To configure your account for
dosimetry reporting:
1. Open the Auto Forward Codes tab and click the Create New Auto Forward Code button.
2. Enter “DOSIMETRY” in the field labeled Auto Forward Code Name. This is the only
acceptable entry in this field to enable dosimetry reporting.
3. Enter the email address(es) for where you want to send the reports and click the Save Auto
Forward Code button. A copy of the report is also automatically sent to the Message Center
in the Account Administrator’s ARINC Direct account.
4. For the Dosimetry auto forward code, the only valid address type is an email address. If you
enter another Address Type, you will get an error message when you click the Save Auto
Forward Code button Crew information for the report is entered on the flight plan Filing page
(see Section 5—Flight Plan Filing and Filing Status for details on entering crew information
for the report).
Once configured, a report is automatically generated at 0000Z each Sunday and sent to the email
address(es) entered in the Auto Forward Code as a .csv file for use by outside vendor programs. A
copy is also sent as a Freetext message to the Message Center for the Account Administrator. The
report includes all flight plans that were filed during the previous seven days.
For each plan, the data is presented in the following order (reference the following example):
 Filed date of the flight — 12/10/07

 Filed ETD (Z) — 1530
 Flight plan recall number — D7923
 Name and Crew ID for the Pilot in Command — John Brown, 1223JB
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 Name and Crew ID for the Second in Command — Cheryl Smythe, 19901CS
 Name and Crew ID for Additional Crew Members (up to 10 entries) — J.B. Goode, 1967JG
NOTE: If there are no entries made in the Name or Crew ID fields for Second in Command and/or
Additional Crew the field contains #EMPTY
 Departure (or Arrival) airport — LFMN

 Departure airport Lat/Lon — N43 39.9,E007 12.9
 Waypoint name — OKTET
 Waypoint Lat/Lon — N44 29.1,E006 34.2
 Altitude or phase of flight — CL
 Time in minutes between waypoints — 15
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2.5 Flight ID Assignments

Customers that operate aircraft under both Part 91 and Part 135 can file using either their aircraft
registration number or FAA assigned call-sign. Aircraft N-number to call-sign mapping is done by
the System Administrator using the Flight ID Assignments sub-tab.
1. Type the desired call-sign in the box labeled Flight ID and click the Add button.
2. The flight ID appears in the box on the right side of the page.
3. To delete a call-sign, highlight the ID and click the Delete button.
Once the flight IDs are created, aircraft can be mapped to a single, multiple, or all of the created
IDs.
1. Select an aircraft from the Tail: drop-down list and the desired call-sign from the Flight ID:
drop down and click the Map button.
2. To map an aircraft to all available call-signs, select the ANY option.
3. To delete an aircraft, highlight the Tail-Flight ID combination and click the Delete button.
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NOTE: There is no restriction to the number of tails that can be mapped to a Flight ID or the
number of Flight IDs that can be mapped to a single aircraft.
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2.6 Sharing Aircraft Information

You can provide access to your aircraft information to individuals outside your own company for
flight planning, messaging, and aircraft tracking. This feature is useful if you have an International
trip planner and would like them to run flight plans for your aircraft separate from your own
account or if a subsidiary company needs to track your aircraft when they are inbound to the
subsidiary’s home field. This feature can only be activated by ARINC Direct and requires the
owning company to submit written authorization. Authorization forms are available as a .pdf file on
the Reference tab. Customers that wish to share aircraft information should contact Flight
Operations for additional details. Once we have received authorization, you can use the following
procedures to configure access:
1. From the Account Details page, select the External Company Tail Access tab.
NOTE: This tab is only visible to Companies configured to share aircraft.
2. The Companies drop down list displays all external companies that you can grant access to
your aircraft information.
3. The Users drop down list displays all external company employees that you can grant access
to your aircraft information.
4. All your company aircraft are listed in the table.
5. To grant access to all Users from the selected external Company, select ALL in the Users
field, otherwise, you can select individuals from the list.
6. To grant privileges to all three features (Flight Planning, Messaging, and Flight Tracking) to
all external Users, click the Select All button then click Save Changes at the bottom of the
page.
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7. To customize privileges, select an individual from the Users field and check the appropriate
boxes next to each tail.
Once configured, your aircraft will display in the any of the Tails drop down lists when the external
customer logs into his/her account.
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2.7 Company Preferences

The Company Preferences tab allows an Administrator to define certain defaults that are applied
across all accounts.
The Include SMARTTAF in uplinks checkbox includes any available SMaRT TAF in an uplink
request for all data link equipped aircraft in the account. See Section 8.1.1—Text Weather for a
description of the SMaRT TAF product or click the SMARTTAF Q&A link on the Company
Preferences page.
The Use Mass Labeling for Weight and Balance option allows Company Administrators to select
either a standard grid and manifest or a grid and manifest using “mass” instead of weight (see
Section 7: Runway Analysis and Weight and Balance/Performance).
If the Use Mass Labeling for Weight and Balance option is selected, the weight and balance grid,
manifest, and CG graph is modified to show the following labels.
Weight Labels (standard) Mass Labels

Empty Weight Empty Mass
BOW DOM
Zero Fuel Weight Zero Fuel Mass
Taxi Weight Taxi Mass
Takeoff Weight Takeoff Mass
Landing Weight Landing Mass
The Avoid FIR(s) feature allows Administrators to designate certain FIRs for avoidance during flight
planning. The default FIR(s) appears in the Avoid FIR(s) field in the Custom Route section of the
Create FPL page (see Section 3.4.6—Avoiding an FIR for details). This default can be removed for
a specific flight should operational requirements dictate.
To enter a default, type the 4-letter FIR identifier(s) in the field or use the Lookup FIR button to
search for the FIR identifier.
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2.8 Individual Preferences

Using the My Account tab you can set system defaults within your ARINC Direct account.
2.8.1 User Profile

The User Profile tab allows you to update/change your contact information, login ID, and password.
It also provides a means for you to subscribe (unsubscribe) to the Release Notes mailing list.
2.8.2 Weather Preferences

Using the Weather Preferences sub-tab you can configure your account to always include certain
weather products when you request a text weather briefing (Text Weather Configuration) and as part
of the weather included in your flight plan package (Weather Briefing Configuration).
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2.8.3 Flight Plan Preferences
2.8.3.1 Preferred Routes

To configure your account to default to using available stored routes (Customer Preferred or ATC
Preferred) when computing a flight plan, use the Flight Plan Preferences sub-tab.
a. Use Optimized Route - calculates and selects (highlights) the optimized route (based on
minimum fuel burn).
b. Use Customer Preferred Route if available – highlights the stored customer preferred route
for the entered city-pair.
c. Use Customer Preferred Route if available, otherwise use ATC Preferred Route if available –
highlights the stored customer preferred route for the entered city-pair. If there is no
customer preferred route stored, we will highlight any stored ATC preferred route.
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You can also set a preference to use a stored route to your destination alternate or let the system
plan an optimized or direct route.
2.8.3.2 Saving Flight Plans to Disk

You can configure your preferences to automatically save flight plans to disk using the flight plan
recall number (e.g., S1234) or by the location identifiers for the departure and destination airport
(e.g., KBWIKMSP). From the Preferences tab select the Flight Plan Preferences sub-tab to
designate the file naming convention in the section labeled Filename format for flight plans on disk.
2.8.3.3 Route Optimization Preference

For flights planned in the U.S. and Canada, you can adjust the flight planning optimization
parameters to favor airways (Use Airways), point-to-point routing (Use Directs), or a combination of
the two (Hybrid).
Use Airways – reduces the longest allowable distance between waypoints when calculating a route
which increases the reliance on airway navigation rather than going direct between waypoints. This
optimization selection is used for all flights plan outside the domestic U.S. and Canada regardless of
your preference.
Use Directs– increases the longest allowable distance between waypoints to reduce the reliance on
airway navigation. Route of flight is more likely to go direct between navaids and waypoints.
Hybrid – is a mix of airway and direct route segments.
NOTES:
 Selecting the Use Directs preference will not fully eliminate the use of airways in calculating
your route of flight if the best route takes you between navaids located along an airway.
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 The Use Directs preference does not eliminate the need to use “d” or “DCT” between
waypoints if building a route in the Custom Route box (see Section 3.4.1—Editing the
Route).
2.8.3.4 Weight and Balance/Performance

To automatically include weight and balance calculations in your flight plan and fax/email package,
select the Checked radio button.
You can also choose to display the CG envelope x-axis in either %MAC or units of length (inches
or feet).
2.8.3.5 WGS84 Great Circle Distance

You can opt to have the WGS84 great circle distance included at the end of your flight plan by
clicking the Yes radio button. This feature can be used when preparing flight operations estimates
for carbon monitoring as required by the European Trading Scheme (ETS).
2.8.3.6 Include Runway Analysis with Flight Plan Computation

You can automatically include a Runway Analysis Report when you compute a flight plan. The
preference can be enabled via the Flight Plan Preferences sub-tab under My Account.
If “Yes” is selected, the Include RWY Analysis checkbox in the Runway Analysis section on the
Create FPL page is automatically selected. You can still customize the report, if desired, or receive
a full report if the customization fields are left blank.
NOTE: The completed RWA is not viewable on the flight plan after the Preview button is clicked
but can be viewed from the Fax/Email page or the Runway Analysis Results tab when completed.
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2.8.3.7 North Atlantic Oceanic Operations

You can relay instructions to FCs on how you would like to be planned for flights between North
America and Europe (i.e., the route crosses 30W) using the Oceanic flight planning instructions
section on the Flight Plan Preferences page. These preferences are only used by Flight Coordinators
in the event they need to make changes to a route before filing. They are not used when creating the
initial route. The planning instructions and their associated default values are shown below.
When you submit any ICAO flight plan via the Filing page you are presented with a Contact
Information window where you can confirm/modify your contact information. The information
provided is used by FCs should they need to get in touch with you to discuss route changes. If the
flight is Trans-Atlantic, your stored instructions are presented for your review and can be changed
for any individual trip. There is also a link to the Flight Plan Preferences sub-tab if you want to
permanently change any of the default values.
2.8.3.8 EDCT/CTOT Notification

To automatically include email addresses for EDCT and CTOT notifications, enter the desired
email addresses in the field provided. Multiple addresses can be added separated by a space or
comma.
2.8.4 Site Preferences

You can configure your account to keep track of the tail you are using during a particular session
and carry that tail number through the system as you move from page to page. In addition, the
system “remembers” the aircraft that you used the last time you were logged-in and pre-populates
the tail fields with that aircraft. This feature is automatically enabled for all customers. Should you
want to disable the aircraft-of-interest feature:
1. Click the Site Preferences sub-tab

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2. Uncheck the box labeled Retain selected tail from page to page.
3. Click the Save Preferences button at the bottom of the page.
To save flight plans to a specific drive on your computer and/or as a text-readable file, enter the
letter of the preferred drive in the field labeled Default drive for saving to disk. The field will accept
a single character only. The default drive is A.
To save the flight plan as a text file, click the box labeled Save readable text of flight plans. Two
versions of the flight plans are now saved. One is a .txt file using your preferred naming
convention that can be read using any text editing software application (Word, Notepad, etc.). The
other as an “avionics readable” format that can be loaded in the aircraft.
2.8.5 Package Preferences

The Package Preferences tab allows you to set defaults for the contents for your flight plan
packages by checking the appropriate boxes. When you create a flight plan package, these items
are pre-selected and can be de-selected if desired. Additional products can also be added from the
Fax/Email Pkg tab at the time the package is created.
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2.9 Bookmarks
You can define a bookmark or shortcut that allows you to go to a specific tab or sub-tab within your
account after you login. Most accounts open on the Flight Planning tab. Use the following steps to
change the default page.
2.9.1 Using Internet Explorer (IE)

1. Open the desired tab or sub-tab within your account.
2. Click the Favorites menu item in the IE toolbar at the top of the page to display the Favorites
dropdown menu.
3. From the Favorites dropdown menu, click the Add to Favorites… link.
4. The Add Favorite window is opened and the title of the tab or sub-tab is displayed in the
Name field. Click the OK button to add the page name to your favorites list.
5. With the name entered on your Favorites list, you can click on this link and you are taken to
the ARINC Direct login page and once logged in, your account will open on the designated
page.
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2.9.2 Using Firefox

1. Open the desired tab or sub-tab within your account.
2. Click the Bookmarks menu item in the toolbar at the top of the page.
3. From the Bookmarks dropdown menu, click the Bookmark this page… link
4. The Add Bookmark window is opened and the title of the tab or sub-tab is displayed in the
Name field. Click the OK button to add the page name to your bookmarks.
5. With the page name bookmarked, you can click on this link and you are taken to the
ARINC Direct login page and once logged in, your account will open on the designated
page.
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2.10 Training
Our Training and Implementation Team schedules bi-weekly, on-line refresher training sessions
covering various aspects of the website. Each session lasts about 1 hour. To see a list of upcoming
topics and register for a session, click the Help/Training button located in the top right portion of the
website.
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Contents
Section: 3 Computing a Flight Plan

3.1 Flight Planning Tab .......................................................................................................3-3
3.2 Create FPL .....................................................................................................................3-3
3.3 Trip Details .....................................................................................................................3-4
3.3.1 Airport Identifier Lookup ................................................................................................3-5
3.3.2 Required Information .......................................................................................................3-6
3.3.3 Flight Level ......................................................................................................................3-10
3.3.4 Fuel Details ......................................................................................................................3-11
3.3.5 Coded Departure Routes ..................................................................................................3-14
3.4 Routing ............................................................................................................................3-15
3.4.1 Route Table ......................................................................................................................3-15
3.4.2 Editing the Route .............................................................................................................3-19
3.4.3 Long Directs.....................................................................................................................3-22
3.4.4 Multi-Route Option..........................................................................................................3-23
3.4.5 Flow Control ....................................................................................................................3-24
3.4.6 Avoiding an FIR ..............................................................................................................3-25
3.4.7 Round-robin Flights .........................................................................................................3-26
3.4.8 Charts ...............................................................................................................................3-27
3.4.9 DPs and STARs ...............................................................................................................3-28
3.4.10 Airport Charts ..................................................................................................................3-28
3.5 Mapping ..........................................................................................................................3-30
3.5.1 Map Window ...................................................................................................................3-31
3.5.2 Map Overlays ...................................................................................................................3-34
3.5.3 Fuel Stop Planning ...........................................................................................................3-38
3.5.4 Graphical Flight Planning ................................................................................................3-40
3.5.5 Changing the route ...........................................................................................................3-41
3.5.6 Edit Route Box .................................................................................................................3-43
3.5.7 Computing the New Route...............................................................................................3-47
3.5.8 Distance Estimation .........................................................................................................3-47
3.6 Cost Estimation ..............................................................................................................3-49
3.6.1 Customizing Cost Inputs ..................................................................................................3-49
3.6.2 Cost Calculations Output .................................................................................................3-49
3.7 Computing a Flight Plan ...............................................................................................3-52
3.7.1 Adjusting Aircraft Biases .................................................................................................3-54
3.8 Flight Plan Route ...........................................................................................................3-56
3.9 Tankering........................................................................................................................3-58
3.9.1 Selecting Flight Plans ......................................................................................................3-59
3.9.2 Entering Fuel Values........................................................................................................3-60
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3.9.3 Tankering Results ............................................................................................................3-62

3.10 Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) ................................................3-64
3.10.1 Aircraft Parameters ..........................................................................................................3-64
3.10.2 RAIM Prediction ..............................................................................................................3-65
3.11 Replanning Flights .........................................................................................................3-68
3.12 Stored Routes .................................................................................................................3-70
3.12.1 Routes to Destination .......................................................................................................3-70
3.12.2 Route to Alternate ............................................................................................................3-71
3.13 Slot Reservations (U.S. and Canada Only) ..................................................................3-73
3.13.1 Slot Reservation when Filing ...........................................................................................3-73
3.13.2 Slot Status Page................................................................................................................3-74
3.14 Saving Flight Plans to Disk ...........................................................................................3-77
3.15 Fuel ..................................................................................................................................3-80
3.16 Intelligence Brief ............................................................................................................3-85
3.17 Graphical Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) ......................................................3-87
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3.1 Flight Planning Tab

The Flight Planning tab on the ARINC Direct main page gives you access to all of the tools required
to create and file a flight plan. It also allows you to recompute previously calculated flight plans,
build and store company preferred routes, check airport slot reservations and flight plan filing
status, and create and send a flight plan package. The following sections describe the functions
found within the Flight Planning tab.
3.2 Create FPL

The Create FPL page is composed of 6 expandable sections for entering flight plan information: Trip
Details, Routing, Runway Analysis, Weight and Balance/Performance, Cost Parameters, and
ETP/ETOPS Details. Click anywhere in the title bar to expand (+) or contract (–) the section heading
for any of the sections.
The page also contains a map “thumbnail” that displays the great circle or computed route of flight
once the city pair is entered. As you plan your flight, the map thumbnail is updated. See Section
3.5—Mapping for a complete description of the mapping features.
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3.3 Trip Details

When you log into your account, the system defaults to the Flight Planning tab and the Create FPL
page with the Trip Details section open. All the inputs needed to run an optimized flight plan are
entered in this section. Required fields are shaded in yellow and marked with an * (see Section
3.3.2—Required Information). When flight planning, the Routing table is populated with an initial
set of routes once Departure, Destination, and ETD are entered in the Trip Details section. At this
point you can also Preview a flight plan.
You have the flexibility to change the default Cruise, Climb, and Descent schedule and the Flight
Plan Format using appropriate drop down menus.
You can also enter your fuel requirements and modify your default fuel values. You have the
capability to specify Reserve and Holding fuel in time as well as pounds (see Section 3.3.4— Fuel
Details). Default values for both Reserve and Holding are set on the Aircraft Profile page by
Company Administrators (see Section 2.3.2.5—Aircraft Weights).
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If any of the entered or default values change or new entries (payload, fuel, FL, etc.) are made that
could affect the flight ETE, burn, FL, etc. once the initial routes are generated, you will not be able
to Preview a flight plan. The routes must be synchronized (synced) with the new values before you
can proceed. The syncing of the routes:
a. Allows you to enter all flight plan parameters before getting final calculation
b. Reduces the number of times the flight planning system starts and then re-starts calculations
c. Provides consistency when flight planning between weight and balance and non-weight and
balance enabled tails
There are several indications on the page to remind you to update the route:
1. The Preview button is re-labeled Sync Routing and the message “Routes have not been synched
with updates” is displayed above it
2. The selected route in the table changes from green to orange and the sync routes message is
displayed at the top of the table
3. A Sync Routes links is displayed at the top of the table
Once all parameters have been entered (or at any time during the planning process) you can click
the Sync Routing button or click the Sync Routes link to re-compute the routes in the table. When
the re-calculations are complete, the selected route is highlighted in green and the Preview button is
re-enabled. See Section 3.4—Routing for additional details on the routes table.
3.3.1 Airport Identifier Lookup

In the upper right corner of the Trip Details section is a button labeled Lookup Airport. Clicking this
button opens a pop-up window that allows you to search for an airport by identifier, airport name, or
city.
1. Type in the airport identifier, city name, or airport name (or a portion thereof) and click Search.
2. All entries that meet the search criteria are provided. The table lists the ICAO identifier, Airport
Name, City, State, Country, and Longest Runway. Each column can be sorted by clicking the
column heading.
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NOTE: The search engine performs a literal match to the string of characters in the City, Country
or Airport name field and returns all entries containing the character string. The more complete the
entry, the more refined the search and the fewer number of choices you will need to sort through.
3. To transfer the identifier to the Trip Details page, select the desired airport then click the
appropriate Send to button. You will receive a message that the airport has been entered in the
selected box on in the Trip Details section.
3.3.2 Required Information

Only four items (Tail*, ETD*, Departure*, and Destination*) are required for you to generate a flight
plan. With this data, the system calculates a flight path that is optimized for fuel and also calculates
plans for any routes we have stored in the system for the city-pair (ATC Preferred, Recently Cleared,
etc.).
1. Select the appropriate Tail* from the dropdown list. Only those company aircraft entered in the
system and supported by the flight planning tools are visible.
a. To plan and file a flight using a Flight ID, select the appropriate ID from the drop down.
b. To plan using the N-number, leave Select FID in the drop-down.
NOTES:
 The Departure Date* field is automatically populated with the current or next day when a
time is entered in the ETD* field. A date is required to generate a RAIM Prediction.
 Aircraft N-number to call-sign mapping is done by the System Administrator using the
Account Details tab (see Section 2.5—Flight ID Assignments). If you do not have any tails
mapped to a flight ID, the Select FID drop down box is not displayed on the Create FPL
page.
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2. Enter the departure and arrival airports (Departure* and Destination*). The airport name is
displayed below the field.
NOTES:
 Departure and destination airports can be entered with either a 3- or a 4-letter identifier.
Using the 4-letter airport identifier reduces the chance of a conflict within the flight planning
system between airports and navaids having the same identifier.
 The same identifier can be entered for both the Departure and Destination when planning
“round-robin” flights however, unlike a normal flight plan, you will need to enter a route of
flight in the custom route box (see Section 3.4.7—Round-robin Flights).
Clicking the WX/Info button opens a new window that contains the airport weather information for
the entered airport as well as additional information on services available at the airport. The
products selected are based on your default settings.
You can use the checkboxes and the Submit Request button to modify the Text Weather Results on a
one-time basis or change your defaults using the Preferences link.
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For information on possible alternate airports click the Find Alternates button.
3-8
Search criteria for alternates, Maximum Distance (from Departure or Destination) and Minimum
Runway Length, are set for each aircraft by your Company System Administrator via the A/C Profile
page (see Section 2.3.2.11—Alternate Airport Criteria).
To override the default selection criteria for a specific flight plan, click the Find Alternates button to
display the Alternates page and use the drop down menu and data fields at the top of the page.
Click the Filter button to display the results. Use the radio button to choose the desired airport and
click Select to populate the Alternate field on the Create FPL page.
3. Enter the estimated departure time (ETD*). You have the option to enter your departure time in
either Z or local (LCL) time. The system automatically converts between times based on the
departure location provided we have a time zone offset for that location stored in our data base.
If no offset is available, the LCL field is not displayed.
Clicking the link labeled ETD HELP provides guidance on what entries are accepted in the ETD
field (i.e., the proposed time for a plan using the forecast winds, 9900 for a no-wind
computation, or MMM for a plan with monthly historical winds).
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4. The Departure Date is pre-populated once an ETD is entered. For an ETD that is in the future the
date field is pre-populated with the current date. An ETD in the past results in the field being
pre-populated with tomorrow’s date.
If you want to run a flight plan with historical or zero winds, enter the 3-letter abbreviation for
the month or 9900 for zero winds in the ETD field. The Departure Date field is grayed-out and is
not required for these computations.
Select any other date by typing the date in the field (use the dd-mmm-yyyy format for free text
entry) or select the date from the calendar widget. Entering the date in one field (Z or LCL)
automatically converts the entry (if necessary) and populates the other field. The entered date
also pre-populates the Departure Date field on the FPL Filing page.
5. Click the Preview FPL button in the Flight Planning Parameters window to generate an
optimized flight plan.
NOTE: You can configure your individual account to always use Customer Preferred or ATC
Preferred Routes, if there are any entered in the system, for the desired city-pair. See Section
2.7.3—Flight Plan Preferences on how to configure your account.
To customize the output, follow the steps below.

1. To change the default Cruise, Climb, or Descent Schedule use the appropriate drop down menu.
The schedules listed are taken from the aircraft performance manual or similar document. Any
of the available modes can be selected and used for computing the flight plan.
2. You can change the flight plan format for a specific trip by selecting an alternate format from
the Flight Plan Format using drop down menu.
3. Enter the planned Payload for the trip. To calculate a flight plan for maximum payload, enter
"max" or the letter "m" in the Payload box.
NOTE: Max payload is the difference between the aircraft Basic Operating Weight (BOW) and
Zero Fuel Weight (ZFW).
3.3.3 Flight Level

You can specify a desired altitude using the FL field or leave the field blank. If the FL field is left
blank, the most fuel-efficient cruise altitude will be selected. Leaving the field blank will also allow
a step climb to be automatically included in the flight plan at the appropriate waypoint.
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NOTE: The most fuel-efficient altitude picked by the system may be an altitude that ATC will not
approve for the route or it may be higher than you expect for a short trip. If experience shows that a
specific cruise altitude is assigned for a specific route, entering that altitude in FL field will provide
a more realistic time and fuel burn estimate.
The box labeled Disregard FIR Altitude Rules is unchecked by default and is used as follows:
For optimized flight plans:

a. For routes with no step climbs:
 If you leave Disregard FIR Altitude Rules box unchecked and enter an altitude in the FL
box, the flight plan will adhere to standard FIR altitude rules. If an "illegal" altitude is
entered, the flight planning system will choose the closest lower legal altitude for the
direction of flight. In some cases, this may result in a flight plan that contains multiple
altitude changes commensurate with even small (East/West) heading changes.
 If you check the Disregard FIR Altitude Rules box and enter an altitude in the FL box, the
flight plan will ignore standard hemispherical and FIR specific altitude rules. If an
"illegal" altitude is entered, the flight planning system will not choose an appropriate
legal altitude for the direction of flight. Multiple altitude changes commensurate with
small (East/West) heading changes will not occur.
b. For routes that contain step climbs/descents the system climbs (or descends) to the legal
altitude closest to the one entered in either the FL box or the Routing box unless the
Disregard FIR Altitude Rules box is checked:
 If you specify an altitude in the FL box, the system treats it as the initial desired altitude
until the first step climb is reached.
 If you leave the FL box blank and only specify step climbs in the routing box, the system
will climb until the first step climb altitude in the routing box is reached.
NOTE: To force a step climb or descent, see instructions in Section 3.4.2—Editing the Route.
3.3.4 Fuel Details

Specific fuel requirements can be entered in the Fuel Details section. If these fields are left blank,
the system computes all fuel requirements using the data stored in the aircraft profile. To calculate
a flight plan for maximum fuel, enter “max” or the letter “m” in the FOB box.
NOTES:
 A flight plan is calculated for EITHER max payload or max fuel. If you enter “max” in both
fields, an error will occur.
 Reserve Fuel can be calculated using pounds/kilograms, as a percent, as a percent of trip
time or as the higher of percent or pounds/kilograms. For percent calculations the system
takes the entered percentage of the total trip fuel, less any descent biases that are 1) entered
for your specific aircraft or 2) inherent in the flight planning system. You must enter the
percent (%) sign in the field or the Reserve Fuel is calculated as pounds. The Reserve HELP
link on the Create FPL page provides additional information.
 If there is not enough fuel in the FOB field to complete the trip, the flight planning system
automatically adds fuel to run the plan until the maximum fuel capacity or maximum take-
off weight is reached and displays a note at the top of the flight plan.
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You can specify the amount of fuel you want on board when you land at your destination airport
(not the alternate). Select Arrive with and you enter a fuel value in the FOB field. The flight plan is
calculated so that your arrival fuel equals Reserve + Holding + Alternate + Extra fuel. In some
cases, this may be greater than the value entered in the FOB field (e.g., if you enter a higher number
in the Reserve Fuel field). Several examples are presented below.
NOTE: If a value is entered in the Minimum Fuel Burn to Alternate field in the Aircraft Weights
section of the Tail Information page (see Section 2.3.2.5—Aircraft Weights) and an alternate is
selected when computing a flight plan, the system displays either the minimum alternate fuel OR
the actual fuel required to get to the alternate, whichever is greater.
Example 1 - No Alternate Selected: The sum of Reserve + Holding + Alternate + Extra fuel equals
the 4000 lbs entered as the Arrive with value.
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Example 2 - Alternate is Selected: The sum of Reserve + Holding + Alternate + Extra fuel is
greater than the 4000 lbs entered as the Arrive with value and you will arrive with 4500 lbs of fuel.
Example 3 - Reserve Fuel: This plan is calculated with an Arrive with value of 4000 lbs but a
Reserve of 6000 lbs. Therefore, the sum of Reserve + Holding + Alternate + Extra fuel is once
again greater than the 4000 lbs entered as the Arrive with value in the FOB field.
When planning multiple leg trips, you can have the fuel remaining from one leg populate the fuel-
on-board (FOB) field for use when planning the next leg. After computing the first flight plan, click
the New Leg button in the Flight Planning Parameters window. A link Use remaining fuel (nnnn lbs)
from ABCD—>WXYZ (A1234) is displayed showing the remaining available fuel, the previous trip
city pair, and the previous trip flight plan recall number.
When you click the link, the remaining fuel value is entered in the FOB field and the link
disappears. This value can be overwritten. To restore the link, click the New Leg button.
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3.3.5 Coded Departure Routes

If you are participating in the FAA Coded Departure Routes (CDR) Program, the CDR Calculations
checkbox is displayed. This will occur ONLY if the CDR Authorized field on the Aircraft
Information page is enabled when the aircraft is set-up in your account (see Section 2.3.2.2—Tail
Information). If the field is set to disabled, a Company Administrator needs to contact the Flight
Operations Center to have the aircraft enabled for CDRs.
On the Create FPL page when you check the CDR Calculations box and there are CDRs stored for
your departure/destination city pair, then, in addition to your base flight plan, flight plans will be
calculated for ALL CDRs that are stored in our database, for that city pair. If the box is not
checked, only a base flight plan is computed.
The CDR summary that is provided when CDR Calculations is checked, displays information on the
fuel required for and the parameters used to calculate each route, and includes:
 Maximum altitude used for the CDR flight plan.
 Cruise mode used to calculate the CDR plan.
 Total fuel required (Burn + Reserve + Holding + farthest Alternate + Taxi out) for each
CDR.
If one of the routes cannot be computed, you will only be provided with the route distance.
Each CDR Summary is sorted according to the fuel required (Req Fuel) to fly the route from the
greatest to the least. Any “Not Computed” flight plans are listed at the bottom.
Additional information on CDRs can be found under the Reference tab (see CDR Pilot Brief and
CDR Program Briefing under Reference>Airspace Information>Routes/Routing).
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3.4 Routing
The Routing section of the page provides the Route Table and allows you to customize your
specific route, compare ETE, fuel and distance for several routes, and view CDRs, DPs, and
STARs.
3.4.1 Route Table

Within the Route Table section, all available routes are displayed for the entered city pair,
including:
 Track Based Routes, if any. These entries include the track name (if assigned), route
waypoints, and valid times, if appropriate.
 The Optimized route.
 Customer routes, if any. These are routes commonly used by your company.
 ATC Preferred routes, if any.
 Stored routes, if any. These routes are provided to us by ATC Service providers (e.g.,
Eurocontrol) or are commonly used routes developed by ATC that are not otherwise
included as ATC Preferred routes.
 Recently Cleared and Frequently Cleared routes, if any. These routes are based on radar
and filed flight plan information we collect and analyze from various CAAs to
determine how flights are being cleared between the departure and destination airports.
 Custom routes, if any. These are routes added to the table using the Custom Route box.
Only Custom routes can be deleted from the table.
 CDRs, if any
The routing information in the table is generated automatically once data are entered in the four
required fields (Tail, Departure, Destination, and ETD) in the Trip Details section. If you open the
section with some, or all of the information missing, you can use the hyperlink to automatically
place your cursor in the desired field and complete the data entry.
Once all the required information is entered in the Trip Details section, the ETE, Burn, Cruise Mode,
FL, Distance, and Max Shear for any Track Based, Optimized, CFMU Previously Filed CFMU,
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Generated, or stored route (Customer, ATC Preferred, Stored, or Recently Cleared or Frequently
Cleared) are calculated. If there are CDRs for the city pair, they are also listed in the table, but no
additional information is displayed. You will also see the Great Circle Distance (based on WGS84
data) between the Departure and Destination airports and the default Route Optimization selection.
Depending on the length and number of routes available, the table could take several seconds to
display. Also, these routes are automatically re-calculated each time an entry is made in any of the
following fields in the Trip Details section: Payload; FL; Cruise, Climb, or Descent Schedule; and,
Fuel on Board.
A status “throbber” is displayed while calculations are being performed.
When the route table is initially displayed, the radio button for the selected route is filled in and the
selected row of the table is highlighted in green.
The default route selection is controlled by your Flight Planning Preferences. See Section 2.7.3—
Flight Plan Preferences on how to configure your account preferences.
NOTE: The Max Shear value is the average per 1000 feet of altitude of the magnitude of vector
wind difference for the 4000 foot layer immediately below the segment altitude. Vertical wind
shear is an indicator of possible turbulence as follows:
 00-02 - no turbulence
 03-04 - light turbulence possible
 05-07 - light turbulence likely and moderate turbulence possible
 greater than 07 - moderate turbulence likely and severe turbulence possible
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NOTES:
 For ATC Preferred routes, we also provide notes on Altitude and Aircraft Restrictions and
Effective Hours.
 To support international flight planning we query Eurocontrol’s Central Flow Management
Unit (CFMU) on a real-time basis. When you plan an intra-European flight, we will display
any active, preferred routes we obtain from the CFMU as either a CFMU Previously Filed or
a CFMU Generated route.
 Recently Cleared and Frequently Cleared routes are based on radar and filed flight plan
information we collect and analyze from various CAAs to determine how flights are being
cleared between the departure and destination airports. We also look at the aircraft type and
cleared altitudes in the data we receive (jet, prop or turboprop) and display only those routes
appropriate to the aircraft (and any entered altitude in the FL field) in the table (e.g., a G550
would not see routes issued to a BE20).
 The plans are listed in order by time the last plan was issued for Recently Cleared routes
and by number of plans issued over the past 30 days for Frequently Cleared routes.
 We also provide the following information:
 Last cleared day and time
 Total flight plans that have used this route in the last 30 days
 Total flight plans that have used this route today (since 0001Z )
 Lowest and highest flight levels that have used this route
For our CFMU routes we also provide an indication of whether the route has passed validation.
 Since we are sending multiple routes to the CFMU for validation on a real-time basis, the
route table may take a few seconds longer to display.
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Routes that are acceptable and pass CFMU validation for are annotated with CFMU Pass. Those
that do not pass validation are labeled CFMU Error.
For routes that do not pass validation, you can view the CFMU error message by clicking the CFMU
Error link.
Routes can be corrected and resubmitted for validation by selecting the desired route, clicking the
Edit selected route link in the Custom Route box, correcting the errors, then resubmitting the route
for validation using the Validate With CFMU link.
All customers can compute a plan for a desired route using the Preview FPL button and then submit
the route for validation by clicking the CFMU Validate button.
If you have your Flight Planning Preferences set to use Customer Preferred or ATC Preferred routes
and there is more than one preferred route stored for the city-pair, an alert message is displayed at
the top of the Create FPL page. To expose the available routes open the Routing section and select
the desired route by clicking the radio button.
If any of the entered or default values change or new entries (payload, fuel, FL, etc.) are made that
could affect the flight ETE, burn, FL, etc. once the initial routes are generated however, the selected
route highlight is changed to orange and the sync routes message is displayed at the top of the table.
The routes must be synchronized (synced) with the new values before you can proceed.
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NOTE: During flight planning, we also all airports in your flight plan (including alternates and
ETPs) and all computed routes from the Routes table on the Create FPL page to our weather service
provider, Schneider Electric for evaluation. Schneider’s automation looks at the average forecast
conditions between waypoints based on the ETD and computed route. Similarly, evaluations are
made for the average altitudes between waypoints. The system returns and displays alerts for the
several pre-set conditions. See Section 13 — Hazard Alerting for details on this feature
3.4.2 Editing the Route

Selection of the radio button for any of the displayed routes results in the selected route string being
highlighted. To edit the selected route to fit your operational requirements (e.g., add step climbs,
modify the waypoints, etc.) click the Edit selected route link in the Custom Route section of the
table. To clear the entry, click the Clear custom route link. To manually enter a desired route of
flight, type the waypoints in the route box using the following general guidelines:
 DO NOT enter the departure or destination airport in the Custom Route box
 Navaids and waypoints can be separated by a space, comma, period, two periods, dash,
or backwards slash. A space provides the best text-wrapping performance.
 The DPs, STARs, and Transitions dropdown boxes are automatically populated based on
the entered city-pair. In addition, there are View DPs and View STARs buttons at the
bottom of the section. Clicking either of these buttons displays a graphic of the arrival
or departure routes.
If a DP or STAR is selected from the drop down list, a transition must also be selected. Once
selected, do not enter the transition waypoint in the routing box.
 If planning a flight that joins an arrival or departure at a waypoint along the published
route, do not select the DP or STAR from the dropdown menu. The --Direct-- option
should be selected for the DPs or STARs field with the arrival waypoints manually
entered in the Custom Route box.
 To plan a route directly to a waypoint, the waypoint name must be preceded by either D,
d, DCT, or dct. If one of these abbreviations is not entered immediately before a
waypoint or navaid, the flight planning system may not choose the most fuel efficient
route between the waypoints.
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 To plan a radial-to-radial intercept enter the first navaid, the naviad and radial, the
second navaid and radial, and the second navaid. Each entry must be followed by
either D, d, DCT, or dct. Radial must be 3-digits. (e.g., HVQ d HVQ104 d EKN002 d
EKN)
 To plan a radial/DME-to-radial/DME intercept enter the first navaid, the naviad and
radial/DME, the second navaid and radial/DME, and the second navaid. Each entry
must be followed by either D, d, DCT, or dct. Radial and DME must be 3-digits.
(e.g., LDN d LDN275046 d MRB070071 d MRB)
 To force a flight level change, enter /FL### (e.g., KELSO/FL340; where ### is the new
flight level) immediately following the point at which you want to begin the climb or
descent.
 If you specify an altitude in the FL box, the system treats it as the initial desired
altitude until the first step climb is reached.
 If you leave the FL box blank and only specify step climbs in the routing box, the
system optimizes the altitude until the first step climb in the routing box is reached.
 To change cruise mode along the route of flight, enter /CZ#### (e.g., KELSO/M80 or
BAL/CZ250K) immediately after the point where you want to begin planning with a
different cruise schedule
 The Cruise Mode entered must be a valid cruise mode for the selected tail and
entered as it is listed in the Cruise dropdown menu
 Flight Level and Cruise Mode changes can be combined and used at the same point
(BAL/FL350/CZM80)
Entering Latitude and Longitude Waypoints

 North Lat/West Lon and South Lat/East Lon waypoints are entered as (any entered point
must be preceded and followed by either D, d, DCT, or dct):
 xxyyN or xxyyS (50N 010W is entered as 5010N; 30S 030E is entered as 3030S)
 for longitudes greater than 099E or W, the letter is placed between the digits: xxNyy
or xxSyy (50N 140W is entered as 50N40; 30S 120E is entered as 30S20)
 North Lat/East Lon and South Lat/West Lon waypoints entered as:
 xxyyE or xxyyW (50N 010E is entered as 5010E; 30S 030W is entered as 3030W)
 for longitudes greater than 099E or W, the letter is placed between the digits: xxEyy
or xxWyy (50N 120E is entered as 50E20; 30S 120W is entered as30W20)
NOTE: 5-character lat/lon waypoints must already be included in the navigation data base for use
in computing a flight plan. If the point is not included, it must be added by our Flight Planning
Team. An alternative is to enter the point as an Ad-hoc Waypoint (see below).
 Ad-Hoc Waypoints – a waypoint that is not contained in the standard navigation

database and can be used without having to wait for our Flight Planning Team to add it.
 An ad-hoc point is defined as an 11-character latitude/longitude in the format
ddmmN/SdddmmE/W (e.g., 3601N14202W).
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 You may include as many ad-hoc points in a route as you would like, but each point
must be a unique lat/long
 If you enter an ad-hoc point, it will automatically be assigned a designation in the form
‘XXX##’ where ‘##’ is a number between 1-99 when the flight plan is computed (e.g.,
XXX01)
CAUTION: There is a flight plan format output limitation that requires the use of format X1
when computing a route with ad-hoc points. If you do not select format X1 on the Create FPL page,
the system automatically defaults to this format when the plan is computed if an ad-hoc point is
used. A note is displayed at the top of a plan that is computed using ad hoc waypoints.
Once you have finished building or modifying the route string, click the Add Route button.
The new route and the route details (ETE, burn, etc.) are added to the table and labeled Custom.
You can add as many Custom routes as desired. Each time a Custom route is added that route is
auto-selected as the desired route in the table (green highlight) and is displayed on the map
thumbnail.
When the custom route is added to the table, the points entered in the route box are used to compute
a preliminary flight plan. This flight plan route is displayed in the table and may be different than
what was actually entered because of flight planning rules used during the computation. For
example, if you do not specify a direct leg between waypoints (see syntax above for entering direct
legs), the system will optimize between points and may add airways or other nav aids. To view the
waypoints originally entered in the route box, click the Show customer-entered route link.
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To remove a custom route from the table, click the red X.
3.4.3 Long Directs

To calculate a great circle direct flight plan (more than 900 miles between waypoints), you can
either enter the route waypoints directly or modify a route from the Route Table using the Custom
Route box.
When using Great Circle Directs:

 You will often still see points shown in the leg-by-leg portion of the flight plan as a part of
the direct leg. These points will always fall on the great circle line of the direct segment,
and may show at points where the route crosses an ATC boundary or at other points needed
by the calculator. The points will not show in the filed route unless required by regulation.
 If you use a flight plan format that displays the airway flown on a particular leg, you will see
“GC” displayed as the airway. This is an indication that the calculator is using a Great
Circle Direct function for that segment of the flight.
 Long direct legs are generally not allowed except in North America. Use of them in other
regions could lead to difficulties with your flight plan being accepted by ATC or cause other
delays in the filing process.
FYI: As a general rule for long directs: Always file a departure and stay on published airways or
closely spaced waypoints until you get to the filed flight level, then allow the long direct.
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3.4.4 Multi-Route Option

There is a column on the right edge of the table labeled MRO (for Multi-Route Options). The MRO
feature allows you to compare time and fuel for several routes, at several altitudes, and for up to
three different cruise schedules. The Aircraft Profile page is where Company Administrators set the
additional cruise schedules (based on aircraft type) for use in multiple route calculation. To run
multiple routes:
1. Click the box in the MRO column next to the routes that you would like to run.
2. Flight plans are computed using the inputs from the Trip Details section for each combination of
cruise mode and three flight levels and are displayed in the Routing table.
NOTE: As many as 9 flight plans can be calculated for each route selected for MRO. These
calculations can take a minute or more to compute and display.
3. To compute a flight plan, click the desired route and click the Preview FPL button.
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3.4.5 Flow Control

The FAA is constantly working to ensure the demand for a given resource (e.g., an airport or a
sector of the airspace) never exceeds the capacity of that resource to accommodate the expected
traffic. The process of controlling demand is called Traffic Flow Management (TFM). The FAA
has developed a number of tools to deal with different TFM problems. When weather reduces
arrival capacity at an airport, the FAA can impose a Ground Delay Program (GDP), which will
systematically delay departures destined for the impacted airport to create a smooth and manageable
arrival flow.
When convective weather reduces capacity somewhere in the airspace, the FAA can define a
portion of the airspace to be a Flow Constrained Area (FCA). The FCA can be an area of the
airspace or a line across traffic flows. On active air traffic flow control days in the domestic U.S.
there is an ATC Flow Control Program at the top of the Create FPL page which opens the FAA/OIS
page.
To view the published, permanent FCAs, click the view FCA link below the Route table.
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3.4.6 Avoiding an FIR

You have the capability to have the flight planning system look at routes that avoid specific Flight
Information Regions (FIRs) when generating flight plans.
To use the Avoid FIR(s) feature:

1. Enter the appropriate information in the Trip Details section on the Create FPL page. The system
populates the route table with optimized, custom, and stored routes as appropriate.
2. Open the Routing section and enter the identifier of the FIR(s) you wish to avoid in the Avoid
FIR(s) field. If you do not know the identifier, click the Lookup FIR(s) button to open the search
page.
3. When the Avoid FIR(s): field is populated, new routes are calculated and displayed in the route
table.
For example, for a trip from Milan, Italy (LIML) to Bombay, India (VABB), an optimized route is
returned that flies through Iraqi and Iranian airspace.
To plan around that airspace, enter the FIR identifiers (ORBB for Iraq; OIIX for Iran) in the Avoid
FIR(s): field.
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A new optimized route is generated which routes you outside the entered FIRs.
NOTE: The system can only avoid the specified FIR if the returned route does not violate our
random route parameters. Simply put, when generating a flight plan, we use an ellipse that
encompasses both the departure and destination, the length of which is as long as it needs to be to
contain both airports. The width of the ellipse is two thirds the length. If the route of flight must go
outside of the ellipse to avoid the FIR you want to avoid, then the system will not generate a flight
plan that avoids the FIR. The flight plan displayed in the route table and the computed flight plan
contain a warning stating the specified FIR(s) could not be avoided.
3.4.7 Round-robin Flights

Round-robin flights use the same airport identifier for the Departure and Destination and present a
challenge to the flight planning system since you are asking it to calculate a flight plan to nowhere.
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To successfully compute a round-robin flight plan, you need to specify an altitude for the flight in
the FL box. In addition, you need to enter a route of flight that contains at least one waypoint, in
the Custom Route box. It is also recommended that you put Full Route Clearance (:FRC) in the
Remarks section when filing the flight plan.
NOTE: These items are especially important when using the Quick File feature because without the
waypoint, the FAA Host Computer sees the distance between departure and destination as zero and
rejects the flight plan.
NOTE: The additional point(s) entered in the Custom Route box cannot be an airport.
3.4.8 Charts
You can view airport diagrams, approach plates, and departures procedures for locations in the U.S.,
its territories and possessions. The charts (supplied by the FAA and the National Aeronautical
Charting Office [NACO]) are opened from the Routing section or from the map window accessible
via the map thumbnail on the Create FPL page.
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3.4.9 DPs and STARs

If any of the computed routes in the routing table contain a DP or STAR, a link is displayed for that
procedure.
Clicking the link opens a new window with the chart displayed.
3.4.10 Airport Charts

At the bottom of the routing table there are Departure Charts and Destination Charts buttons.
Clicking these buttons opens the Airport Charts window with the Airport Identifier field pre-
populated with the departure or destination airport. Click the Search Charts button to display a list
of available charts for the location.
From this window you can also search for charts for other airports by entering the Airport Identifier
(or using the Lookup Airport button) and then clicking the Search Charts button.
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Click the .pdf symbol or the Procedure name to view the chart.
NOTE: If you are using a standard PC, you can rotate the chart by right clicking on the chart and
select Rotate Clockwise option from the menu or by pressing Shift+Ctrl+Plus to rotate clockwise
and Shift+Ctrl+Minus to rotate counter-clockwise. For those using a Mac, press CMD+R.
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3.5 Mapping
When you enter a Departure and Destination airport on the Create FPL page, the thumbnail map on
the right side of the page is updated and displays the great circle route between the city pairs.
Once you enter an ETD, flight plans are computed. When the Route table is populated the great
circle route is replaced with the route highlighted in the Route table (optimized, customer preferred,
etc.).
You can view plots for any of the routes in the Route table on the thumbnail by clicking the
appropriate radio button. To expand the thumbnail click on the thumbnail map or click the View
Routes button at the bottom of the Route table.
The thumbnail map on the Create FPL page also allows you to toggle weather radar to get a
preliminary look at possible weather along a planned route of flight. The radar is enabled by default
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and will stay visible if you click the thumbnail to view the larger map. Use the Toggle Radar button
to disable/enable the display.
The selected route is displayed in a separate window along with a dialog box which allows you to
view multiple routes at the same time. The larger map window also provides access to additional
features which allow you to change the map views and add overlays. Additional mapping features
are described in the following sections.
3.5.1 Map Window

The top border of the window contains a Print icon, a Labels checkbox which allows you to toggle
display labels on and off, a Layers link that opens a separate dialog box allowing you to toggle
weather and other information on and off, and the latitude and longitude of the cross-hair. If there
are multiple uses for the identifier (i.e., a VOR co-located at an airport or the same VOR identifier
in different parts of the world), a drop down list shows all instances. Click on the location you want
and the map is re-drawn with the cross-hair centered on the location. If the identifier is associated
with an airport, you can click the “information” icon to open the Airport Information page.
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Under the top border is a row of buttons that allow you to change the base map in the window.
The default view is the World Basic which depicts political boundaries (state, country) worldwide.
Water is displayed as a shade of blue with the coastline in green. Political borders and FIR
boundaries are gray. FIR boundaries can be toggled off using the Flight Information Regions (FIR)
checkbox in the Layers window (see Section 3.5.2.2—Layers). The World Color button provides a
country colored base map.
Clicking the Gray button displays everything in shades of gray and can be used for printing.
The World Hi button overlays ARINC 424 navigation data and allows you to see navigation data
along the entire route of flight. There are 2 ways to zoom: the slider bar at the lower right which
keeps the crosshairs in the center of the zoom or the mouse wheel which keep the mouse cursor (the
pointer) in the center of the zoom.
To toggle the waypoint labels on and off use the Labels checkbox at the top of the page. This
feature is defaulted on (i.e., labels are displayed).
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To view amplifying information about a waypoint or airport, position the mouse pointer on the map
symbol and right click to open the Location Information window which contains the identifier name
and ID, intersecting airways, and the controlling FIR.
If you right click on an airport symbol to open the Location Information box, the airport name is
displayed as a link which opens the airport information page in a new window.
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The remaining buttons show portions of navigation data and correspond to available NACO charts
and sectionals. The list of buttons changes to show charts corresponding to the location of the cross-
hair. These maps will typically only cover portions of your route.
3.5.2 Map Overlays

Clicking the Layers link on the right side of the upper border opens a dialog box which allows you
to toggle various overlays on and off.
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The dialog box has 2 tabs: Layers and Routes.
The Routes tab allows you to display multiple routes from the Route table (Optimized, Customer
Preferred, Previously Cleared, CDR, etc.) as well as DPs and STARs for the departure and
destination airports.
The Layers tab allows you to display weather information, access the fuel stop planner, overlay
NAT Tracks, etc.
Once the desired Routes and Layers are selected, you can close the dialog box using the X in the
upper right corner.
3.5.2.1 Route Plots

The Routes tab allows you to display multiple routes from the Route table (Optimized, Customer
Preferred, Previously Cleared, CDR, etc.) as well as DPs and STARs for the departure and
destination airports. You can overlay any of the DPs or STARs by checking the appropriate box or
view the chart by clicking the .pdf symbol.
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3.5.2.2 Layers
To add weather and other flight information to the map, open the section for the desired layers
category. Select the desired product(s) and use the slide bars at the top of the dialog boxes to select
a flight level (or simply type in an altitude) and time period to display.
Weather radar is available for the following areas (as indicated by shaded areas on the map):
Domestic US Canada Guam
Alaska Western Europe Japan
Hawaii Australia Korea
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For SIGMETs, AIRMETs, and Volcanic Ash you can mouse-over the display and see the valid
times on the warning.
Click the polygon to display additional information.
The daily North Atlantic Tracks are displayed by selecting the appropriate checkbox under the
Oceanic tab. Mouse over a particular track provides to display valid times, altitudes, and any
aircraft equipage requirements.
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3.5.2.3 Fuel Stop Planning

To assist in planning tech stops for an extended long haul flight, enter your departure airport and
final destination. If the great circle distance is beyond the range of your aircraft, do not enter a
Date or ETD. The thumbnail map displays the great circle route between city pairs.
Expand the thumbnail, open the Layers dialog box, and check the Fuel Stops box. The map
displays airports along the route as gray or green circles. Green circles indicate ARINC
Direct has contract fuel available. The lowest price at the airport is displayed.
To view the airport identifier and its distance from the departure airport, mouse over the circle.
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The default search looks for airports 50 miles either side of the depicted route and with a minimum
runway length of 5,000 feet. To expand the search area, use the Path Width slide bar.
NOTE: If you would like to generate an actual route between city pairs that exceeds the range of
your aircraft rather than use a great circle route, contact ARINC Direct. We have implemented an
aircraft type with unlimited range that can be added to your account.
There are several ways to “filter” the results displayed on the map or to show airports at specified
distances from the departure location.
To reduce the number of airports displayed in the initial search, increase the minimum runway
length by typing the new value in the Min Rwy field.
To view airports along a portion of the route:
Check the Distance from DEP box to view all airports along the route based on the Path Width and
Min Rwy criteria.
Enter a single value in the Distance from DEP field to display airports from the departure airport to
the entered distance.
Enter a distance range from the departure airport to see only those airports within that range.
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3.5.2.4 Graphical Flight Planning

You also have the ability to modify a flight plan route using our mapping application. The resulting
route is then inserted into the Custom Route box on the Create FPL page where it is used to compute
a new flight plan using the revised route. When combined with the graphical weather and other
mapping overlays, this feature gives you a powerful flight plan customization tool.
To access the graphical flight planning feature:
1. From the Create FPL page, enter the Departure, Destination, ETD, and Departure Date to populate
the Routing table.
2. Select the desired route from the table and open the mapping application by clicking the
thumbnail.
3. Click the Edit Route button in the lower right corner of the map.
4. The route color is changed to magenta and an Edit Route box is displayed in the upper left portion of
the map.
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NOTES:
 Only 1 route can be selected for editing at a time
 Click the World Hi or World Lo button to display navigation data (airways, VORs, etc.)
 If you do not enter an ETD, the great circle route between the entered city pair is displayed
 To switch to another route, open the Layers window, select the Routes tab, select the desired
route using the checkbox, then click the Edit button next to the desired route
 When editing, it is strongly recommended you display only that route to avoid unnecessary
clutter
3.5.3 Changing the route

You can edit the route by using your mouse to:
 Move a waypoint by dragging and dropping it onto a new point
 Insert a new waypoint by dragging and dropping a line segment onto a new point
 Delete a waypoint
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When editing a route:
 As you drag, the system will "snap" to the nearest navaid or waypoint. A small label
identifies the waypoint that will be selected when you release the mouse button.
NOTE: You may need to change the zoom level to select the navigation point you want to use.
 If points are connected via a published airway, the airway is also selected. If no airway
exists the system will choose direct. Airways can also be inserted between points using the
Edit Route function described below.
 Use caution when dragging to areas where navaids may be co-located (VOR and NDB) to
ensure the correct navaid is selected. The original route in the Edit Route box is updated
(see below)
 The route distance is updated
 For DP’s and STARs the system will auto-select a departure or arrival procedure if a
selected points connects to a DP/STAR transition point. To select a departure, drop the first
waypoint after the airport on a transition point belonging to the DP and the system auto-
selects the SID. Likewise, drop the last waypoint before the destination airport onto a valid
STAR transition, and that STAR will be selected.
CAUTION: If you select a point that is not in the common portion of the procedure, the flight plan
may not compute.
To delete a point, right click on the point and select Delete Waypoint or delete it directly from the
Edit Route box.
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3.5.4 Edit Route Box

When editing your route, changes are tracked and displayed in the Edit Route box. The box is
initially displayed in the upper left corner of the map but can be repositioned by clicking in the
border and dragging the box to a new position.
In the text portion of the box, airways are displayed in green, navigation aids (waypoints, VORs,
etc.) are black, and arrival and departure procedures are brown. Invalid points, direct ( ), and
optimize ( ) symbols are displayed in gray. A entry indicates an attempt to use a one-
way airway (UM25) in the wrong direction.
The top row of the box contains the city pair (as entered on the Create FPL page) and undo and redo
buttons that allow you to go back and forth between changes.
The bottom row of the box contains a Routing drop down menu, the route distance, a Redraw button
and an Update button.
The Routing selection can be set to “auto” or “prompt” using the drop down menu. In the auto
mode, the system automatically selects the “best” routing method (airways, direct, DP/STAR)
closest to the “drop point” and inserts it into the route string.
In the prompt mode, a confirmation window is displayed (Confirm Route Edit) which requires you to
confirm the selection of the new waypoint (highlighted in magenta) along with drop down boxes
allowing you to choose the routing method to and from the newly selected point. It also indicates
where in the route the new waypoint falls by displaying the Previous Waypoint and the Next
Waypoint.
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If multiple airways exist between the previous and next waypoints and the new waypoint, the
prompt mode allows you to select an airway or proceed direct.
Navigation points can be entered directly into the route string by typing the identifier or airway
designator in the route box. When editing using this method, click the Redraw button to display the
new route.
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Route elements between waypoints contain a drop down menu allowing you to choose how you
want to the system to calculate the route—via airway(s), direct, or allowing the flight planning
engine to optimize the route between points.
Click the down arrow to display route options.
Click the desired option to update the route.
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When editing, the system highlights the portion of the route, waypoint, VOR, or airway. If an entry
is selected in the Edit Route box, the route plot corresponding to that entry is highlighted.
Conversely, if a point or airway is selected on the plot the entry in the Edit Route box is highlighted.
You cannot drag the route line to an ad-hoc waypoint however; ad-hoc points can be entered as text
in the Edit Route interface. Since we only display points that are in the nav database, ad-hoc points
entered on the map will not be displayed.
If you add a waypoint via the Custom Route field on the Create FPL page, that waypoint is
displayed as a lat/long in the Edit Route box.
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3.5.5 Computing the New Route

When you are done editing the route, click the Update button at the bottom of the Edit Route box to
transfer the new waypoints to the Custom Route box on the Create FPL page. To compute the flight
plan click the Preview button on the Create FPL page.
3.5.6 Distance Estimation

A distance estimation tool has been added to the large map and is enabled via the Ruler link to the
top of the display. The tool allows you to estimate great circle distances between 2 or more points.
When the “ruler” is enabled, a control box is displayed on the map. Clicking the Start button
activates the feature.
To start a line, click on the map to anchor the cursor then move to the desired end point of the line.
A running estimated distance is displayed as the line is extended or retracted. Click the mouse
button to set the end point. Multiple connected segments can be drawn by moving the cursor and
clicking.
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To exit the ruler mode and retain the lines, click the Stop button. Use the Clear button to delete all
lines.
The pan and zoom features are also available while in the ruler mode and you can switch to any
base map layer and estimate distances. You can also zoom using the scroll wheel or magnification
bar in the lower right corner.
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3.6 Cost Estimation

A cost summary for each computed route is displayed in the Routing table and is based on default
operating information entered by a Company Administrator on the Aircraft Profile page (see Section
2.3.2.13—Cost Analysis) or by the crew as they plan a particular leg.
3.6.1 Customizing Cost Inputs

Opening the Cost Parameter pane on the Create FPL page allows you to see any default values
stored in your account for the selected aircraft. The Additional Time, Fuel Value, and Units of
Measure can be overwritten for a specific flight. A default Item Description cannot be changed but
can be selectively included or omitted by checking or unchecking the Included box next to the item.
The Cost of a specific item can also be modified.
Additional items, on a per flight basis, can be added in the blank Item Description field. New rows
are added for additional items automatically. For additional items, select the appropriate radio
button (Per Hour or Per Flight) to indicate how the cost is applied. Additional items are not saved
for future use.
3.6.2 Cost Calculations Output

Initial costs are displayed for each route listed in the Routing table (except CDRs) and are based on
the default values associated with the tail selected for the trip. The Cost value in the Routing table
is automatically updated as changes are made in the Cost Parameters section.
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Selecting the MRO checkbox (see Section 3.4.4—Multi-Route Option for details on the MRO
feature) provides a cost comparison of the selected route at various altitudes and cruise speeds
(based on the MRO Defaults on the Aircraft Profile page).
To include or exclude the cost summary with the computed flight plan, check or uncheck the Cost
Calculation box in the Trip Details section or the Include Cost Analysis with Computed Flight Plan
box in the Cost Parameters pane.
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The Cost Calculation Summary is provided at the end of the flight plan. If there are two currencies
specified in the aircraft profile (e.g., USD for operating costs and EUR for fuel) both values, as well
as the currency conversion rate, are shown in the summary.
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3.7 Computing a Flight Plan

If you have your Flight Planning Preferences set to use Customer Preferred or ATC Preferred routes
and there is more than one preferred route stored for the city-pair, an alert message is displayed on
the Create FPLt Planning Parameters window. To expose the available routes, click the Routing
Selection link in the window to open the Routing section.
Select the desired route by clicking the radio button.
To generate your flight plan, click the Preview FPL button located at the top of the Create FPL page.
While your plan is being generated, the label will change to Computing...
If there are any errors detected by the system, the flight plan will not compute. These errors may
occur because of a problem with the navigation database, mistakes made while entering a route, the
trip is longer than the available fuel, or a combination of factors. Entry errors are displayed next to
the field highlighted in red. If you receive an error, correct the highlighted entry and click the
Preview FPL button again.
Clicking the Preview FPL button generates and displays a computed flight plan (along with Wt &
Bal/Perf, CDRs, STD WX Brief, U.S. Synopsis WX, Airport Info, and Cost Calculations if selected) but
does not automatically assign a recall number. Computed flight plans are not saved in your
account and will not be available for viewing or filing at a later time unless they have a recall
number.
There are 3 ways to generate a recall number:
1. Click the File button (see Section 5—Fight Plan Filing and Filing Status)
2. Click the Save to Disk button (see Section 2.7.3.2—Saving Plans to Disk)
3. Click the Assign Recall Number button
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All 3 actions are accomplished on the flight plan page.
NOTE: Because we generate and display computed flight plans in a pop-up window, the plan
cannot be seen when using a computer that has pop-up blockers enabled. This is typically an issue
when trying to access your account through a “public use” computer (e.g., workstation at an FBO).
If a pop-up blocker is enabled, the system:
1. Detects that a pop-up blocker is preventing the plan from being displayed
2. Provides a means to view the flight plan from the Create FPL page
3. Displays a warning message at the bottom of the Flight Planning Parameters window
4. Automatically assigns a recall number and saves the plan

5. Makes the plan accessible through the Recent Flight Plan list or the Filing Status page
To display the flight plan in a new window click the View Computed Plan link. From here you can
proceed with filing, viewing the route, etc. Or, since a recall number has already been assigned,
you can open the plan in a new window by selecting it from the Recent Flight Plan list or the Filing
Status page.
Click the New Leg button to clear entries on the Create FPL page.
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3.7.1 Adjusting Aircraft Biases

Default biases for each aircraft in your account are entered on the Aircraft Profile page and stored in
the aircraft database (see Section 2 – Account Details and Preferences for details). To change the
default values for a specific flight, open the Aircraft Biases section on the Create FPL page.
NOTE: Access to the Fuel Biases section on the Create FPL page is controlled by Company
Administrators via the My Company tab. This feature is initially disabled for all non-Administrator
accounts.
To adjust the aircraft biases for a specific flight:
1. Open the Aircraft Biases section on the Create FPL page. The default values are displayed.
2. Enter the new values for the flight
3. Click Preview FPL to run the plan with the new biases.
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NOTES:
 Fuel biases can be entered as an amount or a percent increase over the OEM’s published fuel
burn values.
 If both an amount and percent bias are entered for climb or descent fuel biases, the system
applies the percent value first, then the amount value.
 A time bias adds the entered number of minutes to the estimated time of the flight for that
segment (climb or descent). It will not result in additional fuel burn for the climb or descent
segment of the flight.
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3.8 Flight Plan Route

Once a plan has been successfully computed, the system displays it using the format you selected.
Prior to filing the flight plan, there are two ways you can check the proposed route of flight. To
view a single route, click the Route Plot link at the top of the flight plan. This opens a new window
that displays your planned route of flight. See Section 3.5—Mapping for instructions on how to
toggle layers for winds, weather radar, FIR boundaries, fuel stops, etc.
NOTE: You may have to configure your web browser’s print feature to get a full page copy of the
map using the following procedures:
Click the File link at the top of the widow. From the drop down menu, click Page Setup to display
the Page Setup window.
On the Page Setup window, click the Landscape radio button, and then click OK.
To display multiple flight plans simultaneously, use the Route Plot feature found in the Actions for
selected flight plans menu on the Filing Status page.
1. Open the Filing Status page
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2. Select the appropriate tail from the drop down list and check the box next to the flight plan(s)
you want to view.
3. Click the Plot Route feature.
4. The route for the selected flight plan(s) is displayed on Flight Tracker.
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3.9 Tankering
Using the multi-leg tankering feature, customers can select from a list of computed flight plans and
compute an optimized tankering solution based on the fuel required for each of the selected flight
plans, cost of fuel at each location, and the minimum uplift and ramp fees at each location.
To access this feature, click the Tankering button in the toolbar at the top of the ARINC Direct
website.
NOTES: When creating a tankering scenario, the following rules apply:

 Only flight plans computed for a single tail can be selected for tankering computations but
the aircraft can fly under multiple flight IDs
 All the flight plans legs selected must connect (e.g., BWI-TEB and TEB-IAD not BWI-TEB
and JFK-IAD)
 The flight plans do not need to be filed but all selected flight plan ETDs must be
chronological (i.e., the ETD of leg 2 must be later than the ETD of leg)
 Flight plans computed with historic winds, zero winds, generated using the Quick File
feature (i.e., plans beginning with “Q”), generated by another flight planning system (i.e.,
not in your ARINC Direct account), and plans that are marked as “hidden” on the Filing
Status page cannot be used in a tankering scenario
 All flight plans must be computed in your ARINC Direct account; no third party flight plans
can be selected.
Helpful tips and field definitions can be viewed by mousing over those items marked with a
question mark icon.
A navigation bar is located at the bottom left corner of each page that indicates where you are in the
creation process. It also allows you to quickly move between steps by clicking the appropriate
circle.
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To generate a tankering solution click the Tankering button to open the Tankering page. There is a 3-
step wizard to guide you through the process to create and display a solution. Each step is clearly labeled
and has its own window.
3.9.1 Selecting Flight Plans

To start the tankering calculations:
1. Select the desired aircraft from the Tail: drop down menu.
2. Select the flight plan date range via calendar by clicking in the From: and To: fields. The From:
field defaults to the current date when the page is opened. You can select a date up to 14 days
in the past.
3. Select the flight plans you would like to include in the tankering scenario from the table by
clicking the check box to the left of the Recall number or clicking anywhere in the table row.
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NOTES:
 All the flight plans legs selected must connect (e.g., BWI-TEB and TEB-IAD not BWI-TEB
and JFK-IAD)
 All selected flight plan ETDs must be chronological (i.e., the ETD of leg 2 must be later
than the ETD of leg 1)
4. Selected legs are displayed at the bottom of the page. Click the NEXT button to continue the process.
3.9.2 Entering Fuel Values

Step 2 allows you to customize the fuel parameters used in computing the final tankering results.
Required fields are marked with a red asterisk (*) and are shaded in yellow.
Departure FBO, fuel Price/gal, and Limiting Takeoff and Limiting Landing weight fields are pre-
populated based on data stored within our system. Any pre-populated data can be overwritten for a
specific scenario.
To complete Step 2:
1. Enter the Initial Fuel on Board in pounds.
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2. Select the desired Departure FBO. The default FBO is pre-populated based on the lowest price
fuel available to ARINCDirect customers. The default FBO (and corresponding fuel price) can
be changed by clicking the FBO field and selecting from the dropdown menu. Fuel price can
also be manually entered.
3. Enter any known Ramp Fee at the FBO and the minimum uplift required, if any, for it to be
waived (Waived at). ARINC Direct does not pre-populate any Ramp Fee or Waived at data, but
customer-entered values are remembered and shown by default if appropriate.
4. Adjust the Limiting Takeoff and Limiting Landing weights, if required. The default values are
taken from the Aircraft Weights section of the Aircraft Profile page in your ARINC Direct
account. Changes made on this page are only used when calculating flight plans for the specific
tankering solution. Changes to these values are not reflected in the original flight plan.
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5. To generate the tankering solution, click the COMPUTE button. To return to the previous page,
click the BACK button or the first circle in the navigation bar.
3.9.3 Tankering Results

When the COMPUTE button is clicked, the system takes your tankering inputs from Steps 1 and 2
and performs an analysis using the routes, speeds, weights, etc. from the selected flight plans. The
resulting fueling recommendations are displayed in a tabular format.
The first 8 columns contain the inputs from Steps 1 and 2.
The next 3 columns display the fuel burn (in pounds) for each leg in the scenario, the recommended
uplift at each departure location in gallons and pounds, and the cost of the uplift based on the
entered price per gallon.
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The bottom section of the table shows the potential fuel cost savings between carrying the extra fuel
based on the recommended fuel uplift (Tankering Cost) compared to performing the same trip
carrying the minimum required fuel (Non-Tankering Cost).
NOTES:
 The fuel values on the original flight plans are not updated when a tankering scenario is
generated. To make changes to any of the flight plans based on the tankering results, you
can Replan the flight with the new fuel values or compute a new plan from the Create FPL
page.
 Always check to ensure if adding the recommended fuel would put you above any
performance limiting weights.
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3.10 Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM)

RAIM predictions are used to determine if the GPS system will be unavailable during a portion of
flight. Effective July 1, 2009, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that pilots
confirm GPS RAIM availability for their intended route during flight planning. ARINC Direct has
teamed with DW International (DWI) to provide a RAIM Prediction for all flight plans generated on
our site.
When you click the Preview FPL button on the Create FPL page, ARINC Direct sends DWI the
intended route of flight and times at each waypoint for the proposed departure date and time 1
hour. When the plan is displayed, we annotate it to indicate if a GPS is outage expected based on
the results we receive from DWI. These results are based on the following navigation accuracy
parameters for each segment of flight:
a. ENROUTE – 2 nm accuracy
b. TERMINAL – 1 nm accuracy (the airspace within 50 miles of departure or destination)
c. NPA – 0.3 nm accuracy (approach)
In oceanic airspace, MNPS and RNP10 will be used, as appropriate.
You can also view a RAIM prediction report which shows the route of flight, expected times over
various waypoints or on arrival, and the minutes of predicted outage.
3.10.1 Aircraft Parameters

To generate RAIM reports, the Tail Information page includes data on FD/FDE, Baro-Aiding, Mask
Angle, and GPS Receiver Type (TSO 129 or TSO 145/146).
NOTES:
 To comply with the FAA Advisory Circular (AC90-100A) and provide the most
conservative prediction, all aircraft are defaulted to use the following values:
 Algorithm – defines the RAIM calculation algorithm used for the computation. The
default value is FD which requires a minimum of 5 satellites to perform RAIM
calculations and detect the possibility of coverage issues.
 Baro-Aiding – determines whether the aircraft’s altimeter is attached to the GPS device
to assist with determining altitude (and thus requiring one less satellite). The default for
this value is Off.
 Mask Angle – the ability of the GPS unit to locate a satellite signal relative to the
horizon. The smaller the number the more the GPS unit can see. The default value is 5.
 GPS Receiver type – a Technical Standard Order is a minimum performance standard
issued by the FAA for specified materials, parts, etc. used on civil aircraft. TSO 129 is
the default receiver type.
 Default values should be reviewed by Account Administrators. The RAIM values in your
account are restricted and once they are defined, they cannot be changed unless an Account
Administrator determines there is a need to modify them and notifies ARINC Direct. The
Tail Information page reflects the RAIM values for each aircraft in your account.
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 RAIM prediction reports are included with each flight plan by default. Company
Administrators can disable/enable this feature from the Tail Information page by
unchecking/checking the box labeled Include RAIM Calculation with Computed Flight Plan.
The default is to include RAIM reports.
3.10.2 RAIM Prediction

To calculate RAIM, complete the entries for the trip on the Create FPL page. You must include a
Departure Date when you compute the flight plan. Enter either the Z or local (LCL) date by typing
the date in the field (use the dd-mmm-yyyy format for freetext entry) or select the date from the
calendar widget. Entering the date in one field automatically populates the other field. The entered
date also pre-populates the Departure Date field on the FPL Filing page.
NOTE: Departure Date is required to generate a RAIM report and to have this report available for
inclusion in your flight plan package. If a date is not entered, you can still generate and file a flight
plan but you will not have RAIM when the plan is previewed or computed. You will have RAIM
results if you file the flight plan and generate a flight plan package.
When you are ready to compute the plan, click the Preview FPL button to display the flight plan.
The flight plan is displayed and the header is annotated with the computation parameters and the
RAIM prediction results.
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When the flight plan package is delivered, the RAIM information is appended to the end of the
route summary.
A graphical depiction of the results is also available in the fax package or it can be viewed and
printed by clicking the RAIM Report link on the flight plan.
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3.11 Replanning Flights

ARINC Direct provides the capability to replan previously run flight plans. The Replan feature pre-
populates the Create FPL page with data from an existing flight plan and allows you to change the
aircraft type/tail number, update the route of flight, payload, fuel, and other parameters, and
recalculate the plan retaining the original recall number. You also have the option to generate a
new recall number. To use the Replan Flight Plan feature, follow the steps as outlined below.
1. From the Flight Planning tab click the Filing Status tab to display the Filing Status page, select
the desired flight plan from the list and click the Replan Flight Plan option on the Actions for
selected flight plans menu. You can also use the Recent Flight Plans button to access the Filing
Status page.
2. The Create FPL page is displayed, pre-populated with the original flight plan data. The Retain
Recall Number box in the Flight Planning Parameters window is checked. ONLY the original
route for the flight is displayed in the Routing section of the page.
3. Change the desired parameters on the Create FPL page and click the Replan button. To keep the
same flight plan number, ensure the Retain Recall Number box is checked.
4. You cannot keep the same recall number if you change either the Departure or Destination
airport or want to change the original route of flight. If the Departure or Destination airport is
changed and you click the Replan button with the Retain Recall Number box checked, you will
get an error message.
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5. To change the Departure or Destination airport or the original route of flight, uncheck the Retain
Recall Number box and click the Routing pane. The current route as well as a new optimized
route and any stored routes for the city pair is displayed and can be selected.
NOTES:
 If you change the tail number, the default parameters for the new tail (e.g.,
Climb/Cruise/Descent schedules, fuel defaults, flight plan format, etc.) are used when the
plan is recalculated.
 If you change the tail number and elect to retain the original recall number, all references to
that flight plan will be listed under the new tail number on the Filing Status page.
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3.12 Stored Routes
3.12.1 Routes to Destination
ARINC Direct provides you with the capability to define and save specific routes of flight between
city pairs for trips flown on a recurring basis. Routes for these trips can be stored using several
methods.
Method 1
1. From the Flight Planning tab, select the Routes sub-tab to display the customer routes page
listing all the stored routes.
2. Select the Create New Route button to display the Company Routes page.
3. Enter the route Name, Departure, Destination, and Routing information and click Save.
NOTE: Routes are built on the Company Routes page using the same procedures and rules as when
working in the Route section of the Create FPL page (see Section 3.4—Routing).
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Method 2
1. Compute a flight plan.

2. Click the Save Route button at the top of the computed flight plan to store the computed route
as a customer preferred route.
3. The Company Routes page is displayed with the Departure and Destination fields filled in and
the computed route in the route box. At this point you also have the option to modify the route
and specify an altitude.
4. Name the route and click the Save button.
5. Click the Save button to add it to your Company routes data base or Cancel to exit the page.
The stored routes can be accessed from the Routing table once you enter the Departure and
Destination airports.
NOTE: If your Flight Planning Preferences are set to use stored routes (see Section 2.7.3—Flight
Plan Preferences) and more than one Customer Preferred or ATC Preferred route is stored, a
warning message is displayed in the Routing Section if you have not selected a route and try to
Preview a flight plan.
3.12.2 Route to Alternate

To create and store a commonly used or preferred route to an alternate, click the Create New
Destination Alternate Route button on the Routes to Alt page under Flight Planning.
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Enter the Route Name, the Departure airport (for alternate routes this is your original Destination),
the Destination airport (for alternate routes this is your desired Alternate), and the desired route of
flight and click Save.
When the Destination and Alternate airports are entered on the Create FPL page the system uses the
entered route to calculate the time, fuel burn, and distance to alternate. This information is
displayed in the Primary Alternate section at the end of the flight plan.
NOTE: In some cases, where there is a short distance to the alternate or the airway structure in the
area is not conducive to airway routing, the system creates a direct route.
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3.13 Slot Reservations (U.S. and Canada Only)

Reservations are required for IFR operations conducted at designated high density traffic airports in
the U.S. (DCA, JFK, LGA, and ORD) as well as for certain foreign airports (e.g., Toronto, Canada
[CYYZ]).
In addition, the FAA and CAAs may impose temporary reservation requirements at selected airports
to control traffic flow during special events.
A slot reservation can be requested in two ways.
3.13.1 Slot Reservation when Filing

When you file a flight plan to or from an airport that has a slot requirement, you will be given the
opportunity to have ARINC Direct obtain the slot or enter a reservation number you have already
obtained. This is done using the Slot Status page.
The top portion of the page is used if you want ARINC Direct to arrange for the slot. Information
on the aircraft and slot requirement(s) is presented on the page. To submit the slot request:
1. Review the information presented on the page. For departure slots, the Departure Time (Zulu)
will correspond to the estimated time of departure entered on the flight plan. For arrival slots,
the Arrival Time (Zulu) is based on the estimated time of arrival as computed in the flight plan.
2. Indicate if you can accept a slot that is before or after the desired time. If this option is selected,
FCs will accept whatever slot time the FAA/CAA provides on their initial attempt and will
follow-up with the crew, informing them of the confirmed time. Coordinators will also continue
to attempt to secure a slot as close to the desired time as possible. If this option is not selected,
FCs will only accept a slot at the requested and will inform the crew if one is not available.
They will also continue to attempt to secure a reservation at the desired time.
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3. You can use the Notes: field to enter free text messages or instructions for the Flight
Coordinator (e.g., specify an earliest or latest time you can accept a slot).
4. As with flight plans, you can send a confirmation message to one or more aircraft, an email
address, a fax machine, one or more auto forward codes, an IATA address, and an AFTN
address by checking the appropriate box and entering the destination address.
5. When all information has been entered, click the Request the Above Slot button to submit your
request. This also sends the flight plan to the queue for filing.
6. If you do not want ARINC Direct to obtain your slot or if you already have a slot, click the Skip
the Slot Request button. If you enter your slot reservation number in the field provided, it will
automatically be included in the Remarks section of your filed flight plan.
3.13.2 Slot Status Page

To request a slot reservation without computing and filing a flight plan, click the Create New Slot
Request button, complete the form and click the Request button at the bottom of the window.
Special instructions to an FC can be placed in the text box.
If you would like notification when the slot is obtained, open the appropriate link in the Slot
Confirmation window prior to submitting the request.
There are links to the Airport Slots Requirements table, the FAA CVRS site, and the FAA STMP site
at the top of the page.
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The main page under the Slot Status tab presents information and status of slot requests and
reservations. We also incorporated a capability to filter the list by slot airport and tail number.
Slot requests within your account can have 6 different statuses:
 Requested – the slot reservation has not yet been processed by an FC

 Not Required – a slot reservation is not required for the airport or the date/time entered
 Confirmed – the slot reservation has been granted by the FAA/CAA
 Confirmed/Improving – a slot reservation has been granted by the FAA/CAA but it is not
for the originally requested time. An FC is monitoring slot availability and will try to
improve the time.
 Reconfirmed – the slot has been reconfirmed with the FAA/CAA
 Cancelled – the slot/slot request has been cancelled
The status definitions are displayed when you “mouse over” the status link (Confirmed, Requested,
etc.).
To view the actions associated with a particular slot request, click the dialog icon in the lower right
corner of the slot field.
To close the comments, click your browser’s Refresh button.
Clicking the status link opens Read-Only Slot Request window, populated with the original
information provided in the slot request. The window also displays any confirmation information
contained in the original slot request. Slot Confirmation information can be changed or updated by
typing in the new information and clicking the Add Confirmations button.
To view a listing of airports that require slots and their valid times, click the Airport Slot
Requirements link.
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3.14 Saving Flight Plans to Disk

The capability exists for you to save flight plans to disk (or other portable storage medium) which
can then be downloaded to the avionics. While this feature is available for most all AFIS avionics it
may not work with some older model FMSes. It is recommended that you save a sample flight plan
to disk and load it into the avionics as a test to ensure your avionics are compatible with this feature.
There is a button labeled Save to Disk at the top of the flight plan and also on the Filing Status page.
To save a flight plan to disk use the following procedures:
NOTE: The following steps and screen shots are taken from a computer running Windows XP
Professional. Your screens may not look identical.
1. From the computed flight plan click the Save to Disk button at the top of the page.
NOTE: A recall number is assigned when the Save to Disk button is clicked.
2. From the Filing Status page select the plan(s) you want to save (check the box) then click the
Save to Disk button.
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3. A Save to disk window is displayed. The file names correspond to either the flight plan number
or the city-pair, depending on how your flight planning preferences are configured, and should
be noted.
4. Check the box for the flight plan recall number for the type of file format you want to save
(Avionics is uploadable to the FMS; Human Readable is a plain text format).
5. Click the Save Multiple button to display the File Download pop-up window and select the Save
button.
6. A “directory” window is displayed which is used to specify where you would like the flight plan
saved. You can change the Save in location using the drop down menu at the top of the
window.
NOTE: If saving multiple plans, you will need to repeat the above step for each plan.
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NOTE: AFIS avionics limit the number of flight plans it can read from a disk to a maximum of 24.
Therefore, you should not save more than 24 flight plans on any single disk.
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3.15 Fuel
ARINC Direct’s fuel service is available to all customers and provides contract fuel access from
multiple suppliers worldwide. By clicking the Fuel button on the Create FPL page or the Fuel tab,
you can get and compare pricing from multiple resellers at worldwide locations. Once you select
your vendor, you can generate an electronic fuel release that can be e-mailed or faxed as part of
your flight planning package.
NOTE: Fuel releases are not binding nor are they a commitment to purchase fuel. However, to
take advantage of the quoted price and avoid having to use a company credit or fuel card, a fuel
release must be available to present to the FBO or fueler/agent. Thus, you should always include a
release as part of your flight plan fax package and carry a paper copy to present at the time of
fueling.
For locations where on-line fuel ordering is not yet available or to request fuel at locations outside
the U.S. and Canada, contact the ARINC Direct Flight Operations Center at 1 866 321 6060 or send
an email to fuel@direct.arinc.net with the following information:
 Company Name
 Tail number and aircraft type
 Airport Identifier where you want to fuel
 FBO preference, if any
 Date and time of arrival
 Approximate uplift amount
To use the fueling application when creating a flight plan:
1. Enter the Departure, Destination, and Alternate airports (if desired) on the Create FPL page.
2. Click the Fuel button located in the upper right corner of the page.
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3. The Order Fuel window is opened with the Airports field pre-populated with the entries made on
the Create FPL page and the fuel prices listed for all FBOs at those airports where we have
fueling agreements. There is no need to click the Get Quotes button unless you make a change
to the entries in the Airports field or you want to refresh the screen.
NOTE: All price quotes are in U.S. dollars per U.S. gallon and include all known taxes, duties and
other fees. Prices stated are current estimated prices only and are subject to change, without notice,
as a result of exchange rate and/or market fluctuations. Buyer understands it will be charged the
price in effect on the date and at the location where fuel is actually uplifted. Prist (FSII) will incur
an extra charge.
The fuel contract states that you agree not to disclose this information or use it for any purpose
other than making a fuel-buying decision. ARINC Direct prohibits resale, distribution, or any other
use of this information.
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4. If we do not have an agreement for obtaining on-line fuel at a location (or for International
flights), you can contact Flight Operations and have a quote prepared manually.
5. For each location, select the radio button for the FBO you want to use and click the Generate
Fuel Release(s) button at the bottom of the window.
6. This displays a new page to collect information on the planned arrival/departure times and
estimated fuel uplift. You can order fuel at multiple airports but from only one FBO at any
given airport. Complete the fields on the Fuel Request page and click the Submit button. This
data is used to generate the actual fuel release that is sent to the FBO. It should be as accurate
as possible but does not have to be exact.
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7. A release confirmation window is displayed, giving you options to send or view the current fuel
release, or to generate a quote/release for another trip. To return to the Create FPL page, click
the button labeled Close Window.
You can also retrieve a quote and generate a release through the Fuel tab and clicking the Order Fuel
sub tab. To retrieve a quote, enter up to 4 airport identifiers separated by commas or spaces in the
Airports field and click the Get Quotes button. Follow steps 5 through 7 above to complete the
transaction.
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The Fuel Releases sub tab displays a table with releases in your account. Click the Fuel Release
link, which contains the tail number, location, and month/day of the uplift (e.g., N103XA IAD 0926)
to view the release in .pdf format.
NOTE: Fuel releases may not immediately show up in your account, depending on the vendor’s
turnaround time.
On occasion, a fuel release may not be automatically generated and sent to a supplier. In these
instances, a task is sent to an FC and the release is generated manually. The status on the Fuel
Release page shows as Handled by ARINC and there is a mouse-over message indicating that an FC
is working on your request.
When the release is received from the supplier, it is then copied to your account by the FC and the
status is changed to Available. Once the release is copied into your account it can be viewed from
the Releases tab as a .pdf file and included in a fax/email package.
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3.16 Intelligence Brief

Through our partnership with iJET, you have access to their Intelligent Risk Systems service that
allows you to generate a destination intelligence briefing that includes risk information in several
threat categories (health, security, entry/exit requirements, communications, etc.). The airport
entered in the Destination automatically populates the same field on the Intelligence Brief page
which is opened by clicking the Intelligence button on the Create FPL page.
Output can be viewed in either a Summary Format or a Detailed Format by clicking the appropriate
radio button.
The Summary Format provides warnings and informational alerts, an overview of the country and
city the where the destination airport is located, and general security information. A typical
summary briefing is between 6 and 12 pages.
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The Detail Format adds country specific information on items such as transportation, entry and exit
requirements, health and immunization requirements, culture, etc. A typical detailed briefing is
between 16 and 20 pages.
Intelligence briefings can be included as part of your fax or email package.
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3.17 Graphical Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)

To access the FAA TFR webpage click the Graphical TFRs sub-tab under Flight Planning. Clicking
this tab allows you to access the FAA webpage (displayed as a pop-up window).
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ARINC Direct June 2016
Contents
Section 3: Flight Planning
Section 4: Equal Time Points (ETPs), Extended Operations (ETOPS), and

Reclear
4.1 ETPs ............................................................................................................................ 4-1
4.1.1 APU Fuel and Holding Time ....................................................................................... 4-3
4.1.2 PNR and PSR Inputs .................................................................................................... 4-3
4.1.3 Depressurization Inputs (DPRESS) ............................................................................. 4-3
4.1.4 1 Engine Inoperative Inputs (1E INOP)....................................................................... 4-4
4.1.5 Medical/All Engine Cruise Inputs ............................................................................... 4-4
4.1.6 ETP Output .................................................................................................................. 4-4
4.2 ETOPS ........................................................................................................................ 4-8
4.2.1 Entering ETOPS Airports ............................................................................................ 4-8
4.2.2 View Range Rings ....................................................................................................... 4-9
4.2.3 ETOPS Summaries .................................................................................................... 4-11
4.3 Flight Plan Reclear .................................................................................................. 4-15
4.3.1 Reclear Flight Planning ............................................................................................. 4-15
4.3.2 Reclear Output ........................................................................................................... 4-17
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The ETP/ETOPS Details section allows you to select up to eight (8) contingency airports when
planning over water flights. In addition, you have the ability to:
 Specify which airport you would like to return to (destination, coast-out, or another
airport along your route of flight)
 Include medical divert calculations
 Customize the altitudes and cruise modes used in the calculations, and
 View a planned route and range rings for your ETOPS airport(s).
Default aircraft performance values for ETP and ETOPS calculations are set by Company
Administrators from the Aircraft Profile page (see n Section 2.3.2.12—ETP and ETOPS
Parameters). Any default values can be over-ridden in the ETP/ETOPS Details window on the
Create FPL page when computing a specific flight plan.
4.1 ETPs
To include ETP scenarios with a computed flight plan, select the ETP tab within the ETP/ETOPS
Details section on the Create FPL page. Up to 8 ETP airports can be entered in the ETP Airport
fields. Airports identifiers can be entered in any order, that is, they do not need to follow the
route of flight. Geographic ordering occurs when the scenarios are calculated.
When a flight plan is calculated, the system returns data for several ETP scenarios based on the
values entered. These scenarios include:
 Point of No Return (PNR). This is the point along the route of flight past which the
aircraft can no longer return to the point of departure given the total remaining fuel on
board (total includes reserve fuel, if any).
 One Engine Inoperative (IE INOP) ETP: The ETP scenario should an engine fail in
flight. The point along the route of flight at which the fuel required to return to coast-
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out airport is equal to the fuel required to continue to either the coast-in airport or the
tertiary airport.
 Depressurization (DEPRESS) ETP: The ETP scenario should the aircraft completely
depressurize in flight. It is the point along the route of flight at which the fuel
required to return to the coast-out airport is equal to the fuel required to continue to
either the coast-in airport or the tertiary airport. The calculations are based on either a
cruise portion at an initial Driftdown altitude based on supplemental oxygen followed
by a cruise at a final Driftdown altitude or an immediate descent to the default no-
onboard-oxygen altitude specified for that aircraft.
 Medical Divert (MEDICAL): Allows you to enter an all engine cruise profile in the
event an in-flight medical divert is required.
NOTES:
 You can display suggested ETP/ETOPS airports by checking the ETP/ETOPS Airports
box under the Oceanic section of the mapping Layers menu.
 You can also use the Lookup Airport button in the ETP/ETOPS Details pane to find and
enter airport identifiers in the appropriate fields.
 Airports do not have to be entered in any specific order. They are placed in order along
your planned route of flight when your flight plan is computed.
 To use the same airports for ETP and ETOPS calculations, check the Use ETP airports for
ETOPS checkbox on the right side of the ETP page. CAUTION – selecting this box
transfers the ETP airport identifiers to the ETOPS airports fields and disables the ability
to modify, add, or delete any ETOPS entries while the box is selected.
 You can include a calculation between the airports closest to and farthest from your
departure airport.
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4.1.1 APU Fuel and Holding Time
1. Update the default values for APU fuel burn and holding time, if desired. Remember, default
values are set by Company Administrators from the Aircraft Profile page.
2. Enter the APU operation allowance. This will add to the fuel required for the diversion to
account for operation of the APU.
3. Enter the minutes of Holding Time at ETP Airports. Holding fuel burn is calculated at 1,500
feet AGL using the aircraft’s published holding power setting.
4.1.2 PNR and PSR Inputs
1. You may choose either the Return to Departure Airport or Return to ETP Airport nearest to
Departure (i.e., your coast-out airport), or enter an airport of your choice in the Return to
field.
2. Choose the Cruise Mode you want the system to use for the return calculations.
3. Enter the Max FL you want to use on the return. Leaving the altitude blank will produce an
optimized altitude.
4.1.3 Depressurization Inputs (DPRESS)
1. Enter the values to be used for the Depressurized Calculation scenario. Leaving any of the
values blank will use the system default for the aircraft type.
2. Choose the Cruise Mode you want the system to use for the diversion calculations.
3. Enter the Initial Level Off FL
4. Enter the number of minutes to remain at the Initial Level Off FL (typically based on the
minutes of available supplemental oxygen) in the Oxygen Duration field.
5. Enter the Final Level Off FL. This is the altitude used after the Oxygen Duration time has
expired.
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4.1.4 1 Engine Inoperative Inputs (1E INOP)
1. Enter the Cruise Mode to be used for the diversion.

2. Enter the Max FL to be used on the diversion. Leaving the altitude blank will produce an
optimized altitude.
4.1.5 Medical/All Engine Cruise Inputs
1. Enter the Cruise Mode to be used for the diversion.

2. Enter the Max FL to be used on the diversion. Leaving the altitude blank will produce an
optimized altitude.
4.1.6 ETP Output
Once all the data is entered, the scenarios are calculated and displayed on your flight plan
(labeled Critical Fuel Summaries). In the results detailed below not all calculations are presented.
There are several items that can have a dramatic effect on the ETP computations. Additionally,
to properly interpret and use the ETP and PNR data, please take note of the following:
 The ETP calculation is in fact an equal fuel calculation, not an equal time calculation
as the name would suggest.
 The total fuel required in the PNR calculation includes any specified taxi fuel.
 ETP calculation results (i.e., 1E INOP and DEPRESS) represent the fuel burn required
to reach the ETP airport only. If Reserve Fuel is specified in the Trip Details section
for the flight plan, the ETP calculation results will use the Reserve Fuel, if needed.
 If a departure Fuel On Board value is specified (Depart with) in the Trip Details section
but it is not sufficient to reach an ETP Alternate with the specified Reserve Fuel, the
Fuel On Board will automatically be increased during computation so that it is
sufficient to reach the ETP Alternate with the specified fuel reserve.
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 If the maximum fuel capacity or maximum takeoff weight prevents the addition of
fuel such that the ETP Alternate cannot be reached using all available fuel, the flight
plan will not compute (i.e., no wet footprint).
The first line identifies the type of scenario. The second line provides the latitude and longitude
(LAT/LONG) of the diversion airport along with the identifiers.
4.1.6.1 PNR Scenario

The time, distance, and fuel from the PNR airport to the diversion point (PNR):
 TIME is 5 hours and 56 minutes
 DIST is 2,727nm
 FUEL is 17,476 pounds (excludes taxi) with 7,957 lbs remaining
 The altitude and route of flight are as outlined in the flight plan to that point
The remainder of the output is for the trip from the diversion point back to the ETP Airport:
 Altitude (FL) is 430
 Fuel (BURN) 7,957 pounds
 TAS is 459 kts
 ETA is 0701Z
 DIST is 1291nm
 Route is direct
 The magnetic course is 265° with an average headwind component of 33 knots (M033)
 Average Temperature deviation from ISA is +0° (M000)
 The TOTAL FUEL from departure to the PNR diversion point and back is 25,433
pounds (including taxi) and fuel remaining (RMG) is 00000 pounds.
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4.1.6.2 1 Engine Inoperative

For the 1E INOP case, there are scenarios for each pair of airports entered moving along the route
from departure towards destination (only the first scenario is presented below):
The time, distance, and fuel from the departure airport to the diversion point (ETP):
 DIST is 1,984nm
 FUEL Burn is 13,506 pounds (excludes taxi) with 7,188 pounds remaining
 The altitude and route of flight are as outlined in the flight plan to that point
The remainder of the output is for the trip from the diversion point to the closest (CYQX) and
subsequent (BIKF) ETP airports:
 Altitude (FL) is 320 to CYQX and 330 to BIKF
 BURN is 4,697 pounds to CYQX and 4,692 pounds to BIKF
 TIME is 2 hours 7 minutes to CYQX and 2 hours 5 minutes to BIKF
 ETA at CYQX is 0427 and 0425 at BIKF
 DIST is 611nm to CYQX and 762nm to BIKF
 Routes are direct
 Magnetic course to CYQX is 246° and with an average headwind component of 44
knots (M044); magnetic course to BIKF is 073° with an average tailwind component
of 27 knots (P027)
 Average temperature deviation from ISA is -4° (M004) to CYQX and +2° (P002) to
BIKF
 TOTAL FUEL from departure to the diversion point and to the ETP airport is 18,203
pounds to CYQX and 18,198 to BIKF (including taxi)
 The fuel remaining (RMNG) after arriving at CYQX or BIKF is 7,230 pounds
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4.1.6.3 Depressurization and Medical Scenarios

The output for the DEPRESS and MEDICAL scenarios are read the same. For the depressurization
calculations, if an Initial Driftdown FL, Initial Driftdown Time, and Final Driftdown FL are entered,
the output displays the depressurization profile. OXYGEN ALTITUDE is defined as the Initial
Driftdown FL and is the altitude listed in the scenario calculations.
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4.2 ETOPS
Extended Operations (ETOPS) are defined as those flights conducted over a route that contain a
point further than one hour flying time (under standard conditions in still air) at the approved
one-engine inoperative cruise speed from an adequate airport.
An ETOPS flight plan includes two sets of calculations. The first is used to determine if your
route remains within the necessary distance from the ETOPS diversion airports that you have
specified. The second calculation pairs the ETOPS airports that you have entered, and computes
an Equal Time Point (ETP) between each pair using a fixed depressurization altitude (10,000
feet), one-engine inoperative cruise mode (typically the most conservative fuel burn airspeed),
and the current meteorological conditions to determine if you have sufficient fuel to complete a
diversion if you were to experience a simultaneous decompression and engine failure. The
output is displayed at the bottom of your flight plan format.
The system computes and displays ETOPS parameters which take your their specific operating
requirements into account and determine if the planned route of flight remains within the
approved ETOPS limit. The highlights of this feature are the ability to:
 Specify which airport(s) you would like to use for ETOPS alternates (you can enter as
many as eight airports for one calculation)
 Modify the default time and airspeed parameters used to calculate ETOPS data
 View a planned route and range rings for your ETOPS airport(s)
ETOPS defaults for maximum single engine cruise time, in minutes, and the single engine true
airspeed are set by Company Administrators on the Aircraft Information page (see Section
2.2.3.12—ETP and ETOPS Parameters). These are the parameters used to determine if your
planned route is ETOPS compliant. Compliance is determined by ensuring that your route of
flight remains within a given distance from your specified ETOPS diversion airports as
determined by the entered value for minutes divided by 60 and then multiplied by the Single-
Engine TAS. This is a no wind, standard atmosphere calculation.
4.2.1 Entering ETOPS Airports
You must enter a minimum of 2 airports to generate ETOPS scenarios.
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4.2.2 View Range Rings
Once the airports are entered click the View Range Rings button to display the route of flight and
the range rings from the entered ETOPS airports.
NOTE: The range rings may sometimes appear distorted or take on an oval shape. This is
because of the map projection that is used to display the route plot. As the range ring moves
further away from the equator it begins to appear skewed.
CAUTION: The View Range Rings feature is designed to provide you with a “quick look” at
your planned route in relation to your ETOPS requirements. There may be instances where it
appears that the route stays within the ETOPS range rings, but the computed flight plan shows
that the distance is exceeded. This is because of map resolution and the inability to zoom to a
level that would display the route with sufficient granularity.
ETOPS Compliant Route
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Once the ETOPS airports are entered, you can compute a flight plan by clicking the Compute
FPL button in the Flight Planning Parameters section of the page. The ETOPS information is
displayed at the bottom of your flight plan.
ETOPS Non-Compliant Route

NOTES:
 If the system cannot generate ETOPS calculations because of aircraft performance issues
(e.g., not enough fuel available), a note is posted at the top of the flight plan stating:
Unable to calculate ETOPS flight plan, please check route and fuel entries.
 If the system cannot generate ETOPS calculations because the route does not remain
within ETOPS distance (i.e., within the range rings), a note is posted at the top of the
flight plan stating: ETOPS distance exceeded. Check route and all values in ETOPS
calculation section. In addition, there will be no range rings displayed on the Route Plot.
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4.2.3 ETOPS Summaries
The example ETOPS ETP Summaries shown below are for a flight from Charlotte, N.C. (KCLT)
to Naples, IT (LIRN) with a 1200Z ETD. Gander, Newfoundland (CYQX), Keflavik, Iceland
(BIKF), and Shannon, Ireland (EINN) were entered as the ETOPS airports. The ETOPS
Summary is divided into two sections.
In the first section, for the ETOPS pair of CYQX and BIKF:
 The first line displays the latitude/longitude (N51 54.3/W041 31.8) of the equal time point
(ETP) to both ETOPS airports
 The next 3 lines provide the time, distance, and fuel required from the departure airport to
the ETP diversion point (N51 54.3/W041 31.8)
o TIME is 3 hours and 41 minutes (3.41)
o DISTANCE is 2,007 nm (02007)
o FUEL is 11,924 pounds (011924)
 The remainder of the output is for the trip from the diversion point to each airport:
o To CYQX:
 Altitude (FL) is 140, fuel BURN is 6,613 pounds, and TIME is 2 hours and
54 minutes (140/06613/2.54)
 TAS is 253 knots, ETA 1835 UTC, and distance is 529nm
(253/1835/000529)
 Magnetic course (MAG CRS) is 270 degrees; average headwind component
(AVG WND COMP) is 77 knots (270/M077)
 The average temperature deviation (ISA TEMP DEV) is ISA+7 degrees
(P007)
o To BIKF:
 Altitude is FL150, fuel burn is 6,620 pounds, and time is 2 hours and 58
minutes (150/06620/2.58)
 TAS is 254 knots, ETA 1839 UTC, and DIST is 937nm (254/1839/000937)
 MAG course is 060 degrees with an average tailwind component of 55
knots (060/P055)
 The average temperature deviation is ISA+2 degrees (P002)
o TOTAL FUEL from departure to the diversion point and then to CYQX is 18,537
pounds; the remaining (RMNG) fuel at CYQX is 5,614 pounds (18537/05614)
o TOTAL FUEL from departure to the diversion point and then to BIKF is 18,545
pounds; the remaining (RMNG) fuel at BIKF is 5,606 pounds (18545/05606)
o Routes of flight are direct between the diversion point and each ETOPS airport.
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The second part of ETOPS ETP Summaries displays information on the flight from each ETOPS
boundary (where your route intersects the range ring) to the ETOPS airports.
Column Definition Remarks

ARPT ETOPS airports CYQX, BIKF, EINN
KCLT to DIV1 for CYQX is 53
Estimated elapsed time (hhmm) from departure to the
minutes (0053)
entry of the ETOPS boundary with both engines
KCLT to DIV1 for BIKF is 3 hours
DIV1 operating. This is displayed as 0000 if the departure
and 27 minutes (0327)
airport is within 180 minutes or the specified time
KCLT to DIV1 for EINN is 3 hours
from the entry of the first boundary point.
Estimated arrival time at the ETOPS airport from
KCLT to CYQX 1553Z
departure airport with one engine inoperative
ETA1 KCLT to BIKF 1826Z
assuming an engine failure at DIV1. In this example,
KCLT to EINN 1858Z
ETA’s are based on a 1200Z departure from KCLT.
N39 32.20 for CYQX boundary
LATITUDE1 Latitude of DIV1 N51 33.92 for BIKF boundary
N52 05.02 for EINN boundary
W074 52.75 for CYQX boundary
LONGITUDE1 Longitude of DIV1 W045 27.95 for BIKF boundary
W037 17.37 for EINN boundary
KCLT to DIV2 for CYQX is 4
hours and 37 minutes (0437)
Estimated elapsed time (hhmm) from departure to
KCLT to DIV2 for BIKF is 6 hours
DIV2 exiting the ETOPS boundary with both engines
operating.
KCLT to DIV2 for EINN is 8 hours
Estimated arrival time at the ETOPS airport from Boundary exit back to CYQX 1937Z
ETA2
boundary exit point with one engine inoperative Boundary exit back to BIKF 2115Z
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Column Definition Remarks

assuming an engine failure at DIV2. In this example, Boundary exit back to EINN 2307Z
ETA’s are based on a 1200Z departure.
N51 51.42 for CYQX boundary
LATITUDE2 Latitude of DIV2 N48 51.29 for BIKF boundary
N42 04.82 for EINN boundary
W027 47.98 for CYQX boundary
LONGITUDE2 Longitude of DIV2 W007 24.07 for BIKF boundary
E011 17.11 for EINN boundary
To view the flight plan and the ETP and ETOPs summaries graphically click the Route Plot link
at the top of the computed flight plan.
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4.3 Flight Plan Reclear
When planning a route of flight for which there is sufficient fuel to complete the flight but the
aircraft is projected to arrive at the intended destination without the required percent of reserve
fuel, operators can get regulatory agency approval to “reclear” a flight from a point along the
route to its intended destination. The flight plan for such a flight includes a computation from
Departure to Intended Destination, from Departure to Reclear Destination, and from the Reclear
Point to the Intended Destination.
4.3.1 Reclear Flight Planning
To generate a reclear flight plan:

1. Enter the appropriate information in the Trip Details fields on the Create FPL page. Use the
intended arrival airport in the Destination field.
2. Enter the required contingency or Reserve fuel as specified in your approved OpSpec (FAA
requirement is 10% of trip time [10%T], JAA requirement is 5% of trip fuel [5%]).
3. Open the ETP/ETOPS/Reclear shade and enter the desired ETP and ETOPS information.
4. Click the Reclear tab and enter Reclear Airport and Reclear Alternate Airport.
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5. Select the Reclear Point Calculation Method. This will determine how far along the route of
flight the system will use to compute the reclear point. The goal is to get as close to the
Intended Destination as possible. Company Administrators can specify a default method in
the ETP/ETOPS/Reclear section of the Aircraft Profile page.
6. Click the Sync Routing button, if necessary, then the Preview FPL button to generate the
flight plan.
7. To view the route graphically, click the map thumbnail. The route to intended destination is
displayed as a solid line. The route from reclear point to reclear destination (IDOKI – EGSS)
is a dashed black line.
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4.3.2 Reclear Output
The first section of the Reclear Fuel Summary provides the results from the origin to the intended
destination (KJFK – LFPB).
 Intended DEST LFPB, FUEL 017655 lbs, TIME 0606 (6 hours 21 minutes enroute), DIST
3173 nm
 Furthest from the intended Destination, if multiple alternates are entered ( ALTN LFPG),
FUEL 1000, Time 0016, and DIST 0035
 Reserve (RESV) fuel (102 lbs) and the time 0003 (minutes)
NOTE: Since this is a reclear calculation the value shown is the same as the reserve
requirement in Section 3 - Reclear Point to Intended Destination. If computing a 5%
Reserve then this value is 5% of the burn from RCLR PT to DEST. The RDUCD in the
DIST column is provided as an indicator.
 HOLD is the same value entered in the Holding Fuel field in the Trip Details section
 ETP BU and RCLR BU are displayed if additional fuel build up is required for ETP or
Reclear computations. Fuel build up is automatically added by the system, if needed.
 BLST is displayed if any ballast fuel is required
 REQD is the total amount of FUEL (19497 lbs) and the TIME (0643) for the trip
 B/RC is the fuel burn to the reclear point and is not applicable in sections 1 and 2
 XTRA is any extra fuel derived from either a MAX FOB entry in Trip Details or a FOB entry
that is greater than REQD fuel
 TAXI is the value entered in the Taxi Out Fuel field in the Trip Details section
 RAMP is the sum of the displayed FUEL values
The second section displays the results from the origin to the reclear destination (KJFK – EGSS).
The results are interpreted the same as Section 1.
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 RESV fuel is calculated from the origin to the reclear destination (KJFK – EGSS) based on
the entry in the Reserve Fuel field in the Trip Details section (e.g., 5%).
 Fuel entered as Holding Fuel in the Trip Details section is NOT displayed in the HOLD line
but is included in the XTRA value. The INCLDS HLD annotation on the HOLD lines is
provided as an indicator.
 ETP/ETOPS are not calculated for the origin to reclear destination scenario so any ETP
buildup fuel (E/BU) calculated for the origin to intended destination or reclear point to
intended destination scenarios (Sections 1 and 3) is displayed as XTRA in this section.
The third section displays the results from the reclear point to the intended destination (IDOKI –
LFPB).
 REQD is the total amount of FUEL (3114 lbs) from the reclear point to the intended
destination. It is marked with asterisk * and REQD
NOTE: If the flight reaches the reclear point and has more fuel available than listed in
this field, it can proceed to the intended destination. If there is less fuel available, it must
proceed to the reclear destination
 The B/RC indicates the fuel burn (15642) from the origin (KJFK) to the reclear point
(IDOKI)
4-18
4-19
Contents
Section: 5 Flight Plan Filing and Filing Status
5. 1 Filing a Flight Plan.........................................................................................................5-2

5.1.1 Departure Information .....................................................................................................5-2
5.1.2 Modifying the Route ........................................................................................................5-3
5.1.3 Crew Information .............................................................................................................5-3
5.1.4 Filing Information ............................................................................................................5-4
5.1.5 ICAO RNAV/RNP Capability .........................................................................................5-6
5.1.6 Other Information ............................................................................................................5-7
5.1.7 Remarks ...........................................................................................................................5-8
5.1.8 Confirmation ....................................................................................................................5-9
5.1.9 Contact Information .........................................................................................................5-11
5.1.10 Filing ................................................................................................................................5-12
5. 2 Quick File........................................................................................................................5-14
5. 3 Filing Status ....................................................................................................................5-15
5-1
5. 1 Filing a Flight Plan

To start the filing process for a computed flight plan click the button labeled File on the flight plan
page to display the Filing page.
NOTE: Clicking the File button also assigns a flight plan recall number and saves the plan in your
account.
5.1.1 Departure Information

The page header contains a summary of the flight plan including the flight plan number, tail
number and flight ID (if used), origin and destination, and the flight data (time, fuel distance, etc).
You can link to the original flight plan by clicking the flight plan recall number.
If the plan has been filed, the filing status is displayed in blue highlight below the header.
The departure date and time (Z and local) are pre-populated based on the computed flight plan and
must be confirmed using the Check to confirm departure date/time* box. Total number of souls on
board the flight is entered in the field labeled Number Aboard. Other information in this section
may also be pre-populated based on entries on the computed flight plan or entered on the filing
page (e.g., alternates).
NOTES:
 Shaded fields and those marked with an asterisk (*) must have an entry. If one of these is
left blank and the File button is selected, ARINC Direct will return an error message next
to the field prompting you for an input.
 If the local time to Zulu time conversion causes the filing date to cross into the next (or
previous) day, there is a note on the Filing page and the local date is highlighted.
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5.1.2 Modifying the Route

The next section contains route of flight information. By default, the capability to modify the
planned route of flight on the Filing page is inhibited to avoid potential discrepancies between the
route that is provided in a fax package and the one that is put on file with ATC. When the Filing
page is opened, the Route of Flight box is grayed-out.
To enable route editing, check the Modify Filed Route box.
CAUTION: Changes made to the Route of Flight on the Filing page are not used to update your
computed flight plan and will result in different routes on file with ATC and in your fax package.
CAUTION: Changes made to the Route of Flight on the Filing page are not validated before being
sent to ATC. Incorrect entries and errors will result in the flight plan being rejected by ATC.
5.1.3 Crew Information

The Crew Information section allows entry of names for Pilot In Command and Second In
Command. The Pilot In Command field is pre-populated or a name can be selected from the drop
down list. The list contains all those in the account that are designated as pilots. Names can also be
typed in as free text. The Second In Command field is not required for filing.
For Companies that participate in dosimetry reporting and have a Dosimetry Auto Forward Code
enabled (see Section 2.4.1—Dosimetry Reporting) there are fields for Crew ID as well as Additional
Crew Members. The Pilot In Command field is pre-populated or a name can be selected from the
drop down list. The lists for Pilot In Command and Second In Command contain all those in the
account that are designated as pilots.
Names for Additional Crew Members can also be selected from the drop down menu which
contains ALL company employees with ARINC Direct account logins. Names for any of these
fields can also be typed in as free text. Crew ID information must be typed in as freetext.
5-3
NOTES:
 You must enter the of the Pilot In Command to file a flight plan.
 Name and/or Crew ID are optional for Second In Command and Additional Crew Members.
 Up to 10 Additional Crew Members can be entered.
5.1.4 Filing Information

The Filing Information section contains aircraft type, equipment codes and other administrative
information needed for the flight.
The FAA has been seeing an increased number of flight plans that included the equipment suffix
“W” (denoting the flight as RVSM capable) when in fact the crew and/or aircraft are not certified
to operate in RVSM. Many times an operator enters “Negative RVSM” or “Not RVSM capable” in
the Remarks but forgets to change the equipment code. To help mitigate the problem, FAA has
asked all service providers to put in another level of “validation” for the RVSM equipment suffix
that is passed to the host when filing.
The box on the filing page labeled RVSM Capable validates against the entered equipment suffixes,
as well as any filing remarks that are entered. The validation alerts you if there is a mismatch
condition between the equipment code, checkbox, or Remarks section. The box is defaulted to
checked if a “W” is included in the aircraft equipment code.
If the RVSM Capable box is un-checked, the “W” will be automatically removed from the
Comm/Nav/App Equip field for that filing only.
NOTE: If the box is re-checked, the “W” will be automatically added back to the Comm/Nav/App
Equip field.
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If you do not update the Filing Information section but put “Negative RVSM” or words to that effect
in the Remarks section to indicate the flight is not RVSM capable, a warning message is displayed
when the plan is filed to alert you of the disparity.
The Filing page also provides a link to change the tail number before filing using the following
procedures:
1. Click the change link next to the original tail number.
2. The Change Tail Number page is displayed. Select the appropriate aircraft from the New Tail
drop down and click the Change Tail button.
CAUTION: Changing the tail number or flight ID will result in your not being able to uplink the
flight plan to the aircraft.
5-5
3. The Filing Form is updated with the new tail information.
4. The flight plan recall number is assigned a “Q” prefix.
5. After filing the complete flight plan number (e.g., Q0733) and its status is posted on the Filing
Status page (see Section 5.3—Filing Status) under the new tail number.
If you are filing an ICAO flight plan you can change the default flight code from "IG" to the
correct code for your specific flight by selecting the appropriate radio buttons in the Filing
Information section. The first character is based on the flight rules (IFR, VFR, etc) and the second
character is based on type of flight (General Aviation, non-scheduled air transport, etc.) as defined
in the table below.
(FPL-N331TH-IG
-CL60/M-SXWHIGRY/S
-EINN1310
-N0461F370 DCT MOMIN DCT ODLUM/M080F370 UM17 PIKIL DCT 57N020W
58N030W 59N040W 58N050W DCT PORGY/N0446F370 DCT HO N294C YBC N334C
Flight Rules Type of Flight

I – IFR G – General Aviation
V – VFR S – for scheduled air transport
Y – IFR/VFR N – for non-scheduled air transport (e.g., Part 135)
Z – VFR/IFR M – Military
X – Other (includes humanitarian transport, VIP, and hospital flight).
Checking this requires an entry in the Remarks (e.g., Hospital Flight)
5.1.5 ICAO RNAV/RNP Capability

The RNAV/RNP Capability fields are automatically selected based on the data entered in the ATC
Filing Information section on the Aircraft Profile page. These entries are automatically appended to
the flight plan in the appropriate NAV/ and or PBN/ section at the time of filing and should not be
re-entered in the Remarks field.
5-6
Click or mouse-over the Nav Equipment, RNAV, or RNP links to get additional information on the
specific capability or aircraft equipage requirement.
5.1.6 Other Information

Additional filing information (including Special Handling codes and other communication,
navigation, and surveillance codes) can be appended to the strip using the fields in the Other
Information section. Customers wanting to include their own contact information on the filing
strip can add their name and telephone number in the OPR/ and Contact Number fields.
5-7
5.1.7 Remarks
Default remarks, as entered in the aircraft profile, are displayed in the Remarks field. Additional,
freetext remarks can be entered at the time of filing.
In addition, checking the box for other aircraft capabilities (Off-Shore Capable, NRP, etc.) adds the
selected item to the Remarks field of the flight plan strip when it is filed with the Air Traffic
Service Provider. To view definitions of these codes, click the Explanation of Remarks Codes
link.
Remark Definition
Indicates the aircraft meets the requirements of FAR 91.509 for survival equipment for over
water flights. Specifically:
 For flight up to 50 miles off-shore, aircraft must be equipped with a life preserver or
approved floatation device for each individual on board.
 For flights over 30 minutes flying time or more than 100 miles from shore the aircraft
must be equipped with a life preserver having an approved locator light, for each
Off-shore Capable occupant; enough life rafts (each equipped with an approved survival locator light and
survival kit appropriately equipped for the route to be flown) of a rated capacity and
buoyancy to accommodate the occupants of the airplane; at least one pyrotechnic
signaling device for each life raft; one self-buoyant, water-resistant, portable
emergency radio signaling device that is capable of transmission on the appropriate
emergency frequency or frequencies and not dependent upon the airplane power
supply, and; a lifeline.
5-8
Remark Definition
Indicates that the aircraft is suitably equipped and the crew desires to participate in the
North American Route Program (NRP) which provides flexibility in flight plan filing at or
above FL290 by allowing direct flight between waypoints. Flights shall be filed and flown via
any standard DP and STAR for the departure/arrival airport respectively, or published
preferred IFR routes, for at least that portion of flight within 200nm from the point of
NRP
departure or destination. If the procedure(s) above do not extend to 200nm, published airways
may be used for the remainder of the 200nm. If DPs or STARs do not exist, published airways
may be used for the entire 200 NM. The route of flight must contain no less than one waypoint
or NAVAID, per each ARTCC that a direct route segment traverses and these waypoints or
NAVAIDs must be located within 200 NM of the preceding ARTCC's boundary.
Air Ground Communications System (data link) indicates that the aircraft can receive an
AGCS Equipped oceanic clearance via data link. This remark is required by Gander Oceanic if you wish to
request your oceanic clearance via data link.
Indicates to ATC that the crew has on board access to all current Coded Departure Routes
(CDRs) for the specific city pair, is able to fly each route, and can accept the abbreviated
CDR Capable
clearance (i.e., the CDR name versus the entire route). CDRs are available in U.S. domestic
airspace only.
5.1.8 Confirmation
The bottom of the filing form is used to send a confirmation message that the flight plan was filed
and/or to receive EDCT notifications (see Section 3.4.5—Flow Control and Section 5.3—Filing
Status for additional information on ATC delays).
To send a confirmation, select the link for the desired transmission medium and enter the
appropriate information. Multiple links can be opened at the same time. To send confirmation
messages to multiple emails or other addresses, separate entries using a space or comma.
5-9
If you set-up a filing confirmation and want EDCT/CTOT messages to go to the same address(es),
you can check the box labeled Also send to same destination as Filing Confirmations. You can also
add additional addresses that would receive just the EDCT notifications. Finally, you can set a
default address or addresses for EDCT/CTOT Confirmations on the Flight Plan Preferences page
under the My Accounts tab.
For international flight plans transiting Eurocontrol airspace at least one Filing Confirmation
address is required.
Additions and changes can be made to the Filing Confirmation addresses only for flight plans that
are in a Pending status (not yet filed with the Air Traffic Service provider) by opening the Filing
page from the Filing Status page. Changes to EDCT Confirmation addresses can be made any time
1. Click the flight plan filing status link (e.g., Pending) to open the Filing page.
2. Make the desired changes to the Filing Confirmation or EDCT Confirmation addresses.
3. Click the Update Filing button.
5-10
5.1.9 Contact Information

When you file a trip that is outside the continental U.S. or if your company subscribes to the
ARINC Direct Flight Following service, a pop-up window is displayed once you click the File
Flight Plan button. The window contains your contact information taken from the entries on the
User Profile page under the My Account tab. For trips that cross the NAT, your North Atlantic
flight planning instructions preferences are also listed.
Contact information can be updated via the pop-up window is valid for the specific flight plan
only and will not change your default values.
5-11
5.1.10 Filing
To complete the filing process:
1. Verify the pre-populated flight plan information on the upper portion of the page is correct.
2. Complete/update other information as required. You must complete the fields for Pilot’s Name
and Number Aboard and confirm the Departure Date by checking the box next to that field.
This is an often overlooked step and will preclude the flight plan from being filed.
3. Enter the desired confirmation addresses.
5-12
4. Click the File Flight Plan button at the bottom of the page. A copy of the completed plan can
be obtained by selecting the Print button. If a printed copy is desired, it is recommended you
select Print before filing.
5. A message is displayed indicating the flight plan has been sent to the queue for filing.
NOTE: If the confirmation page is not displayed, review the filing form for errors or omissions.
The most common omission is not checking the Check to confirm departure date/time* box.
5-13
5. 2 Quick File
ARINC Direct also provides you with the capability to complete and file a “quick form.” This
filing form is only available for flights within the continental U.S. and is typically used for short
duration flights where fuel and route of flight do not have to be computed. To access the quick
filing form, select Quick File on the Flight Planning tab sub-menu.
NOTE: Because a flight plan is not computed when using the Quick File feature, the route of
flight that is filed cannot be uplinked to the aircraft.
1. The layout of the Quick File form is similar to a paper Filing Form. None of the required flight
plan information is pre-populated. Complete the flight plan by entering data appropriate for the
flight.
2. Fields that are shaded and marked with an * are required.
3. Entries in the routing box are made using the same basic rules as on the Create FPL page (see
Section 3.4.2—Editing the Route).
CAUTION: The FAA flight strip always uses DCT for a direct leg. Do not use other syntax
(e.g., d, a single or double period, space, /, etc.) when entering the route of flight.
4. When the Quick File form is complete click the File Flight Plan button. A copy of the
completed plan can be obtained by selecting the Print button. If a printed copy is desired, you
need to select Print before filing.
5. A message is displayed indicating the flight plan has been sent to the queue for filing.
NOTES:
 If the confirmation page is not displayed, review the filing form for errors or omissions.
 The most common omission is not checking the Check to confirm departure date/time* box.
 Quick file plans are designated with a “Q” prefix (e.g., Q1234) and cannot be uplinked.
 If filing a round-robin flight plan use must have at least one waypoint in the route or the
plan will be rejected by the FAA Host Computer.
5-14
5. 3 Filing Status
The Filing Status tab provides access to flight plans currently contained in your account as well as
information on flight plan packages and APIS manifest submissions. If there are 20 or less aircraft
in your account, the tail numbers are listed along the left side of the page.
If you have more than 20 tails in your account, the list is replaced with a drop down menu
showing your tail numbers.
If there are no flight plans listed for a specific tail number, click the creating a flight plan link to
get re-directed to the Create FPL page.
5-15
Clicking a specific tail (or selecting one from the dropdown list) refreshes the page and displays
the following information for all flight plans that are filed or pending as well as any other plans
computed or recomputed during the selected timeframe (Show Timeframe: 24 hrs, 7 days or 14
days):
 Flight plan recall number and city pair
 Trip time, fuel burn, cruise mode, planned flight level, and distance
 Fax package status
 Filing status
 A green icon indicates a filed flight plan.
 Plans that are marked Filed have already been sent to the FAA/CAA computer (3
hours prior to ETD for domestic plans and 8 to 12 hours prior to ETD for
international plans)
 Plans marked Pending are waiting to be sent.
 A blue globe indicates the flight plan is associated with an international trip being
planned by ARINC.
 APIS manifest status
 Expect Departure Clearance Time (EDCT for US operations) and Calculated Take-Off
Time (CTOT for European operations). These are times (plus or minus 5 minutes) you are
expected to take-off if ATC has a ground delay or airspace flow program in effect.
If you elect to display flight plans for all your aircraft the list will include tail number and flight
ID, if appropriate.
5-16
To access the original flight plan, click the flight plan recall number (e.g., F2024). To access the
Filing page click the filing status link (e.g., Filed or Pending).
Through our participation with the FAA’s Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) program, we
receive Expect Departure Clearance Time (EDCT) information directly from the FAA in near-real
time (updates can be delayed by as much as 5 minutes). An EDCT is used by Air Traffic to
manage the predicted flow of aircraft destined for a particular airport or through a section of the
airspace during periods of heavy demand or adverse weather. They are typically issued when a
flight is affected by a Ground Delay Program (GDP) or an Airspace Flow Program (AFP). The
EDCT is the time (plus or minus 5 minutes) you are expected to takeoff so that you arrive at the
destination airport (in the case of a GDP) or at the boundary of a flow constrained area (in the case
of an AFP) at the time required by ATC.
It is recognized that the predicted demand, as well as the weather impacting an airport or area, will
change over time and when the conditions warrant, air traffic management will coordinate and
implement revisions to, or even cancel, a Program. When a revision is issued, EDCTs can and do
change, so once an initial EDCT is assigned, it must be closely monitored for changes.
The change in EDCT can be in either direction, i.e., earlier or later than the original EDCT.
Because of the dynamic nature of operations in the airspace and the potential for changes to
departure times by ATC, you should exercise caution in using EDCTs to alter arrangements for
arriving at the airport by either the crew or passengers. Missing a revised EDCT could potentially
result in an increased delay as ATC attempts to “fit you in” to their plans. It is also recommended
that you not cancel the original flight plan and file a new one. Doing so could result in the
cancellation of your EDCT for the original flight plan and the reassignment of a later EDCT for
the new flight plan.
NOTE: You have the option to have EDCT information sent, automatically, to the aircraft, your
email, fax number, etc. See Section 5.1.6—Filing Confirmation, for details on how to send
EDCTs.
Detailed information about EDCTs and AFPs can be found in FAA Advisory Circular 90-102.
If a filed flight plan is issued an EDCT, the month, day, and time (Z) of the EDCT is displayed as
a part of the filing information on the Filing Status Page. The information is current as of the time
the page is first displayed and the page must be refreshed to show any updates.
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NOTE: We only receive and display EDCTs for flight plans submitted through your ARINC
Direct account.
You can also check the FAA’s EDCT Lookup (http://www.fly.faa.gov/edct/) or query ATC
directly to get updated information on your EDCT and delay.
We provide that same information for flight plans filed with EUROCONTROL. If
EUROCONTROL issues the flight a Calculated Take-Off Time or CTOT because of airspace
congestion or traffic flow management, that information is also displayed on the Filing Status
page.
You can mouse over or click the date/time link and view a general description of the reason for the
delay.
If there is a flight plan package (see) associated with the trip, the Package name and status is
displayed. Changes can be made to any package that is in the Pending state. For instructions on
creating, sending, and changing packages see Section 6.4—Flight Plan Packages.
5-18
Once a package has been Sent it is displayed as a link and has a .pdf icon associated with it. You
can view the contents of the package by clicking either the link or the icon. The contents are
displayed as a .pdf file using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Clicking the package status link (Sent)
opens the Pkg Status page.
For packages that are created with multiple destination addresses, the transmission status is
summarized and is updated as packages are sent.
NOTE: Flight plans and flight plan packages are available for up to 14 days in your ARINC
Direct account. Once removed from on-line access, a flight plan, filing strip and flight plan
package is archived and can be retrieved via special request from the customer.
The Cancel Filing, Save to Disk, and the majority of the items in the Actions for selected flight
plans… box are inactive until a flight plan is selected for use.
To activate these features, check the box for the desired plan(s).
5-19
The Hide (Unhide) feature in the Actions … list enables you to de-clutter the page by removing
selected flight plans from view (Hide). A note at the bottom of the flight plan list indicates how
many plans are hidden.
Click the link marked view at the bottom of the table to display the plans. To restore a plan to the
page, click the check box and use the Unhide feature in the Actions … drop down list. Use the
refresh page icon to update the page and keep them hidden. If the plans are not accessed (e.g.,
replanned or filed) they will remain “hidden” for 14 days, after which they are removed from the
page.
You can filter the flight plans displayed on the page by their status using the selections in the
Filter By Status: box. The default filter is All. Plans can also
be sorted using the selections in the
Sort By: box. The default sort is by last Computed Time.
5-20
Contents
Section 6. Flight Plan Packages
6.1 Creating the Package ...........................................................................................................6-2

6.1.1 Charts/Maps ...........................................................................................................................6-2
6.1.2 Text Products .........................................................................................................................6-3
6.1.3 Fuel Releases .........................................................................................................................6-4
6.1.4 PDF Files ...............................................................................................................................6-4
6.1.5 Flight Plans ............................................................................................................................6-5
6.1.6 Runway Analysis ...................................................................................................................6-6
6.1.7 Risk Factor Forms ..................................................................................................................6-7
6.2 Addressing and Sending the Package ................................................................................6-8
6.3 Package Status ......................................................................................................................6-11
6.4 Changing Package Content .................................................................................................6-13
6-1
6.1 Creating the Package

ARINCDirect provides users with the capability to create a flight plan package and fax or email
it to a location at a predetermined time. The package can contain any combination of flight
plans, route and passenger weather briefings, and graphical weather products. To create and
send a flight plan package, select the Fax/Email Pkg tab under the Flight Planning tab to display
the Create Flight Plan Package page.
Available products are listed on the left side of the page and are grouped into 7 areas. Product
areas are accessed by opening the appropriate window shade. The Flight Plans section is
automatically opened when you click the Fax/Email Pkg tab.
6.1.1 Charts/Maps
This section provides access to graphical weather products (e.g., High Level Sig Wx, Winds
Aloft, US Weather Depiction) as well as the plots for the East/West North Atlantic Tracks.
1. To include items in your package, open the dropdown menu to highlight the desired
product(s) and click the Add button or, simply click the appropriate checkbox.
2. Added items are listed in the Selected Maps: field at the top of the section and there is a
running count of the number of products selected on the right side of the section title bar.
3. Click the preview link to view any of the selected maps.
4. Click
5. the X or uncheck the box to delete the item from your package.
6-2
6.1.2 Text Products

This section allows you to add additional text weather products and NOTAMs to your flight plan
package. When the window shade is opened, items are pre-selected based on your individual
user preferences. Add the additional locations (other than those that are covered by the flight
plan briefing) in the Identifiers field and check the boxes for the products you want included.
NOTE: Selecting or de-selecting Text Products for a specific package will not change your default
package preferences.
6-3
6.1.3 Fuel Releases

This section provides a listing of ALL company generated fuel releases. Use the drop down
menu to highlight the desired release and click the Add button. A running list of selected
releases is presented in the window. Use the X to delete the item from your package.
6.1.4 PDF Files

Customer accounts can be configured to allow PDF files to be attached to fax and email
packages. The files must be uploaded from a customer’s computer before attaching.
To add a file:
1. Click the Browse… button to search your computer for the file you wish to attach
2. Highlight the file name and click Open
3. Click the Attach button to upload the file for transmission in a fax or email package
6-4
6.1.5 Flight Plans

This section lists all the flight plans computed for a specific tail or all tails within your company
account. Flight plans that have been filed are marked with the green flag icon and show the date
and ETD. The list of plans can be filtered by tail number, timeframe, and status.
To add your flight plan to a package:
1. Check the box for the flight plan you want to include to open the products pane.
2. The Flight Plan box is checked by default. Add additional products by selecting the
appropriate boxes.
3. The contents of the weather brief are defaulted to your individual preferences (see
Section 2.4.2—Weather Preferences) however; you can modify the contents of a specific
package by clicking the Wx Brief link to open the brief options window. Use the check
boxes to select or de-select items to include or omit for this specific flight plan package
and click the Save Options button.
NOTE: When you include multiple flight plans in a fax or emailed package, the plans and
accompanying information is now arranged sequentially by proposed departure date and
time.
6-5
6.1.6 Runway Analysis

Runway Analysis reports are automatically included in the fax or email package if the analysis
was run when the initial flight plan was computed and the plan is selected from the Flight Plan
section.
Other runway analysis reports can be selected by checking the appropriate box(es) in the table.
A report that is listed as Pending, can be included in the package even though the results may not
be available when the package is being created. The completed report is automatically added
once the results are received.
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6.1.7 Risk Factor Forms

If you associate a Risk Factor Form with a computed flight plan, the form or forms can be
included in your fax or emailed package by selecting it from the list in the SMS Risk Factor
Forms section.
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6.2 Addressing and Sending the Package

The right side of the page is used to address the package, add notes or comments to the fax cover
page, and set the delivery time. Each package is automatically assigned a number and is dated
when it is created. You can edit this name in the Package Name:* field, if desired.
NOTE: Changing the Package Name is not recommended since each package must have a
unique name or an error message will be generated.
To address a flight plan package, use the following steps:
1. Enter the name and location of the person receiving the fax in the field labeled Attention:.
If desired, enter the location where the package will be sent (e.g., Signature Flight
Support - BWI or Hilton - Boston Logan) or any other pertinent comments in the Cover
Page Notes: field.
2. Enter the fax number(s) with no spaces or symbols between digits in the Send to Fax
Numbers: field. Numbers should be entered just as they would be dialed on a telephone.
International calls require a 011 prefix. Separate multiple fax numbers with a comma.
You can also click the Recently Used: number link to add any of the numbers to the Send
to Fax Numbers: field.
3. If you do not know the fax number of the location, click the Lookup button to search for
FBO and hotel fax and telephone numbers and email addresses where available. FBOs
and Services are listed alphabetically and Hotels are listed by distance from the airport.
You can put the hotel list in alphabetical order by clicking the column header (Hotel).
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NOTE: When “addressing” the package, if you select a fax destination (FBO or Hotel) using
the Lookup button, a voice phone number is automatically populated in the Cover Page Notes
section of the page. If a package fails to transmit to one or more of the listed fax numbers, FCs
will contact the receiving station to troubleshoot the problem using the voice number listed.
If you enter a number not listed in the Lookup table, you are encouraged to enter your contact
phone number in the field labeled Voice Contact for Failed Fax. If an FC cannot get a package to
transmit he/she will use this phone number to contact you to verify the fax number or discuss
other ways to deliver the package to you.
4. To send the package to an Auto-forward Code, select the location from the drop down
menu. To send to multiple locations, you must select each auto-forward code
individually. Click the Remove button to amend the list.
NOTE: Packages will only be sent to email addresses and fax numbers within an auto-
forward code at the time the package is created. Addresses added after package creation will
not receive the package.
5. To send the package to an email address, enter no more than two (2) addresses in the
Email: field. You can also click the Recently Used: email address link to add any of the
addresses to the Send to Fax Numbers: field.
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The created flight plan will arrive as an attachment to an email message from
direct@arinc.net with the trip kit number listed in the subject line.
6. Enter the time and date when you want the package sent. You can set the Send Package:
timer to send the package immediately, in pre-defined increments (using the In drop
down), by a specified time and date, by a specified time (HH+MM) prior to the ETD of
the selected flight plan. If there are multiple flight plans selected, the send time is
computed based on the flight plan recall number selected from the drop down menu.
7. Click the Send Package button to send the package.
NOTE: To ensure plans are processed and delivered promptly, we begin gathering information
10 minutes prior to the desired send time for all selections except send Immediately. A fax/email
package that contains relatively little information that is quickly gathered and processed could be
sent earlier than the time specifically requested.
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6.3 Package Status

The status of your flight plan package can be checked from two places within your account. If
the package has a flight plan associated with it, the package status is displayed in the flight plan
box on the Filing Status tab (see previous section) as well as on the Pkg Status page. The Pkg
Status page gives you more flexibility in the handling of packages and more insight into which
destinations have received the fax and which have not.
If a Fax/Email package is set-up to deliver to only one address, the package information is listed
as a single line in the status table. If a package has not yet been sent (i.e., is Pending), clicking
the Cancel button allows you to cancel transmission; and clicking the link in the Status column
takes you to the Fax/Email Pkg page and allows you make changes. The To Address column
indicates the package destination (fax, email, etc).
If you send a package to multiple addresses, the first column in the package table contains a ►
symbol.
Clicking this symbol expands the table and displays all addresses you entered during package
creation. To cancel a package for a specific location, click the Cancel button for that To Address.
To make a global change to the package contents, click the Pending link next to the Package
Name. This takes you to the Fax/Email Pkg page where you can make changes.
If a package is in various stages of transmission, the “lowest” status is listed on the summary line
(e.g., Failed).
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Expand the table to see the status for individual addresses.
NOTE: A Failed status is only displayed for packages addressed to a fax number. Emails will
always show as Sent because we have no way to determine if the package is actually delivered
(or is blocked by an individual’s spam filter or corporate firewall) once it leaves our system.
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6.4 Changing Package Content

Changes to a fax package that is in the Pending state, can be made from either the Filing Status
page or the Pkg Status page. To open the original package click the Pending the status link to
display the Fax/Email Pkg page.
To make a change to the package contents for a specific location, click the Pending link for the
specific To Address.
NOTE: If you alter the package contents for a single address, a new package is created for that
address and is listed as a separate line in the table.
Once you make the desired changes, check the Replace Existing Package box and then the Send
Package button.
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Contents
7.1. Runway Analysis .............................................................................................................. 7-3

7.1.1 Runway Analysis Sub-tab .................................................................................................. 7-7
7.1.2 Runway Declared Distances .............................................................................................. 7-8
7.1.3 Runway Analysis Report ................................................................................................. 7-10
7.2. Runway Analysis Application Overview ..................................................................... 7-11

7.2.1. Airport Data ..................................................................................................................... 7-11
7.2.2. Horizontal Obstruction Clearance.................................................................................... 7-12
7.2.3. Vertical Obstruction Clearance ........................................................................................ 7-12
7.3. Weight and Balance/Performance ................................................................................ 7-14

7.3.1 User Preference ................................................................................................................ 7-14
7.3.2 Aircraft Data .................................................................................................................... 7-14
7.3.3 Weight and Balance Data Entry....................................................................................... 7-16
7.3.4 Custom Fuel Load Aircraft .............................................................................................. 7-22
7.3.5 Adding Fuel Data to the Weight and Balance Table ....................................................... 7-24
7.3.6 Weight and Balance Calculations .................................................................................... 7-26
7.3.7 Load Manifest .................................................................................................................. 7-28
7.3.8 Performance Calculations ................................................................................................ 7-30
7.4. Last Minute Change ...................................................................................................... 7-37
7-1
7-2
7.1. Runway Analysis

The Runway Analysis section allows you to get integrated runway analysis as part of our flight
planning package. Additionally, there is a Runway Analysis tab under Flight Planning so you can
run an analysis without a flight plan. Our partner for this service is Aircraft Performance Group
(APG) based in Castle Rock, CO, an acknowledged leader in the development of runway analysis
products.
The Runway Analysis service provided by APG determines the maximum allowable takeoff and
landing gross weights based upon specific aircraft/engine combinations, aircraft configurations,
airport/runway characteristics, and operating rules. It utilizes software developed by APG
combined with aircraft manufacturer supplied software and performance data from the appropriate
Approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM). The performance outlined in the AFM assumes a
worst-case scenario of an engine failure at V1.
To enable and appropriately tune the runway analysis output for your aircraft, we need additional
operational profile information for each aircraft in your ARINC Direct account. If you have
not yet provided answers to the following questions, please do so as soon as possible. The
required information, listed below, can be sent via email to: flightops@arinc.com.
1. What is your acceleration altitude for this aircraft (this is sometimes called level-off height,
flap-retraction altitude, or cleanup altitude and is typically between 400 and 1500 feet)?
2. Under what authority is this aircraft certified (FAA, JAR-OPS, etc.)?
3. If you are based outside the US or are certified to operate by an aviation authority other than
the FAA, what is the aircraft’s line-up distance?
Two types of data are required to run an analysis:

1. Operational configuration of the aircraft - takeoff/landing flap settings, engine bleed
configuration, etc.
2. Airport characteristics - gathered by APG and maintained via subscription service. It includes
information ranging from runway configuration to terrain data surrounding the airport.
The flap settings for your aircraft type are listed on the Aircraft Profile page. Default settings are
set based on data provided by the Company Administrator. These values are can be changed when
an individual analysis is run and can also be saved as individual preferences.
To include a runway analysis as part of your flight plan:

1. Click the Include RWY Analysis checkbox in the Runway Analysis section on the Create FPL
page. If this box is grayed out, we do not have the necessary information for that tail number.
Please contact a Flight Coordinator.
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2. When your flight plan is computed (i.e., when you click the Preview FPL button), an analysis
for all airports entered on the flight planning page will be completed (i.e., Departure,
Destination, Take-off Alternate, and Destination Alternate). The runways used are the defaults
set by APG (based on historical usage) for a particular airport.
NOTE: The report includes analyses for each airport for all absolute temperature ranges provided
by the OEM (typically -15ºC to +30ºC).
To further refine the output and reduce the time required to generate your flight plan and
associated analysis, use the following options:
To generate an analysis for your Departure Airport Only, check the box.
Check the Use Current Temperature box to generate an analysis using the temperature reported in
the current METAR as a baseline and additional reports, in increments of 2ºC for the current
temperature -2ºC and up to +8ºC, depending on aircraft type. If a current METAR is not available
a full analysis is generated.
To generate an analysis for a specific temperature (-2ºC and up to +8ºC), enter that temperature, in
whole degrees C, in the Temperature field. If no temperature is entered, the full analysis is
generated.
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The customization page lists options based on the aircraft and airports entered. The default
aircraft settings are pre-populated and the most often used runways are pre-selected. The runway
identifier is coded as follows:
 Full length runways are indicated by basic identifier i.e. 4L

 Intersection takeoffs include a hyphen (“-”) and the intersection letter i.e. 4L-C takeoff
from intersection “C”
 Temporary runway lengths/closures include “TMP” i.e. 4LTMP
 Special Departure Procedures include “DP” i.e. 4LDP
 Other restrictions such as “ships in the harbor” i.e. 4LSHP
Use the drop down menu to select or de-select take-off or landing Flap Options. Some aircraft
types are limited to 2 Flap Options because of the RWA computation times.
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Use the check boxes to select or de-select runways. For times when a portion of the approach- or
departure-end of a runway may be unusable, you can adjust the runway length used in the analysis.
To adjust the runway length used in the analysis use the Shorten By dropdown menu and the
Length field. Use the Deselect Runways button to uncheck all runways.
NOTE: Even though you cannot specify a shortened distance from an intersection, the runway
analysis results will apply the runway shortening length to all departures and arrivals from the
specified runway.
To save your changes and return to flight planning, click the Use These Settings button. To cancel
any changes and return to flight planning, click the Cancel button.
The Runway Analysis Report is generated when you click the Preview FPL button. The runway
analysis results specify the actual runway length used in performance calculations. Shortened
runways are designated by the letters TMP. For example, if runway 06 at BWI is shortened by 500
feet from the approach end, the following take-off results will be returned. The distances used for
runway 06/24 are shortened by 500 feet, noted as runway 06TMP.
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7.1.1 Runway Analysis Sub-tab

To run an analysis without generating a flight plan, use the following procedures.
1. Select the Runway Analysis sub-tab under Flight Planning.
2. Select a tail and configuration from the drop-down menus.
3. Select Flap Options using the drop down menu.
NOTES:
 Some aircraft types are limited to 2 flap option selections per analysis because of the RWA
computation times.
 You can store your default settings on a per tail basis by clicking the Save As My Defaults
button.
4. Enter the 4-letter ICAO identifier for the airport(s) you want to run for analysis. You can
enter a specific temperature or check the Use Current Temp box.
5. Select the desired runways and then click the Run Analysis button to generate the report.
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NOTE: Runway analysis calculations can only be performed for airports and runways that are
contained in the analysis database. If an analysis is requested for an airport that is not in the
system, both ARINC Direct and APG receive an automatic notification of the request for this
airport. Work is then started to add this airport to the system, and the airport is generally added to
the system within 48 hours of the request. Also, Runway Analysis is only available for hard
surfaced runways and airports having runways longer than 3,500 feet.
7.1.2 Runway Declared Distances

The FAA establishes criteria for establishing protected areas surrounding and extending along the
arrival and departure paths to runways (see Advisory Circular AC 150/5300-13 Airport Design).
These areas seek to ensure the safe operation should an aircraft depart the paved surface of the
runway.
Current FAA policy limits or eliminates waivers for these protected areas. Most specifically, the
“Runway End Safety Area” (RESA) is being implemented at numerous runways/airports. The
RESA is defined as an area beyond the end of the runway, 1000 feet in length, which is able to
support the aircraft, in dry conditions, in the event of an aborted takeoff.
Because some runways do not have 1000 feet of terrain available beyond the end of the current
runway pavement, the RESA may impose on the current runway pavement available. In these
cases, the FAA allows an airport to determine declared distances for a runway to accommodate the
RESA. These declared distances are published in the Airport Facilities Directory. They are NOT
published on the Jeppesen or NOAA instrument approach charts. In addition, most FMS databases
do not consider declared distances.
These declared distances are defined as follows:

 Takeoff Run Available (TORA) — the length of runway declared available and suitable
for the ground run of an airplane take-off.
 Accelerate-Stop Distance Available (ASDA) — the runway length plus stopway length
declared available and suitable for the acceleration and deceleration of an airplane aborting
a takeoff.
 Takeoff Distance Available (TODA) — the length of the take-off run available plus the
length of the clearway, if provided.
 Landing Distance Available (LDA) — the length of runway which is declared available
and suitable for the ground run of an airplane landing.
When a RESA uses a portion of the existing runway pavement, the Accelerate-Stop Distance
Available (ASDA) is less than the Takeoff Run (TORA) or Takeoff Distance Available (TODA).
7-8
An example of an airport/runway where the ASDA is shorter than the TORA or TODA is Runway
14 at Naples, FL (KAPF). The Jeppesen 10-9 page for KAPF provides the following information:
The Airport/Facility Directory publishes the following declared distances for Runway 14:
 TORA = 5000 feet
 TODA = 5000 feet
 ASDA = 4550 feet
 LDA = 4420 feet
Aircraft Performance Group (APG) maintains the declared runway distances in its airport database
and has made modifications to the performance programs to accommodate the individual declared
distances, especially where the ASDA is shorter than the TORA or TODA, and to present the
takeoff performance based upon these actual declared distances.
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Where AFM takeoff performance is based solely upon a balance field length calculation, such as
all Learjet and Cessna aircraft, the performance will be based upon the shortest declared distance
available.
Where AFM takeoff performance allows unbalancing of the runway, (e.g., for Dassault Falcon and
Gulfstream aircraft) the performance will be based upon the actual declared distances. Also, the
maximum allowable takeoff weight will be accompanied by the V1 speed for unbalanced runway.
As a result of the changes in declared distance reporting and performance calculation

modification, you may see a decrease in takeoff weight where ASDA has been declared to be
shorter than TORA or TODA for runways you are familiar with.
7.1.3 Runway Analysis Report

The format of a runway analysis report varies by aircraft type and by type of analysis (takeoff or
landing). A detailed explanation of how to interpret each report can be found by visiting the
Runway Analysis link on the Reference page of the website.
7-10
7.2. Runway Analysis Application Overview

A Runway Analysis provides the maximum takeoff and landing weights as a function of airport
ambient temperature for each of the requested runways at an airport. The maximum weight
calculations account for the most limiting requirement of field length available, minimum
controllability, maximum brake energy, maximum tire speed, climb gradient requirements, flight
path/level off altitude limitations, and obstacle clearance. The climb limited takeoff weight is
determined for each requested temperature and is displayed separately from the runway
limitations. The climb limited takeoff weight is applicable to all runways since it is a function of
temperature and airport elevation only.
7.2.1. Airport Data

To determine the physical characteristics affecting a departure from a specific runway, an analysis
is made of applicable airport and terrain data. The sources for these analyses include, but are not
limited to:
 NOS Obstruction Chart

 FAA Form 5-010
 Topographical Quadrangle Charts
 Digital Obstacle File (FAA)
 Airport Charts
 National Flight Data Digest
 Sectional Charts
 ICAO Airport Characteristics Data Bank
 ICAO Type A/B Charts
 Customer provided data
 Airport Authority provided data
From these sources the runway length available for takeoff and landing, runway elevations/slope,
airport elevation, and obstructions are determined. The selection of limiting obstructions is made
after an in depth analysis of the obstructions in the immediate vicinity of the airport, the terrain
surrounding the airport, the operational philosophy of the operator, and the published Obstacle
Departure procedures (if applicable).
APG utilizes electronically stored obstruction and terrain data for departure turn analyses that are
tailored to the characteristics of a specific aircraft type. The range of V2 speeds resulting in
aircraft specific turn radii, loss of climb capability in a turn, and general climb capability for the
specific aircraft, are considered in the analysis, resulting in a special departure procedure
optimized for that aircraft/engine configuration. The obstruction and terrain data are regularly
updated by APG.
7-11
7.2.2. Horizontal Obstruction Clearance

For FAA regulations, FAR’s 121.189 or FAR’s 135.385 specify a lateral distance from which
obstructions must be cleared. The FAA obstruction clearance corridor commences at the end of
the takeoff distance required and is 600 feet wide (300 feet either side of extended runway
centerline/flight path) outside the airport boundary and 400 feet wide (200 feet either side of
extended runway centerline/flight path) inside the airport boundary and continues in this manner
to the end of the takeoff flight path segment. The takeoff flight path segment ends when the
aircraft reaches 1500 feet AGL. Because different aircraft types reach the end of the takeoff flight
path (1500 feet) at various distances from the runway end, APG analyzes terrain surrounding the
airport to a 30 NM radius.
APG develops a special departure procedure with the primary objective of maximizing allowable
takeoff weight. The initial consideration is always a straight-out departure, analyzing the takeoff
flight path along extended runway centerline until the flight path reaches either 1500 feet or until
all obstacles are cleared. The various sources of airport data, including distant terrain, allow a full
analysis to the end of the takeoff flight path segments. If the obstructions defined for the straight-
out departure provide allowable takeoff weights that are too limiting, a special departure procedure
is developed by APG. The special departure procedure will incorporate turns to avoid the limiting
obstruction(s) whenever possible. Given that an engine failure is an emergency situation which
takes precedence over normal operating procedures, existing air traffic control procedures (i.e.,
SID’s) are considered only when they do not further limit allowable takeoff weight. In addition,
Obstacle Departure procedures are also reviewed to help in the development of the special
departure procedure if they coincide with the least limiting terrain.
7.2.3. Vertical Obstruction Clearance

In approving the Airplane Flight Manual, a distinction is made between the demonstrated
performance of an aircraft and the level of performance for which credit is given in determining
vertical obstruction clearance. The performance an operator can expect to achieve when an
aircraft is flown to the manufacturer’s recommended procedures and specifications is labeled
“gross” flight path (demonstrated) performance. The time, distances, and aircraft configuration
defined in determining the different segments of the takeoff flight path are based upon the gross
flight path. The “net” flight path represents the gross flight path degraded by an amount defined in
the regulations, which is a function of the number of engines on the aircraft. The obstacle
clearance requirements must be met with the net flight path performance. When utilizing straight-
out obstruction clearance requirements, the net flight path must clear all obstacles within the
specified horizontal corridor, by an increment of 35 feet vertically. Within some regulatory
environments, this 35-foot obstacle clearance requirement is increased to 50 feet, when turn
procedures are required.
7-12
The takeoff flight path is divided into segments based upon aircraft flap and gear configuration,
power setting, and speed.
The third segment is a level flight segment in which the flaps are retracted while the airplane is
accelerated to the final climb speed. The height of this acceleration segment may be varied
between the legal minimum of 400 feet and the maximum level off height. The maximum level
off height is determined by the engine takeoff thrust time limit certification of either 5 minutes or
10 minutes. It is the maximum height to which an aircraft can takeoff, climb to acceleration
height, level off, retract flaps, and accelerate to final climb speed with full takeoff thrust on the
remaining operating engine(s). Optimizing the third segment level off height is another means of
maximizing takeoff weight.
7-13
7.3. Weight and Balance/Performance

We also provide a means for customers to perform weight and balance and point performance
calculations via the Weight and Balance/Performance pane on the Create FPL page.
7.3.1 User Preference

To include weight and balance calculations in a computed flight plan and then in a flight plan
package, you will need to check the Wt & Bal/Perf checkbox at the bottom of the Trip Details
section.
The default setting of this checkbox (Checked or Unchecked) is controlled through the Flight
Planning Preferences sub-tab (see Section 2.7.3—Flight Plan Preferences) under the My Account
tab. If the box is checked (which is the default) weight and balance/performance calculations are
included in flight plan computations.
7.3.2 Aircraft Data

To enable your aircraft to use the weight and balance/performance feature certain information is
required for each individual aircraft in your fleet. Each manufacturer will have a unique format
for the data and we can accept any format as long as the required information is provided (see
Important information for ARINC Direct weight-and-balance system under Reference=>ARINC Direct
Documents=>Important Notices for complete information).
7-14
The following information is required for aircraft set-up:
 Aircraft registration
 Empty weight
 Empty weight cg location (% of MAC)
 Empty weight moment
 Location of Reference Datum
 Location of the leading edge of the MAC (relative to the Reference Datum)
 Length of MAC
 Graphical representation of the cabin layout
 Location of all cabin fixtures (seats, cabinets, closets, etc) relative to Reference Datum
 Tabular data showing fuel moment as function of total fuel on board
 Limitation data for all baggage compartments and individual cabin fixtures
 Definition of allowable cg envelope
 Information on any STC’s that affect the base aircraft’s maximum take-off weight,
maximum zero fuel weight, maximum landing weight, or maximum fuel capacity.
 Definition of all items to be included in the BOW used for weight and balance. For
example, EFB, aircraft manuals, or provisions contained in service centers. The location
of these items relative to the Reference Datum is also required. The weight and balance
form provided after the most recent weighing of the aircraft will provide most of this
information.
 Definition of any items that are “permanently” carried on board, and are not part of the
BOW, that you would like included in the ZFW calculation. For example, extra
refreshment supplies stowed in a cabin baggage area. Default values for any of these items
should also be provided.
 Any default weights for passengers or pilots that you currently use for weight and balance
calculations.
 Any default passenger loading, including their weight, seat location, and ARM, that you
currently use for weight and balance calculations.
NOTES:
 Including a default passenger loading always displays the defined passenger weight(s) in the
designated seat(s) when the weight and balance application is opened. As with all defaults,
you can over-write these values for a specific calculation.
 Including a default passenger loading always displays the defined passenger weight(s) in the
designated seat(s) when the weight and balance application is opened. As with all defaults,
you can over-write these values for a specific calculation.
 Any fuel loading and fuel burn-off requirements that are needed for an aircraft to
maintain the cg within the envelope during a flight.
 The default value for start and taxi-out fuel burn and a definition of which fuel tank
is used.
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7.3.3 Weight and Balance Data Entry

When you open the Weight and Balance/Performance section, the Weight and Balance and
Performance sub-sections also open. The Weight and Balance subsection contains a static (i.e.,
non-interactive) line drawing of the aircraft interior and a data entry table. Within the data table:
 Default weights stored for the aircraft items are pre-populated (these values can be over-
written).
 Changes made to default values on this page do not result in the stored default values being
updated.
 Changes made to default values are retained only for the current planning session.
 CG is expressed in percent relative to Mean Aerodynamic Chord (CG %MAC) and inches
relative to the aircraft Datum (CG In).
NOTE: Any changes to default values and any new values added for a specific flight remain
associated with the computed flight plan and are used any time the flight plan is recomputed. If
the loading changes (e.g., passengers are added) you must replan the flight plan.
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You can clear any data entered in the table by clicking the Clear Entries button.
If Weight and Balance is not enabled the following message is displayed when the pane is opened:
Data are entered by opening the desired section within the table and typing in the appropriate
value. The grid is divided into 3 related sections that allow you to make changes to multiple fields
within that section before the CG is computed. For example, clicking on the Passengers section
opens the Passengers, Cabin Cargo, and Cargo fields and allows you to enter desired weights for
all sections at the same time.
NOTES:
 Clicking the to open another section automatically closes the current section and
calculates the CG. If the data entered causes an out of limits condition for any of the
structural weight limits of the aircraft, it is highlighted in red, allowing you to make
corrections before moving on to the next section.
 Fields are configured with minimum/maximum allowable values based on aircraft
certification. If you enter a value outside the allowable range, an error message is displayed.
The following sections describe the editable sections within the table. The number of fields
available within a sub-pane may vary and is based on your specific aircraft configuration.
Pilots—data entry fields for aircrew. Default values are entered when the tail is configured in the
system.
Aircraft Items—accounts for items that are routinely carried on board the aircraft (e.g., flight
manuals, lavatory provisions, engine covers, etc.).
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Passengers—accounts for all personnel not entered as Pilots. The Passenger number corresponds
to the seat number on the aircraft diagram. If your aircraft is configured to have default passenger
weights, you can add the weight by double-clicking in the field.
The following sections address aircraft configured with passenger seating in zones.
The Cabin Crew section accounts for aircrew not entered as pilots or as occupying a jumpseat. The
number of Cabin Crew entries and their location in the aircraft (forward, mid-cabin, aft) is
dependent on aircraft configuration. If a default weight was provided during the aircraft set-up
that value is pre-populated in the Cabin Crew field(s).
The Passengers section accounts for all personnel not entered as Pilots or Cabin Crew. Passenger
counts are entered by zone rather than by individual seat assignments.
7-18
To enter passengers:
1. Open the Passengers section to display the links to the zones.
2. Click the corresponding zone link (e.g., Zone A) to display the Weights for Zone -- window.
7-19
3. The window shows the default weight categories for passengers and their associated carry-
on baggage, as provided by Company Administrators when the aircraft is set-up. Enter the
number of passengers in each category in the Count field by typing a value directly in the
field or using the up and down arrows to adjust the number. The Total Weight for each
passenger category and their Carry-on baggage is adjusted as the passenger count is
incremented or decremented. Use the Other field to account for extra items (extra baggage,
cargo, equipment, etc.) stowed in the zone. A running total is provided at the bottom of the
window.
4. When you are finished entering passenger and baggage numbers, click the Compute button
to validate the entries are within the configured weight and passenger counts for the
specific zone. If an error is detected, a warning message is displayed.
5. Correct the error condition and click the Compute button to re-validate the entries and to
enable the Submit button.
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6. Click the Submit button to send the Total Weight to the Weight and Balance grid. Repeat
these steps for each zone, as necessary.
NOTES:
 The number of crew members and passengers shown in the weight and balance sub-pane is
stored by the system. If you decide to compute and file a flight plan, the sum of crew
members and passengers is automatically entered in the Number Aboard field on the Filing
Form page.
 If you change the Number Aboard field at the time of filing, a warning is displayed when you
click the File Flight Plan button.
Cabin Cargo/Cargo—accounts for carry-on bags, closet items, and other stowed items.
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NOTES:
 As entries are made to the passenger and cargo fields, the Payload value in the Trip Details
portion section is automatically updated. If you enter a value in the Payload field prior to
working in the Weight and Balance pane, a message is displayed to the right of the Payload
field label when the value is updated.
 Changes made to any items affecting aircraft weight (Pilots, Passengers, Cabin Cargo,
Fuel, etc.) will require you to synchronize the changes to recalculate any flight plans
displayed in the Route table.
Fuel—represents the total fuel on board. For aircraft that do not require a custom fuel
configuration profile (see Section 7.3.4—Custom Fuel Load Aircraft), a Depart with value entered
in the Fuel on Board field in the Trip Details section is carried down and populates this field. If an
Arrive with or no value is entered in the Fuel on Board field, this field will show 0 fuel as being
loaded until the Synch Routing button is clicked.
Taxi Fuel—the default taxi fuel as entered on the aircraft profile page. Default value pre-populates
this field, which can also be over-written for a specific trip.
Enroute Fuel—fuel burn for the specific flight being planned. If there is a route selected in the
Routing table, the fuel for that route automatically populates the field. Selecting another route
from the Routing table, updates this value.
7.3.4 Custom Fuel Load Aircraft

For some aircraft types, the LJ60 for example, the fuel on board must be manually distributed
between wing and fuselage tanks for each of the three fuel fields (Fuel, Taxi, and Enroute). An
initial set of configurations may be defined when the aircraft is first set-up for weight and balance
if we received input from the customer. If no fuel load profiles are received, they can be built,
modified, and deleted by customers using the procedures listed below.
Open the Weight and Balance pane and click the Enroute link near the bottom of the table to open
the Fuel Distribution window.
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1. To build a new profile, click the New Profile button.
2. Enter the new profile name and click the Create button.
3. Close the Profile Name window and click the Add Rule button. Select the desired tank
from the drop down and enter the fuel burn.
4. Repeat this process until all rules for this profile have been entered, then click Save Profile.
It is important that the Fuel Burn Rules provide sufficient definition to burn off all the fuel
onboard for trips that will use this Burn Profile.
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5. To modify or delete an existing profile, select the profile from the Burn Profiles: drop
down and click the appropriate button (Delete Profile, Add Rule). To delete a rule or rules
within a profile, check the box next to the rule and click the Delete Rule button.
7.3.5 Adding Fuel Data to the Weight and Balance Table

For aircraft that require a custom fuel load profile, entries in the Fuel on Board and Taxi Fuel fields
are not carried down to the weight and balance table because the system does not know how to
distribute the fuel on the aircraft. In addition, fuel burns calculated for any routes in the Routing
table do not pre-populate the Enroute fuel field in the weight and balance table.
To add fuel values:

1. Open the Fuel sub-pane and enter the fuel onboard for the trip. Fuel can be distributed
between Wing Tanks and the Fuselage Tank. When the sub-pane is closed, the values are
summed and the Fuel on Board field in the Trip Details section is updated to reflect the total
fuel entered.
2. Open the Taxi Fuel sub-pane and define how the taxi fuel will be burned from the Wing
Tanks and the Fuselage Tank.
3. Click the Enroute link to open the Fuel Distribution window. The fuel distribution, based
on the previously entered values, is shown in the upper (Takeoff Fuel Distribution) and
lower (Landing Fuel Distribution) portions of the window.
4. Select the desired profile from the Burn Profiles: drop down and confirm the enroute fuel
burn is entered in the Enroute Burn field.
NOTE: The Enroute Burn value in the Fuel Distribution window is automatically populated based
on the route selected in the Routing table in the Trip Details section of the page. If you did not
generate, or have not selected a route from the table, you can manually enter your planned or
estimated burn.
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5. Click the Calculate button to apply the fuel burn profile and update the Landing Fuel
Distribution.
6. Close the Fuel Distribution window. The Enroute sub-pane is updated with the Enroute
Burn value and the Selected Burn Profile: is displayed at the top of the table.
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NOTES:
 The Burn Profiles: selected from the drop down is used throughout the session. If another
profile is desired, you must re-open the window and select it from the drop down list.
 Once a Burn Profiles: is selected, if you make changes to the aircraft loading or select a
route that has a different fuel burn, the Enroute sub-pane is opened and the field values
(Wing and Fuselage) are automatically updated based on the selected burn profile. To
recalculate your weight and balance, you must close the sub-pane.
7.3.6 Weight and Balance Calculations

As data is entered and sub-panes are closed, the system automatically calculates and updates the
aircraft weights and CG. Weights in the table are compared with the structural limits for the
aircraft which are stored in the system.
Weights used in the table are defined as follows:

 Empty Weight – stored value based on customer provided information
 Basic Operating Weight (BOW) – a calculated value using Empty Weight + Pilots + Aircraft
Items
 Zero Fuel Weight (ZFW) – a calculated value using BOW + Passengers + Cabin Cargo +
Cargo
 Taxi Weight – a calculated value using ZFW + Fuel
 Takeoff Weight – a calculated value using Taxi Weight – Taxi Fuel
 Takeoff Limit – a calculated value retrieved after performance analysis is run
 Landing Weight – a calculated value using Takeoff Weight – Enroute fuel
 Landing Limit – a calculated value retrieved after performance analysis is run
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In limit conditions are displayed in the weight and balance table, highlighted in green; out of limit
or error conditions are highlighted in red.
In addition to the table, a graphic representation of the CG Envelope is provided. This graphic
shows the aircraft CG limits versus weight, the stored limiting weights (Maximum Takeoff
Weight: — MTOW; Maximum Landing Weight: — MLW; and, Maximum Zero Fuel Weight: —
MZFW), the calculated BOW ( ) and ZFW ( ), and the location of the CG ( ) over the duration of
the flight.
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7.3.7 Load Manifest

You can generate a Load Manifest by clicking the button below the aircraft diagram. The manifest
provides all the information required by Part 135.63 and includes the aircraft type, tail number
and, engines; the date the manifest was created; departure and destination airports; a copy of the
weight table, CG calculations, and out of limit values; space for the PIC/SIC/Other signatures; the
passenger count and their entered weights; and a copy of the CG Envelope graphic. To print a
copy of the Load Manifest, click the Print button.
To include weight and balance information and a Load Manifest in your Fax/Email Pkg, the Wt &
Bal/Perf checkbox in the Trip Details section must be checked. This ensures the Weight and
Balance/Performance computations are included with the flight plan computation. It is the only
way to have the load manifest and performance data included in a Fax/Email Pkg.
NOTE: All the sub-panes in the weight table must be closed to enable the Load Manifest button.
Company Administrators can select either a standard grid and manifest or a grid and manifest
using “mass” instead of weight.
If the Use Mass Labeling for Weight and Balance option is selected, the weight and balance grid,
manifest, and CG graph is modified to show the following labels.
Weight Labels Mass Labels

Empty Weight Empty Mass
BOW DOM
Zero Fuel Weight Zero Fuel Mass
Taxi Weight Taxi Mass
Takeoff Weight Takeoff Mass
Landing Weight Landing Mass
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7.3.8 Performance Calculations

Whereas the Runway Analysis tab provides performance calculations over a range of weights,
runways, and temperatures, the Performance sub-pane allows you to perform a “point calculation”
to determine limiting weights for a specific runway, flap setting, runway condition, and
meteorological conditions.
The analysis results provide weights for the Takeoff Limit and Landing Limit, both values being
included in the weight and balance table and the Load Manifest. In addition, you receive V-speeds,
take-off and landing distances, and head-, tail- and crosswind components for the departure and
arrival airports. You can also include calculations for an emergency return to departure airport
and information is provided for reduced thrust takeoffs (if there are approved data for the selected
aircraft type); the achievable missed approach gradient is computed for some aircraft; and, you can
generate performance calculations for all runways at the departure and destination airports.
As a minimum, you must enter a Departure and Destination airport in the Trip Details section of the
page to generate a Performance report. Based on this information the Runway* drop down list is
populated. You must select a specific runway from the drop down list to run an analysis.
The following fields are pre-populated:

ICAO — the four-letter identifier for the Departure and Destination airports
Flap — the default flap settings for take-off and landing based on entries in the Aircraft Profile.
This can be changed through the drop down menu.
METAR Issued — date and time of the latest METAR for the Departure and Destination airports.
If a METAR is not available for the airport, we use information from the closest airport with a
valid METAR and annotate this in the window.
Temperature* — taken from the METAR. This is a required field and can be over-written.
Wind Dir/Speed — taken from the METAR. This field can be over-written. Values can be entered
in degrees and either knots or meters per second (mps). If no value is entered, the analyses are
performed using calm winds.
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Altimeter — taken from the METAR. This field can be over-written. Values can be entered in
either inches of mercury (in HG) or millibars/hectopascals. If no value is entered, the analyses are
performed using a standard day value of 29.92 in Hg.
To generate a performance analysis:

1. Select a runway from the Runway drop down list. The runway takeoff and landing
declared distance are displayed below the Runway field and are also available by clicking
the Info button. If a runway having a Special Departure Procedure, e.g., 33DP, is selected,
the Procedure window contains its textual description.
2. Select takeoff and landing conditions for the aircraft (e.g., Thrust Reverser Inop, Anti Ice
On, etc.) and runway (e.g., Wet Runway) using the Options button. Options can be selected
for Departure and Destination airports. The available runway options will vary depending
on the data available from the aircraft manufacturer.
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NOTE: Certain combinations of flap options either do not have data published in the AFM or
have a prohibition against operating in certain conditions with some MEL’d items. If a second
flap option is selected that violates an MEL restriction, the initial selection is removed, and the
most recent selection of the mutually exclusive items is retained. For example:
If the spoilers are inoperative, operations on contaminated runways are not permitted. So if the
SPOILERS INOP radio button is selected initially and you then try to select a contaminated runway
condition, the SPOILERS INOP is deselected.
3. The emergency return to departure feature is being implemented in phases for various
aircraft/engine types with new aircraft coming on line on a regular basis. To include the
calculation (for enabled aircraft), click the Include Emergency Return box in the Departure
portion of the Performance section. The landing values are computed based on the
selected departure runway.
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4. Click the Compute Performance button.
The Performance Data report is divided into 3 sections.
The upper portion provides aircraft information and takeoff data. It lists the Inputs for the
Departure Airport, the Options Selected, the aircraft Performance Limit Results, and the “as
loaded” limits (based on data input in the weight and balance table).
When performance data are available and the Include Emergency Return box is selected the results
are displayed under the take-off data. If your aircraft type is not yet enabled, no results for
emergency return are presented. All other available performance calculations are calculated and
included in the results.
If reduced thrust takeoff data are available from the aircraft manufacturer, results are computed
and displayed in the Departure Airport section.
The achievable Missed Approach Gradient (MAP Gradient) is displayed for an emergency return.
The MAP Gradient is based on the actual weight at takeoff for the Emergency Return Results.
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The middle section provides landing performance data. The MAP Gradient is based on the
computed landing weight for the Destination Airport Results.
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If there is a special Departure Procedure in the system for the Departure airport, it is listed at the
bottom of the page.
The “all runways report” computes takeoff and landing numbers for 7 total scenarios, using 3
increments of ±5 degree C, starting with current temperature for all runways at an airport. If the
Include All Runways box is selected, results are compiled in a separate document which is accessed
using the link at the top of the Performance Data page.
To include calculations for all runways, click the Include All Runways box at the bottom of the
Performance section.
NOTE: Because of all that calculations that may be required, including all runways may result in
the performance results taking a minute or more to compute and display.
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The analyses for the selected departure and arrival runways are still displayed when the flight plan
is previewed. The all runways report is available in a separate document which is accessed using
the link at the top of the computed flight plan (All Runways Performance Report). The report is
also automatically included in the fax package.
The Include Emergency Return and Include All Runways features can always be included by setting
them as defaults using the Flight Planning Preferences sub-tab under the My Account tab. Both
preferences are initially set to No.
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7.4. Last Minute Change

For customers that use that operate under EASA regulations and use the mass labeling on their
weight and balance manifest, we have added a column to hand-record last minute changes to the
manifest. This column is displayed if the Use Mass Labeling for Weight and Balance box is
selected under the Company Preferences tab.
CAUTION: Last minute changes manually entered on the manifest ARE NOT reflected in the
originally generated manifest results and may result in out of limit conditions.
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ARINC Direct November 2016
Contents
8.1 Weather ................................................................................................................................ 8-3

8.1.1 Text Weather......................................................................................................................... 8-3
8.1.2 Synchronized Model and Real-Time Terminal Area Forecasts (SMaRT TAFs) ................. 8-5
8.1.3 Graphical Weather ................................................................................................................ 8-5
8.1.4 Weather Briefing ................................................................................................................. 8-13
8.1.5 Passenger Weather Brief ..................................................................................................... 8-14
8.1.6 Airport Radar ...................................................................................................................... 8-15
8.2 Messaging........................................................................................................................... 8-16
8.2.1 Composing and Sending Messages ..................................................................................... 8-16
8.2.2 Email to Aircraft ................................................................................................................. 8-17
8.2.3 Message Center ................................................................................................................... 8-18
8.2.4 Recent Flight History .......................................................................................................... 8-21
8.3 Cabin Services ................................................................................................................... 8-23
8.3.1 Satellite Logon .................................................................................................................... 8-24
8.3.2 Satellite Voice Calls ............................................................................................................ 8-24
8.3.3 Satellite Swift (Swift64) ..................................................................................................... 8-25
8.3.4 SwiftBroadband Dashboard ................................................................................................ 8-26
8.4 Alerts .................................................................................................................................. 8-36
8.4.1 Alert History ....................................................................................................................... 8-36
8.4.2 Configurations..................................................................................................................... 8-38
8.4.3 Tail Management ................................................................................................................ 8-40
8-1
8-2
8.1 Weather
You can check text weather, winds aloft reports, NOTAMS; view graphical weather products; and
generate a weather briefing through the Weather tab.
8.1.1 Text Weather
The Text Weather sub-tab allows you to access several weather products for a specific airport(s) or
navaid(s). When the Text Weather page is opened, it displays your default product settings as
configured under the Weather Preferences tab (see Section 2.4.2—Weather Preferences).
To generate a report, type the location identifier in the Identifiers* field and click the Submit
Request button.
To assist in decoding weather and NOTAMs we have included links to 2 reference documents—
NOTAM/WX Contractions and NOTAM Q Codes.
If you enter an identifier that is used for several locations (e.g., for an airport and VOR), select the
appropriate identifier(s) from the list that is provided.
8-3
Use the Print button to generate a hardcopy of the text weather report.
8-4
8.1.2 Synchronized Model and Real-Time Terminal Area Forecasts (SMaRT TAFs)
Our weather partner (Schneider Electric) is now providing us with SMaRT TAFs for nearly 2,000
locations throughout North America and Europe. A SMaRT TAF is an automated TAF generated
by the Schneider Electric weather forecast system to supplement locations which do not have a
government-issued TAF. They use an ensemble of model and edited data with hourly resolution as
the basis for the creation the SMaRT TAF.
These reports are updated 4 times per day (0000Z, 0600Z, 1200Z, and 1800Z) and are also
monitored between issue times for potential amendments.
Smart TAFs, if available, are displayed along with other text weather and are labeled as such. If
there is a government-issued TAF data available from a nearby airport, that information is displayed
as well.
Additional information on SMaRT TAFs can be viewed by clicking the SMaRTTAF Q&A link.
8.1.3 Graphical Weather
Worldwide graphical weather products are provided through Schneider Electric’s AviationSentry
which is accessed using the Graphical Weather sub-tab. When opened, the system defaults to the
Layered Map product which is a Google Maps-based presentation. The tool requires customers
using Internet Explorer to have version 7.0 or higher. It also requires access to Google maps.
8-5
8.1.3.1 Controls and Menu Bars

Control and menu bars are located around the perimeter of the display and are visible whenever you
“interact” with the map (i.e., move the mouse, pan, add layers, etc.). After approximately 5 seconds
of “idle time” the menus and controls are hidden from view. To reactivate the controls and menus
simply move the mouse over the map.
To expand the map to a full screen view, click the expand icon in the upper left corner. To zoom in
or out, use the vertical slide under the expand icon or the mouse scroll wheel. To pan, click and
hold the left mouse button.
8-6
8.1.3.2 Base Map

The new map allows you to present information on 1 of 3 different base maps: Basic, Terrain, or
Satellite. To select or change the base map, position the mouse pointer over the left facing triangle
next to the Base Map item in the Layer Settings box in the lower right corner of the display. Click
the desired map layer radio button.
8.1.3.3 Layers
Use the Layers menu drop down at the top of the display to toggle Map, Weather, and Tropical
Forecast features on and off.
8-7
8-8
As layers are added, the menu box in the lower right corner is updated, allowing you to toggle
features on and off without having to open the main Layers menu. The box also displays a list of
recently used layers.
8.1.3.4 Lightning Data
One of the selections under the Weather Layers menu is Lightning. This layer provides worldwide
lightning strike information accumulated over a period of from 5 to 60 minutes. It also lets you
select the type of lightning to display (Cloud, Ground, or Both), use a color scale to differentiate
strikes over the accumulation period, and set range rings (8nm and 30nm) around a specific location.
8-9
In addition, you can animate the data using the animation tool bar at the bottom of the display. The
animation settings can be adjusted by selecting the small up-arrow on the right side of the bar.
8.1.3.5 Expanded Weather Radar
In addition to the U.S. and portions of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, weather radar is data
available for Western Europe and the Pacific. Coverage areas are outlined by dashed lines which
can be toggled on and off. In addition, radar transparency and smoothing of the display can be
controlled.
8-10
8.1.3.6 Favorites
The Favorites option on the top menu bar allows you to set and save specific views (zoom level,
layers, etc.). Selecting the favorite from the menu then automatically displays the saved view
eliminating the need to select features each time.
8-11
8.1.3.7 Locations
Use the Locations feature to add or delete specific points on the map, designated with a “pushpin”
icon. Click the Add Location icon and drag the pin to your preferred location or enter a city name or
address.
8.1.3.8 Tools
The Tools menu allows you to add distance lines, range rings, and views to a customized slide
show.
8-12
Other products are categorized by regions of the world and are accessed through the menu bar on
the left-hand side of the page.
8.1.4 Weather Briefing
The Weather Briefing tab allows you to generate a weather brief for a specific flight plan or for an
ad-hoc route between city-pairs. The weather products that are included in each briefing package
are based on your individual weather preferences as set in the Weather Preferences tab (see Section
2.4.2—Weather Preferences).
To generate a flight plan briefing, select the Tail # and Flight Plan from the drop down menus in the
Weather Briefing By Flight Plan box and click the Submit Request button.
NOTES:
 The Departure and Destination fields are updated base on the flight plan that is selected.
 To view the computed plan, click the View Flight Plan link.
To generate a Route Weather Briefing, enter the Departure and Destination airports in appropriate
fields. Select the type of briefing from the Briefing Option drop down and click the Submit Request
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button. The system returns weather based on an optimized route between the entered airports. If
there is a specific route you want to include, enter the waypoints in the Route box.
8.1.5 Passenger Weather Brief
The Passenger Weather tab allows you to generate a 5-day weather outlook for a specific airport.
Enter the Airport Identifier (or use the Lookup Airport button) and click the View Weather button to
generate the report. Use the Print button to generate a hardcopy.
8-14
8.1.6 Airport Radar
To view radar data for a single airport type in the 3- or 4-letter identifier for the airport of interest
and click the View Radar button to display the image.
8-15
8.2 Messaging
ARINC Direct provides customers with an extensive messaging capability that is accessed via the
Messaging tab. Administrators and other designated users can use this page to manage messages
sent to and from their aircraft, to create and manage folders, and to compose and send messages to
aircraft, email, IATA, or AFTN addresses, or fax machines. The Messaging tab contains sub-menu
items to access the Compose, Message Center, View Past Flights, Satellite Logon, and Satellite Voice
Calls pages.
8.2.1 Composing and Sending Messages
ARINC Direct provides you with a capability to create and can send messages directly to an
aircraft, email address, fax machine, IATA address, AFTN address, or auto forward codes. To
compose and send a message, follow the steps below.
1. Select the Compose menu item to open the Compose page.
2. If desired, enter the recipient’s name in the To: field and the sender’s name in the From: field.
NOTE: Names/addresses entered in the To: and From: field appear in the body of the message and
are not used for message addressing or routing.
3. Type the free text message in the Compose Message box.
4. Select recipients:
a. To send a message to an aircraft, click the box labeled Aircraft, select the tail number(s) you
want the message sent to via the drop down menu, then click the Add button. Selecting the
Try for… values determines how long the system attempts to deliver the message to the
aircraft. When selecting a value, users should consider current aircraft status (avionics
powered on/off), importance, time critical factors, etc.
NOTE: Messages sent to the aircraft are limited to 3000 characters.
8-16
b. To send a message to a distribution list, click the box labeled Auto Forward Codes and select
the Auto Forward Code you want the message sent to. NOTE: Multiple Auto Forward
Codes can be selected by holding the CTRL key and clicking the left mouse button.
c. To send a message to an email address, click box labeled Email then type the recipient’s
email address. NOTE: Only one (1) email address can be input. To send a message to
multiple addresses, create a distribution list using the Auto Forward Code feature.
d. To send a message to a fax machine, click the box labeled Fax and type the fax machine
number starting with the country code. You can also display a list of stored numbers using
the Lookup button. NOTE: The country code for the U.S. is 1. For International calls, 011
must precede the country code.
e. To send a message to an IATA address click the box labeled IATA and type the 7 letter
IATA address. NOTE: Messages sent to an IATA address are limited to 3000 characters.
f. To send a message to an AFTN address click the box labeled AFTN and type the 8 letter
AFTN address. NOTE: Messages sent to an AFTN address are limited to 2700 characters.
5. Once all recipient addresses have been selected, click the Send button.
8.2.2 Email to Aircraft
You can automatically send an email message to your aircraft by following these procedures:
1. From your email account, enter this exact address in the To field:
aircraft@direct.arinc.net
NOTE: DO NOT substitute your N-number or Flight ID in the address.
2. In the Subject field, enter your tail number (e.g., N103XA) followed by any other text
3. Type a plain text message and click Send.
NOTE: The maximum number of characters that can be delivered is 3,000. A message
longer than that will be cut off at 3000 characters because of avionics limitations. Attachments will
not be read or uplinked to the aircraft.
8-17
To reply to an email from the aircraft:
1. Click Reply. The To: field will be auto-populated with the address aircraft@direct.arinc.net
and the Subject: field will contain the tail number.
2. You can modify the Subject as needed however, the tail number must be included.
3. Type your freetext reply and click Send.
8.2.3 Message Center
Inbox and Outbox features are provided under the Message Center sub-tab, enabling you to search,
read, and reply to messages within your account.
The page is divided into 3 sections. The top portion provides a calendar which allows you to select
a date or range of dates for which to view messages. The current date is outlined in black. Dates
available for selection are displayed in bold and represent a running 90 day archive of messages.
To view messages:
1. Use the mouse to select (or deselect) a specific date. Selected days are highlighted in orange.
8-18
2. To select a range of days, click and highlight the start or end date then click another date on
either side of the previously selected date. All dates within range are highlighted. To clear the
range, click any highlighted date or, click a date outside the range to deselect the range and
select that specific date.
3. Messages for the date(s) selected are displayed in a table in the area below the calendar. The
total number of messages retrieved, the date range, and the aircraft is listed at the top of the
table. The default table size is 25 but you can change the table size by selecting the desired
number of messages to show from the Show 25, 50, 100, 250 results at a time box.
4. Use the ◄► buttons to page through the table. Messages that have not been read are displayed
in bold type.
Messages within the table can be sorted and filtered. Sorting puts them in ascending or descending
order based on Time, Originator, Recipient, Subject, or Status.
To sort messages in the table:
1. Click the appropriate item in the Sort by: box which is to the right of the table.
2. The selected sort item is displayed in bold.
8-19
3. To reverse the sort order, click the item a second time.
When looking for specific messages or through a range of dates, it is recommended you filter the
results to reduce the amount of data you need to review. The filtering options are in the box labeled
Filter by:.
The table provides basic information about the message in each row (i.e., date message was
received, time message was received, originator, recipient, message type/subject, and status). Click
anywhere in the row to open (or close) the message and view its content.
If the message is received from an IATA or AFTN address or one of your aircraft, you can click on
the sender’s address in the From: field or the Reply to Sender link to open the Compose Message
page with the “return address” pre-populated. Additional addresses can be added, as appropriate.
8-20
8.2.4 Recent Flight History
Flight history can be displayed using Flight Tracker and position reports down linked from the
aircraft by selecting the View Past Flights tab. You can search for any specifics you are interested in
by selecting the aircraft and time period you wish to display clicking the Search button.
A table with position information for the period selected is displayed. The table is composed of the
following columns:
 Select - click the box in this column to select and display the corresponding position report
 Time - indicates the time the downlink message was received
 Elapsed Time - indicates the time between successive downlink messages
 Message Type - indicates the type of downlink message (e.g., Position Report, ATIS
Request, ACARS OFF, etc.)
 Position - provides the latitude and longitude of the aircraft at the time of the downlink
 Media - indicates the media over which the downlink message was transmitted (e.g., VHF,
SAT)
 Network - indicates which communications network the message was transmitted through
(e.g., ARINC, SITA)
Select individual reports to display by clicking the box and then click the View Selected Reports
button or use the View All Reports button. The position reports are shown on the Track Flights
display.
NOTE: Track Flights must be running before clicking either of the view buttons.
8-21
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8.3 Cabin Services

The Cabin Services tab has four satellite sub-tabs (Satellite Logon, Satellite Voice Calls, Swift64, and
SwiftBroadband [SBB]). The SwiftBroadband page has a different design than the other pages and
provides ARINCDirect SBB customers with the ability to view SBB plan and usage summaries on a
per tail or per fleet basis. The Satellite Logon, Satellite Voice Calls, and Swift64 pages, along with
the other website pages, will be converted overtime to the new interface.
You have the capability to view near real-time data for all satellite traffic on a per tail basis.
Company Administrators have this feature by default and can grant permission to other account
holders by selecting an individual from the Users tab and checking the appropriate satellite boxes
under the Allow Cabin Services section (see Section 2.3.1.1—Adding Users).
The Satellite Logon, Satellite Voice Calls, Swift64 pages are laid-out and function much like the
Message Center page (see Section 8.2.2—Message Center). These pages are divided into 3 sections.
The top portion provides a calendar which allows you to select a date or range of dates for which to
view data. The SwiftBroadband page provides ARINC Direct SBB customers with the ability to
view SBB usage.
NOTE: Since we receive data from different sources at different times, there is a note on each
page to indicate the last date and time for which we have data.
The right side of the Satellite Logon, Satellite Voice Calls, Swift64 pages allows you to sort and filter
messages based on table column headings and aircraft tail number. You can also select the number
of messages, up to a maximum of 250, you want to display on each page of the table.
The bottom portion of the page provides the Satellite Logon, Satellite Voice Call, and Satellite Swift
records table.
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8.3.1 Satellite Logon
The Satellite Logon sub-tab provides data on the connectivity between your aircraft and the satellite
network. You can sort the displayed records by clicking the column heading or using the Sort by:
menu.
Columns are defined as follows:
Date & Time — the date and time the connection was initiated
Tail Number — the aircraft tail number associated with a specific call
AES ID — unique number used by the satellite service provider to identify a specific aircraft
GES — the Ground Earth Station (GES) through which the connection was made
GES Owner — the service provider (ARINC or SITA) for aircraft data link and voice
Logon Status — indicates whether the aircraft was connecting (Logon) or disconnecting (Logoff) to
the satellite network
AES Class — type of service provided, voice, data, or voice/data
Clear Cause — logon/logoff reason code and description
8.3.2 Satellite Voice Calls
The Satellite Calls sub-tab provides data on voice and non-data link data transmissions to and from
the aircraft. You can view information for either IRIDIUM or INMARSAT by selecting the desired
media from the Show: drop down list in the Filter by: box.
Each table column can be ordered by clicking the table column heading or using the Sort by: menu.
For communications over INMARSAT, the Satellite Calls table columns are defined as follows:
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Call Start — the date and time the connection was initiated.
Tail — the aircraft tail number associated with a specific call
AES ID — unique number used by the satellite service provider to identify a specific aircraft
GES Station & Owner — the GES and service provider through which the connection was made
Call Type — always listed as Telephone for INMARSAT
Direction — indicates whether the call was to the aircraft (Ground-Air) or from the aircraft (Air-
Ground)
Call/Called Number — provides the number the call was placed to or the number of an incoming call
Duration HH:MM:SS — the duration of the call in hours, minutes, and seconds
Clear Code — numeric code indicating why a call was terminated
Clear Cause — plain text description of the Clear Code
Media — type of satellite service (INMARSAT)
For communications over IRIDIUM, the Satellite Voice Calls table columns are defined as follows:
Call Start — the date and time the connection was initiated.
SIM # — the SIM card number assigned to the unit which received the transmission
Call Type — indicates the type of call (typically Voice for IRIDIUM but may also display SMS or
other type)
Direction — indicates whether the call was to the aircraft (Ground-Air) or from the aircraft (Air-
Ground)
Call/Called Number — provides the number the call was placed to or the number of an incoming call
Duration HH:MM:SS — the duration of the call in hours, minutes, and seconds
Media — type of satellite service (IRIDIUM)
8.3.3 Satellite Swift (Swift64)
The Swift64 sub-tab provides data on voice calls to and from the aircraft.
Columns are defined as follows:
Call Start — the date and time the connection was initiated
Forward ID — identifies the Swift channel utilized for the call
Calling Number — the phone number that initiated the call
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Called Number — the phone number that was called. For standard Swift service, this will be 28. For
ARINC Direct High Speed SwiftPlus service, this will be either 2889 or 0014109999989.
Direction — indicates whether the call was from the aircraft (air-to-ground) or to the aircraft
(ground-to-air)
Volume — length of call in seconds
Disconnect Code — reason the call ended. If the mouse is placed over a specific entry, a pop-up
will appear with a detailed description of the reason that the call ended.
Ground Station — the three digit abbreviation of the ground station used for the call
SBY = Southbury, Connecticut;
SPA = Santa Paula, California;
EIK = Eik, Norway
Ocean Region — the three or four digit abbreviation of the satellite region that supported the call
AORE = Atlantic Ocean Region East (Eastern US, South America, Atlantic Ocean, Europe,
Africa);
AORW = Atlantic Ocean Region West (North America, South America, Western Europe,
West Africa, Middle East);
IOR = Indian Ocean Region (Africa, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Western Australia);
POR = Pacific Ocean Region (Eastern Asia, Australia, Pacific Ocean, Western US)
Spot Beam — the specific satellite beam used
8.3.4 SwiftBroadband Dashboard
Customers using ARINC Direct for their SBB requirements can display usage data on a per tail or
fleet basis.
SBB usage and alert notifications are generated when customer defined threshold values are met or
exceeded. Notifications can be configured to be sent to customer defined destinations such as
email, fax numbers, IATA and AFTN addresses, and to the aircraft using the Alerts tab (see Section
8.4—Alerts). SBB alerts can be set-up to track either individual aircraft usage or aggregate the
usage for all customer aircraft (i.e., fleet monitor).
Customers have the ability to configure monitoring for:

 Background IP MB
 SBB Voice Minutes
 SBB Fax Minutes
 SBB Streaming Minutes
To access the SBB Dashboard, select the SwiftBroadBand menu item.
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The SBB Dashboard page allows customers with SBB services to view details on an aircraft’s SBB
plan as well as the monthly usage against that plan. To access the page, click the SwiftBroadband
sub-tab under Cabin Services.
8.3.4.1 Plan Summary

The right side of the page allows you to select and display the summary report (Plan Summary or
Usage Summary) for a specific aircraft (A la carte (Monthly) plan) or for your fleet of aircraft (Fleet
Plan).
NOTES:
 A Tail or Plan must be selected to view a summary report.
 Only those aircraft using ARINCDirect SBB are listed in the drop down.
For an aircraft Plan Summary:
The top portion of the page shows the plan details.
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The lower portion of the page shows plan usage. Detailed usage information is available by
mousing over the different sections of the status bar.
8.3.4.2 Tail Usage Dashboard

The Tail Usage page displays SBB usage data in a variety of formats. To access the dashboard,
click Tail Usage link.
To view data usage:

1. Select the desired tail from the Tail Number drop down.
2. Select the Start Date and End Date for the desired usage period.
3. Click the Submit button to retrieve and display the usage records.
NOTES:
1. To view a calendar for previous months for the desired Start Date and End Date, use your
mouse scroll wheel or the up/down arrow keys.
2. You can also expose yearly calendars by clicking the month link (e.g., Oct 2016 >).
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Use the CHANGE CRITERIA link to select a new tail or date range. Use the REFRESH DATA link to
update the page.
Usage data are displayed in four panels: Tail Summary, Usage By SIM Card, Usage By Day/Month,
and Usage Breakdown.
8.3.4.3 Tail Summary

The Tail Summary panel displays the total usage for the selected aircraft for the current day and the
entire period selected. The usage amounts are best estimates based on data contained in Swift
Broadband Call Data Records (CDRs), which are generated every 2 MB during usage. This usage
information is typically only a few minutes old, but processing within the Inmarsat networks can
sometimes delay CDRs.
To view individual call records by SIM Card, click the View Details link.
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Records can be displayed in a grid (above), tabular format (below) or exported to a .csv file using
the settings icon in the header bar. Use the search icon to open the Search Criteria dialog box to
find a specific data call record. Click the BACK TO SUMMARY link to return to the Tail Usage page.
8.3.4.4 Usage By SIM Card

For aircraft that have more than one IMSI address enabled, the Usage by SIM Card panel displays
the total usage for individual SIM cards for the entire period selected.
If a SIM card has usage from multiple service types, the Service Type will show a Multiple Types
link and there will be a message at the bottom of the panel. Clicking the Multiple Types link will
bring up a pop-up display that allows the user to view data for each service type.
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8.3.4.5 Usage By Day/Month

Daily usage for the selected aircraft and period of interest is displayed graphically in the Usage By
Day panel and is broken out for Upload and Download data. Data can be viewed as a stacked graph
which shows the total amount of data uploaded and downloaded for a day or grouped by upload and
download.
In the Usage By Day view, upload and download totals for each day are displayed by mousing over
the appropriate data bar.
If the period of interest is greater than 60 days, the panel displays Usage By Month. Mousing over
the month bar displays the upload and download usage for that month.
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To view the daily usage within a month, click the month bar. The BACK TO MONTHLY VIEW link
returns you to the monthly usage panel.
8.3.4.6 Usage Breakdown

The Usage Breakdown panel provides a pie-chart view of data usage by the most frequently used
application categories. Mouse over a specific “slice of the pie” to view the data usage associated
with that application category.
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8.3.4.7 Usage Reports
In addition to data usage alerts, customers can now configure their account to automatically
generate a Daily, Weekly, or Monthly usage frequency report that is sent to their email address. Each
usage report contains a summary in the e-mail body as well as a .csv file attachment containing all
the call data records for the specified time period. To modify existing alerts to include usage
reports:
1. From the Manage Alerts page under the Alerts tab, click the Configurations link to view the
existing alerts table.
2. Click the alert Name to open the Data Configuration page.

3. Select the Usage Report radio button and select the report frequency.
4. Add additional email addresses to the Destinations field, as necessary.
5. Click the SAVE link at the bottom of the page to save the configuration.
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To add new alerts and usage reports for an aircraft, select Data from the drop down menu and click
the Add Configuration button to open the Data Configuration window.
Select the Tail, enter a unique name for the alert in the Name field in the Data Configuration window,
then follow steps 3 through 5 above.
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8.3.4.8 Plan Usage Reports
Each usage report contains a plan summary in the e-mail body for the specified time period. The e-
mail also contains a clickable link that takes you directly to either the Plan Summary or Tail Usage
pages.
The usage reports show the status of the subscription plan for the selected frequency period. It
includes the plan start and end dates, total amount of data used, and the amount of data remaining
on the plan. The usage for each subscribed aircraft is detailed at the bottom of the report.
The Monthly Plan Report is sent at the beginning of each month, the Daily Plan Report contains
usage through the previous day (approximately 0001Z through 2359Z), and the Weekly Plan Report
contains usage through the end of the previous week (0001Z Monday through 2359Z Sunday) and is
sent each Monday morning.
The specific aircraft report contains a breakdown of the usage by most-used application categories.
All call data records (CDRs) for the month are attached to the report in a .csv file.
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8.4 Alerts
The Alerts tab allows you to configure and manage SBB monitoring parameters for your
ARINCDirect SBB aircraft. Alerts can be set based on an amount of data used in mb or on a
percent of the overall subscription plan. Each alert name must be unique, and there can be up to 10
alerts per tail or plan. Initially, each annual subscription plan will have three default alert values:
75%, 90% and 100% of plan.
8.4.1 Alert History
When you open the Manage Alerts page, the Alert History table is displayed. This table provides a
chronological history of alerts that have been previously issued. Data can be sorted by clicking the
column headings.
To view information on an alert, click any field within the desired row. The Data Alert History
record provides information on usage.
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From this page you can also send a message to the aircraft (click the Tail Number – N104XA), and
review/modify the specific alert configuration (click the Alert Configuration – N104XA_100MB).
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8.4.2 Configurations
The Configurations page allows you to create, modify, and delete alerts. When the page is opened,
any alerts in the system are displayed in the table.
To add an alert:
1. Select the type of alert you want to add from the Select dropdown (currently, the system only
supports alerts for Data usage).
2. Click the Add Configuration button.
3. The Data Alert Configuration page is displayed.
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4. Enter the appropriate information to define the alert. Selecting iPads following this aircraft will
enable notifications to be sent to your iPad via the notification method configured in the device.
NOTES:
 Each alert must have a unique name
 You can configure up to 10 alerts per tail or subscription plan
To delete an alert select the alert you want to delete from the Manage Alerts page, open the desired
alert from the table on the Configurations page the then click the Delete link at the bottom of the
page.
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You can create a copy of an alert for use with other aircraft by clicking the Copy link at the bottom
of the Alert Configuration page.
To save the new alert you must make a change one or all of the following fields: Name, Alerts
From, or Triggered Event.
8.4.3 Tail Management
Alerts for an aircraft can be activated and deactivated using the Tail Management page. Setting the
tail Status to Inactive suppresses all alerts for the selected aircraft but does not remove the alert
configuration. Deactivated alerts still count against the maximum of 10 alerts per tail or
subscription plan.
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Contents
9.1 Access to the APIS Tab..................................................................................................9-2
9.2 Traveler Database ..........................................................................................................9-3
9.3 Manifest Creation and Submission ..............................................................................9-9

9.3.1. Submission Timelines ......................................................................................................9-9
9.3.2. Creating a Manifest ..........................................................................................................9-9
9.3.3. Aircraft and Flight Information Section ..........................................................................9-10
9.3.4. CBP Information section..................................................................................................9-12
9.3.5. Crew and Passenger Information .....................................................................................9-13
9.3.6. 24 Hour Emergency Contact and Owner and Operator Information ...............................9-18
9.3.7. APIS Confirmation ..........................................................................................................9-18
9.3.8. Submitting or Saving the Manifest ..................................................................................9-18
9.4 APIS Status .....................................................................................................................9-19
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Through your ARINCDirect account, you can manage and track the submission of passenger
manifest to comply with various States’ customs and border requirements.
The ARINC web service has been certified as an “approved electronic data interchange system” and
ARINC Direct customers can build and maintain a traveler (passenger and crew) data base and
create and submit flight manifest information directly from their ARINCDirect account.
NOTE: ARINCDirect takes seriously the security and privacy of our customers' data. Access to
our website is protected with usernames and passwords, and all interactions with our website are
encrypted using 128-bit SSL technology. We use the best available security approach when we
send any customer data offsite. When we transmit APIS data, we use 128-bit SSL to encrypt data,
effectively preventing its being read in transit by third parties, even though the data transits the
public Internet.
9.1 Access to the APIS Tab

The APIS tab is initially enabled for Company Administrators only. Administrators can grant access
to all or some of the features under this tab for other account holders by selecting the individuals
through the Users sub tab under My Company (see Section 2.3.1.1—Adding Users).
Warning: If an individual in your company has flight planning permissions but does NOT have
the APIS tab enabled, they will not see the Create APIS Manifest page when filing plans to and from
the US. In addition, if they attempt to Replan a flight that was originally planned by an individual
that has APIS enabled, they will not see the APIS page. They will instead, receive a warning
message alerting them to the fact that an APIS submission is required and they must contact a
Company Administrator to obtain access to the APIS pages.
John Smythe
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9.2 Traveler Database

To create and access a listing of personnel in your company traveler database, click the Manage
Travelers sub-tab under APIS.
For individuals already entered, the page displays their Name (which also serves as a link to their
information record), whether or not they are Crew, the country they claim for Primary Citizenship,
the country they claim for Secondary Citizenship, Date of Birth, travel Document Type contained in
the data base, the default travel document (in bold with checkbox icon) if more than 1 is listed, and
the Document Expiration date. The header section contains a Travel Document Status which
provides a count of documents in the data base that are expired or are expiring within 90 days.
Clicking the Name link opens the Manage Travelers page which contains a record of the data stored
in your company account for that individual. This page is also used to create a new record and to
edit information already on file for a specific individual. Data entered on the Manage Travelers
page is used to populate the APIS submission.
CAUTION: U.S. Part 135 operators are required to maintain an approved Master Crew List
(MCL) on file with CBP and the Transportation Security Administration. ARINC Direct does not
provide a means for Part 135 operators to create or maintain the MCL. Changes made to crew
member information (additions, deletions, changes in personal information, etc.) via your ARINC
Direct account WILL NOT be forwarded to CBP or be reflected in your MCL. You must log-in to
the CBP eAPIS site (https://eapis.cbp.dhs.gov/) to make any MCL changes. Also, customers should
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ensure that the information contained in their ARINC Direct account, matches that submitted as
their MCL to CBP.
There is a progressive Search feature that searches travelers’ names (first, middle, and last) and
filters and displays those that contain any of the letters entered in the field.
The more complete the entry, the more refined the search results.
Clicking a letter on the left margin of the table displays all travelers with a last name starting with
the selected letter.
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In addition, on the Manage Travelers tab there is a filter that allows you to view names by APIS
Validity (those that have passed (or not passed) APIS validation for the selected country), by
Traveler Type (passenger or crew) or Traveler Document validity.
To delete a traveler, check the box next to the individual’s name and click the Delete button at the
bottom of the page.
To create a record for a new traveler, click the Create New Traveler button to open the Traveler
Information and Documents pop-up window and enter the pertinent information.
Fields that are marked with an asterisk (*) are required to save the individual in your company list
(First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Primary Country of Citizenship, and
Home Address Country).
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NOTES:
1. Data entered in the Customs Information section must exactly match the data on printed
travel documents.
2. Traveler Data must be saved before adding Documents.
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A traveler can be saved in the data base even if all their document information is not available by
clicking the Save button. To confirm all the fields on the page that are needed for a U.S. or
Mexican APIS submission are complete, select USA APIS or MEX APIS from the drop down
(currently it is the only selection available) and click the Validate for button. To check for both
simultaneously, select ALL APIS. Omissions are highlighted on the page in red.
To add a Travel Document, select the type from the Document Type drop down menu. If the type is
not listed, select Other and enter the type of the documentation in the Document Title field. Entry of
information in the Document Title field is not required if a document is selected from the drop down
menu. Enter the Document Number, select the Issuing Country from the drop down menu, and enter
the Expiration Date, if applicable.
If a traveler has more than 1 passport travel document, a primary or default document to use when
assigning travelers to an APIS manifest can be specified by checking the Default Doc: box (visible
after the first document is added). Pilot’s License, Permanent Resident Card, or Resident Alien Card
cannot be designated as primary or secondary.
If the Default Doc box is checked, a checkbox icon is displayed in the Documents List.
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To edit an existing document, click the edit icon in the Document List.
The fields in the Add/Update Document section is pre-populated with the current information. To
save the edits, click the Save Document button.
To delete a travel document, click the trashcan icon.
NOTES:
 The system cannot validate the accuracy of any personal information entered.
 Data requirements to establish a record for an individual traveler may vary based on
individual state laws. It is recommended that you provide as much information as possible
to avoid having to perform constant updates as other systems come on-line.
 If a traveler does not have a given First Name, US CBP requires you enter FNU (First Name
Unknown).
 The CBP web services portal (through which we submit your APIS manifest) requires
Country of residence (Home Address section) even though the CBP web services site does
not.
 The Crew Member box should only be checked if the individual is a pilot. Pilots must
include their Pilot License as one of their Travel Documents.
 A Visa or Other travel document type is not valid for U.S. APIS submission.
Once all the data is entered for an individual, click the Validate for or Save button to save the record.
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9.3 Manifest Creation and Submission
9.3.1. Submission Timelines

For U.S. APIS the private aircraft pilot is responsible for ensuring that the APIS manifest is
transmitted to CBP:
1. For flights originally destined for the United States, no later than 60 minutes prior to
departure of the aircraft from the foreign port of place; or
2. For flights not originally destined to the United States, but diverted to a U.S. port due to an
emergency, no later than 30 minutes prior to arrival; in cases of non-compliance, CBP will
take into consideration that the carrier was not equipped to make the transmission and the
circumstance of the emergency situation; or
3. For flights departing the United States, no later than 60 minutes prior to departure.
Failure to transmit an APIS manifest according to the above guidelines may subject the aircraft
pilot to an APIS penalty.
NOTES:
 There is no maximum time prior to departure that you can make an APIS submission.
ARINC will forward any manifest as soon as we receive it from a customer
 A CBP confirmation email is required prior to departure from or to the U.S.
 ARINC will relay any confirmation message to the customer as soon as it is received from
CBP.
For Mexico the manifest must be submitted after the aircraft doors have closed for flights into
Mexico lasting less than an hour, and 30 minutes before departure for longer flights.
For flights that operate between the U.S. and Mexico, 2 APIS submissions are required (1 US and 1
Mexico) however you do not need to complete 2 forms. A single submission satisfies both country
requirements.
The process to create an APIS manifest is the same for both Mexico and the U.S. and it is possible
that there will be “extra” information requested on the Create Manifest page for Mexico only
submissions (e.g., for flights not entering or departing the U.S. the CBP Decal number is not needed
but may be required to complete the submission). Extraneous data is removed prior to submission.
9.3.2. Creating a Manifest

From your ARINC Direct account you can use the Create APIS Manifest page to create a new
manifest, edit a saved (but not yet submitted) manifest, and update a manifest that has been
submitted to CBP. There are several ways to access the Create APIS Manifest page from within
your ARINC Direct account.
1. Click the Create APIS Manifest tab.
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2. File a flight plan that has a departure or destination airport that is outside the U.S. You are
automatically directed to the Create APIS Manifest page with several fields pre-populated with
information from the flight plan. If you submit an APIS manifest independent of the flight plan,
you have the option to Skip Manifest submission.
The Create APIS Manifest page is broken into 6 sections:

1. Flight Information
2. CBP Information
3. Crew and Passenger Information
4. 24 Hour Pilot Emergency Contact Information
5. Owner and Operator Information
6. APIS Confirmation
9.3.3. Aircraft and Flight Information Section

The following fields make-up the Flight information section.
Tail– select the appropriate aircraft from the drop down. If you file a flight plan that requires an
APIS submission, and are directed to the Create APIS Manifest page from the Filing page, the Tail is
pre-populated and cannot be changed.
DEP Airport –enter the 3- or 4-letter identifier for the airport from which you are departing. If you
do not know the identifier, click the Lookup Airport button to search for the airport code.
DEP Date – enter either the Zulu (Z) or Local (LCL) date of departure.
DEP Time – enter either the Zulu (Z) or Local (LCL) time of departure.
DEP Manifest – this checkbox is automatically selected if a manifest submission is required based on
the departure airport.
– select Private (Part 91), Charter (Part 135C), or Continuance (Part 135E) from the
Flight Type
dropdown menu.
ARR Airport – enter the 3- or 4-letter identifier for the airport to which you are arriving. If you do
not know the identifier, click the Lookup Airport button to search for the airport code.
ARR Date – enter either the Zulu (Z) or Local (LCL) date of arrival.
ARR Time – enter either the Zulu (Z) or Local (LCL) time of arrival.
ARR Manifest – this checkbox is automatically selected if a manifest submission is required based
on the arrival airport.
Add Overflights– manifest submissions to US CBP are required for non-US aircraft transiting US
airspace. Check this box to generate CBP overflight manifest for submission.
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If there is a valid ARINCDirect generated flight plan associated with the tail, it can be selected and
linked to the APIS using the dropdown menu at the bottom of the Flight Information section.
Selcting the flight plan auto-populates the departure and destination flight information.
For a flight plan to be visible in the dropdown, it must meet the following criteria:
 Cannot have a status of cancelled or cancellation requested
 ETD may not be greater than configurable 5 hours in the past
 Cannot be associated with an existing APIS manifest
 Cannot be a Quick File flight plan
When all information is entered, click the Next button. A summary of the Flight Information is
displayed at the top of the page. Changes can only be made to the departure and arrival dates and
times, if necessary.
NOTE: If the Departure Airport or Arrival Airport is not on the CBP list of approved locations, a
note is displayed on the page along with the identifier of the nearest CBP-approved airport. The
CBP-approved airport is submitted on the APIS manifest along with the actual departure or arrival
airport.
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9.3.4. CBP Information section

The following fields make-up the CBP information section.
CBP Decal Number/Expiration Date – enter the CBP Decal number and the decal Expiration Date for
the aircraft selected. This field is required for US FAR Part 135 submissions. If the CBP decal
information is entered in the Tail Information section under the Tails sub-tab under the My Company
tab the system pre-populates the CBP Decal number and the decal Expiration Date whenever the tail
is subsequently selected.
NOTE: Changes to the CBP Decal Number and Expiration Date entered in the CBP Information
section DO NOT overwrite an entry on the Tail Information page and are not saved for future
manifests if there is a default entry on the Tail Information page. It is strongly recommended that the
current CBP Decal Number and Expiration Date be entered in the Tail Information section under the
Tails sub-tab under the My Company tab.
Border Crossing – enter the local time and location where you expect to cross the US geographical
border. This location may be given as a physical description, latitude and longitude, or a waypoint.
 If the manifest is tied to a computed flight plan, the Border Crossing field is automatically
populated.
 If there is no flight plan, enter a Ground Speed for the tail and click the Auto-Calculate
button to automatically calculate the Border Crossing point.
Ground Speed - used along with the great circle route between city-pairs to calculate a crossing
point and populate the Border Crossing field if the manifest is not tied to a flight plan. The last
Ground Speed value entered is retained in the account and the field is pre-populated each time the
aircraft is selected from the Tail dropdown. Ground Speed can be changed for each submission.
Aircraft Color – pre-populated based on the data entered in the Tail Information section.
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Non-US airports visited within 24 hrs of ETD – enter the ICAO identifier for any airports visited
within 24 hours of your departure for the US. If you are departing the US, enter any airports you
plan to visit after arrival at your first foreign destination. For example:
If your trip is from Baltimore, MD (BWI) to Milan, Italy (LIML) and you plan tech stops in Gander,
Newfoundland (CYQX) and Shannon, Ireland (EINN), CYQX is your first foreign destination and is
the Arrival Airport. EINN and LIML are then entered.
9.3.5. Crew and Passenger Information

The APIS traveler manifest is created in the Crew and Passenger Information section of the page
using data previously entered on the Manage Travelers page.
To add crew and passengers:
1. Click the Add/Change Traveler button to open the Traveler Selection window.
The Crew Selection and Passenger Selection blocks are automatically populated with a list of
Available travelers from your company database that have all the information entered in their data
base record to satisfy APIS manifest submission requirements. For customers with a large number
of travelers in their database, we populate the Crew Selection and Passenger Selection fields as
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pages with 25 names per page. This allows the page to load faster and provides a way to look at
smaller sets of data as you build your manifest.
In the header of each section, we display a note indicating the number of crew or passengers in the
database that have outdated or incomplete information and do not satisfy APIS reporting
requirements. These individuals are not displayed in the list.
To view the list, click the header.
NOTE: Crew are listed in both the crew and passenger sections.
2. Travelers can be added individually or as a group by checking the box next to each name. A
running count of the number of individuals selected is displayed at the top of the list.
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3. Use the arrow buttons (>> <<) to assign travelers to roles (Pilot, Second in Command, Other
Crew, etc.). As individuals are added to the manifest, their name is listed in the Assigned
section of the page.
4. All valid travel documents for each assigned traveler are listed in the Departure Documents and
the Arrival Documents sections of the page. If the traveler has multiple documents listed, the
default travel document is automatically selected for submission for both the departure and
arrival manifest. Use the radio button to change the selection for departure or arrival.
5. If a document is within 90 days of expiration, it is boxed in yellow. If a document is expired, it
is not listed in the Travel Documents column.
6. For US departures and arrivals, CBP requires a US address be included as part of the manifest
submission. If there is a US address entered on the traveler information page, it is prepopulated
in the table.
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Other company specific addresses can be selected using the drop down menu. Addresses can
also be entered/edited using the Add new Company US Address or the Edit US Address button,
or the Manage US Addresses subtab.
NOTE: CBP rules state that US residents should use their home address as Address while in U.S.
and non-US residents should use a visiting address (e.g., hotel, corporate office, etc.). Changing an
individual’s U.S. address using the Address window does not update the information in the traveler
database.
7. When all travelers have been assigned, click the Set Leg Travelers button at the bottom of the
page. The Crew and Passenger Information section on the Create Manifest page is populated
with the traveler data. For each individual selected, the page lists:
a. Role – PIC, SIC, Crew or Passenger
b. Name – the individual’s name, as entered in the database
c. DOB – the individual’s date of birth, as entered in the database
d. Sex – the individual’s gender, as entered in the database
e. Citizen – the individual’s country of citizenship, as entered in the database
f. Travel Documents – a list of the individual’s travel documents, which will be transmitted
with the manifest(s), as entered in the database. Documents are listed for both the
departure and arrival manifest, as appropriate.
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A Traveler Count is displayed at the bottom of the section which provides the total number of
individuals selected for the manifest submission.
If the manifest is associated with a filed flight plan, there is a count for FPL Souls On Board and for
the APIS Traveler List. If the Souls on Board counts differ, an alert is posted.
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9.3.6. 24 Hour Emergency Contact and Owner and Operator Information

Complete the fields to designate a 24-hour emergency point-of-contact. This should be someone
who is knowledgeable about the flight in the event there are questions. It is recommended that you
enter information for the Pilot-in-Command.
Complete all fields in the Owner and Operator Information section.
NOTE: Information for 24 Hour Pilot Emergency Contact Information, Owner, and Operator
only needs to be entered once for each tail in your account. Each subsequent APIS manifest
submission will have this information pre-populated upon selection of a tail from the account list.
9.3.7. APIS Confirmation

Prior to submitting a completed manifest, you can enter addresses (email, SMS, etc.) to receive the
U.S. CBP response to your submission (not applicable to Mexico).
9.3.8. Submitting or Saving the Manifest

When you have completed the manifest and are ready to send it, click the Submit Manifest button.
If you wish to save the data entered and return to the form to submit it at a later time, click the Save
Draft button. The manifest is saved and can be retrieved from the APIS Status tab. If you get to the
APIS Manifest page after filing a flight plan, you can elect to skip submitting an APIS manifest by
clicking the Skip Manifest button.
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9.4 APIS Status

APIS status is shown in two locations within your ARINCDirect account:
1. The APIS Status page.
2. The Filing Status page (under the Flight Planning tab for flight planning customers) if there is a
flight plan associated with the APIS filing.
On both pages there is a link to view both the APIS status information as well as the submitted
manifest. When we receive a confirmation from the appropriate authority, a USA Confirmation
Number or MEX Record Number is displayed on the APIS Status page for that submission.
Manifest submissions can have 1 of 5 possible statuses:

1. Not Submitted – indicates the manifest has not yet been sent
2. Submitted – indicates the manifest has been sent to the appropriate authority
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3. Response Received – an acknowledgment that the manifest submission has been received
For a manifest with a status of Response Received, the confirmation/record number and other
pertinent information is provided both at the top and bottom of the APIS Manifest.
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NOTE: For U.S. APIS submissions, the CBP response is delivered via an email message.
Since implementing the eAPIS system, CBP has experienced numerous issues and system
outages with the email delivery feature. If the eAPIS confirmation email is not posted in your
account, you should contact the CBP office appropriate for the departure or arrival airport to
confirm the manifest has been received and approved.
4. Done – this status is set 4 hours after the ETA of the flight as it was submitted in the
manifest. Manifests in a Done state are read-only and cannot be edited.
To submit a previously saved manifest or make changes and re-submit a manifest, click the Edit
link. This displays the Create APIS Manifest page, pre-populated with data that was previously
entered. The Copy travelers to button allow you to copy traveler information from an existing
manifest into a new manifest.
To view the manifest report, which contains all the information submitted click the Not Submitted,
Submitted, or Response Received link.
You can print the Manifest report or send it (as a .pdf file) to an email address using the Print and
Send Manifest buttons at the top of the page.
If the APIS manifest is submitted at the time a flight plan is filed the flight plan package includes a
complete listing of the APIS submission (and confirmations) to CBP.
If you Replan a flight that has an associated APIS Manifest, the Create APIS Manifest page is
presented with the updated information pre-populated. You can then re-submit the manifest with
any changes.
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Contents
10.1 Background ....................................................................................................................10-3
10.2 SMS Tabs ........................................................................................................................10-5
10.3 SMS Documents .............................................................................................................10-6
10.4 Templates ........................................................................................................................10-8

10.4.1 Creating Templates ..........................................................................................................10-8
10.4.2 Adding or Modifying Risk Factors ..................................................................................10-11
10.4.3 Risk Mitigation ................................................................................................................10-15
10.4.4 Template Preview ............................................................................................................10-16
10.5 Template Assignment ....................................................................................................10-18
10.6 SMS Risk Factor Form ..................................................................................................10-19
10.7 Completed Forms ...........................................................................................................10-27
10.8 FlightRisk........................................................................................................................10-29
10.8.1 FlightRisk Home Page .....................................................................................................10-30
10.8.2 Running a Risk Assessment .............................................................................................10-31
10.8.3 Risk Assessment Report ..................................................................................................10-33
10.8.4 Post Flight Assessment ....................................................................................................10-37
10.8.5 Administration .................................................................................................................10-38
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10.1 Background
A Safety Management System (SMS) is essentially a quality management approach to controlling
risk. It also provides the organizational framework to support a sound safety culture. For general
aviation flight departments an SMS forms the core of the company’s safety efforts. For certificated
operators such as airlines, air taxi operators, and aviation training organizations the SMS also serves
as an efficient means of interfacing with government aviation oversight offices. The SMS provides
the company’s management with a detailed roadmap for monitoring safety related processes.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has defined a four component, twelve
element SMS framework for worldwide utilization, and has incorporated the requirements into their
Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). Annex 6, entitled Operation of Aircraft, was
amended to require operators to develop and comply with an SMS. Although ICAO is recognized
as an international standards body and the SARPs contain technical and operational requirements, it
has no regulatory authority. Regulatory authority remains within the purview of individual States.
If an operator conducts flights exclusively in their State of registry, the ICAO SARPs do not apply.
However, once an operator leaves their State of registry, they become bound by the ICAO SARPs
and the requirements of the States’ in which they operate or overfly. Because of this, there is a mix
of requirements for operators to have an SMS.
Amendment 27 to Annex 6 requires an SMS to be in place by November 18, 2010, for operators of
large turbojet aircraft having a maximum takeoff mass greater than 5700 kg (12,500 lbs). The
Annex 6 requirement applies to both Part 91 and Part 135 operators.
While the individual state requirements for an SMS are (and will likely remain) mixed, the
generally accepted date that international operators are working towards having an SMS in place is
by November 2010.
An integral and key part of SMS is Safety Risk Management. This requires a formal system of
hazard identification and defines a process used to assess, evaluate, and mitigate identified risks.
ARINC Direct will be supporting the Risk Management portion of our customers’ SMS.
To support our customers, ARINC Direct provides tools, integrated with our flight planning and
weather functions, to assist in completing the Risk Assessment portion of the SMS. At a high level,
we:
1. Provide a comprehensive, ARINC Direct maintained library of pre-defined risk factors that
can be used to build Risk Assessment forms.
2. Provide a means for customers to define new risk factors to support their specific
operational and SMS requirements. Customer specific factors can be added to the ARINC
Direct library for use by other customers, if desired.
3. Allow customers to define the criteria used to assign risk values to each factor.
4. Provide a way to create risk assessment forms to formally evaluate the risk for individual
flights.
5. Provide means for printing and distributing completed forms.
6. Retain user-entered information to support the Safety Assurance and Safety Promotion
component of the SMS.
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7. Provide a means for Customers to upload and store customer-generated documents in their
ARINC Direct account containing SMS-related information such as emergency contact
information, escalation lists, etc.
4
10.2 SMS Tabs

Access to the SMS features is gained through the SMS tab which includes the following sub tabs:
 SMS Documents—provides the ability to upload PDF files to your account for viewing by
authorized Company users.
 Risk Factor Templates—provides access to the tools needed to create a risk factor form
(template) containing items from the ARINC library or company specific factors. This sub
tab will also provide a means for saving and naming the created templates.
 Template Assignment— provides the ability to associate a saved template with one or more
tails in the account.
 Completed Forms—provides the ability to retrieve risk factor assessment forms that have
been completed by company personnel.
Company Administrators can grant access privileges to all or some of the SMS sub-tabs to
individuals within their company using the My Company tab (see Section 2.3.1.1—Adding Users).
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10.3 SMS Documents

This sub tab provides designated company personnel with an interface that allows them to upload
files to their ARINC Direct account. Stored files are accessible to everyone in the Company that
has SMS privileges.
The SMS Documents page is divided into two sections. Administrators use the upper portion of the
page to upload document files, set expiration dates, and associate documents with specific aircraft.
The lower portion of the page consists of a table showing the documents loaded in your account and
their associated aircraft.
To add a document to your account:
1. Enter the document name or a short description of the document contents in the Document
Description field.
2. Use the Browse button to locate the file(s) on your computer that you want to upload to your
ARINC Direct account. A total of 50 .pdf files, each smaller than 25MB, can be saved in your
account.
3. Set the document Expiration Date. This is a required field and serves as a reminder for
Administrators to review and update the document content, if appropriate. The default is 6
months from the date the document is initially uploaded.
4. Use the Tails dropdown list to define whether the document applies to one or more specific tails
in the account or to all tails in the account. Use the Ctrl key and mouse to select multiple tails
from the list.
5. Click the Add Document button.
The bottom section of the page displays a table containing all uploaded documents in your account.
If there are no documents uploaded, the table is not shown.
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Individuals with Read-Only access to SMS Documents only have access to the table.
NOTES:
 If a document is associated with multiple aircraft, the Tails column is populated with a list
that displays the first few tail numbers. Mouse-over the field to display all the tail numbers.
 To update document information (Expiration Date, Document Description, etc.), click the
Edit button.
 To remove a document from the table, check the box in the first column of the table then
click the Delete button.
 When a document is within 30 days of its entered Expiration Date, the row is highlighted in
yellow. The document can still be opened by clicking the document name.
 When the Expiration Date is reached, the document is highlighted in red. It can still be
accessed for 10 days past expiration, after which the document will be visible in the list but
the link to open it is disabled.
NOTE: Company Administrators will receive an email notification from ARINC Direct when a
document is within 30 days of expiration and when it is 10 days past expiration.
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10.4 Templates
Company Administrators must create SMS Templates to generate the Flight Risk Assessment
Forms used for each flight. Risk factors are selected from the ARINC Library or specifically
created to address company operations and are added to the template. In addition, mitigation factors
can be added to address out-of-limit conditions. The Templates sub tab provides a means for
Administrators to create new risk assessment forms (templates), manage existing and create
company specific risk factors, and lists the SMS Risk Assessment forms created for your company.
To open an existing template, click the Name link in the table. Existing templates can be modified
by Company Administrators to reflect changes in operational procedures or risk factors.
Once you have created a template, use the Make a Copy button to generate a second template with
the same risk factors and mitigations that can then be edited and saved as a new template using the
procedures described below (see Section 10.4.2—Adding or Modifying Risk Factors).
10.4.1 Creating Templates

To create a new template, click the New Risk Assessment Template button to open the template
window.
The template window shows the Template Name, Notes that apply to the template (if any), and three
tabs that allow you to access other features (Risk Factors, Mitigations, and Preview). The default
view is with the Risk Factors tab selected. Currently, there are over 200 risk factors in the ARINC
Provided Library. The Risk Factors tab provides access to this Risk Factor Library which contains
the ARINC Direct factors as well as any specific factors that are entered in your account. These
factors and their associated risk values cannot be edited until they are added to a template.
Type the name and any applicable notes in the Template Name and Notes fields then add risk factors
from the ARINC Direct library or create company specific factors.
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To view the ARINC Direct library, select the Risk Factors tab and open the Risk Factor Library
window shade.
Build the template by selecting the appropriate factors from the library and clicking the Add to Form
button. To locate a specific factor you can sort the list by clicking on the Name, Units, Category or
ARINC Provided column header or type the factor name (or a portion thereof) in the Search field.
Factors that are shaded in blue are considered “smart” risk factors and are automatically assessed
for a specific flight when the template is created (see Section 10.6—SMS Risk Factor Form).
NOTE: Changes to risk factors in subsequent releases are not backwards compatible. Risk factors
used to create previous templates will not be updated. To use updated risk factors, you need to
delete the factor from the old template, and then add it back.
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Checked boxes will carry from page to page as you cycle through the list or you can click the Show
All button to view the entire library. When you have selected all the factors click the Add to Form
button.
Once a factor has been added to the form, the checkbox is grayed out.
To view the selected factors, open the Form window shade. From this section, selected risk factors
can be ordered and modified. The factors are initially listed in alphabetical order, by category (i.e.,
Aircraft Considerations, Airport Considerations, etc.).
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To move a Category up or down in the list, use the arrow button on the left side of the window.
To move a risk factor within a Category, use the arrow keys on the right side of the window.
NOTES:
 The order selected in the Form section is the order in which the factors appear on the final
template.
 To modify the pre-set values or evaluation criteria for ARINC Direct risk factors, click the
risk factor Name to open the Risk Factors window and follow steps 5 through 7 in Section
10.4.2—Adding or Modifying Risk Factors, below.
 Default library names cannot be changed.
10.4.2 Adding or Modifying Risk Factors

To add a company specific factor or one that is not included in the ARINC Direct library, click the
Create New Risk Factor button to open the Risk Factor page and follow the steps below.
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1. Type the name of the factor you wish to create using the Risk Factor field.
2. Select the associated Category from the drop down menu.
3. Select the Type of Field from the drop down menu. “Free Form” is a text field that does
not have any units of measure associated with it. It is typically used for subjective risk
factors like human factors/personnel-related issues.
4. Select the Units of measure if the field type is Number.
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5. Once the factor attributes are set, you can establish the evaluation criteria and risk factor value.
Select the Operator from the drop down menu.
Enter the evaluation criteria and the risk value (Score) then click the Add Criteria button. The
evaluation criteria are displayed at the bottom of the page.
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6. If a risk factor has multiple evaluation criteria, repeat Step 6 – 8 for each value.
7. Click the Add Another Risk Factor button to continue adding company specific items. When
you finish adding factors, click the Done button to exit the window.
Any new, Company specific factors that are added to the Risk Factor Library appear as a link and are
editable within the library by clicking the link.
Company Administrators can also add, delete, or modify company specific risk factors using the
Manage Risk Factors button.
Click this button to open the company specific library.
Click the factor name to open the Risk Factor page to edit the company risk factor. Check the box
and click the Delete button to remove a risk factor from the company library.
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NOTE: Any changes made to risk factors in either the ARINC or company library will not be
reflected in previously created risk factor templates.
10.4.3 Risk Mitigation

The Mitigations tab allows an Administrator to define thresholds for requiring individual or
cumulative risks to be mitigated. It also allows for the definition of the level of mitigation required.
Clicking the tab opens a new window that allows you to enter thresholds for a particular risk
Category or a specific Risk Factor.
The top portion of the page displays the associated risk template name and any corresponding notes.
The bottom portion allows you to define the mitigation requirements by Category or individual Risk
Factor and assign trigger thresholds. Click the Add Mitigation button to add them to the template.
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10.4.4 Template Preview

The Preview tab allows you to view a read-only copy of the created template. The top portion of the
template contains the template name (Domestic Operations), Flight Information, and any Notes
associated with the template.
The middle section shows the Risk Factors in the order selected on the Risk Factors tab.
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The bottom section of the template contains information on any entered mitigations, including the
Name (Total Risk, Crew Rest), the Category or Risk Factor (Risk Total, Crew Rest Prior to Flight), the
points threshold (>=15 pts, >=5 pts) and the mitigation requirements (Discuss with C/P and
Continue, Discuss with C/P).
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10.5 Template Assignment

The Template Assignment sub tab lets you associate templates with specific aircraft in your account
using the Risk Factor Template and Tail drop down menus and the Assign button. Once template-
tail assignments are made, the template needed for a particular flight is available for use during pre-
flight planning via the SMS Risk Factor Form sub tab.
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10.6 SMS Risk Factor Form

The SMS Risk Factor Form sub tab is used to create a form for a specific trip. If a flight plan has
been run, portions of the form will be pre-populated with information using the flight plan recall
number. In addition, certain other factors (e.g., runway lengths, airport elevation, time of flight)
will be automatically evaluated against user-defined thresholds with the corresponding risk values
entered on the form.
To create a Risk Factor Form:
1. Select the Tail and Template from the drop down menus.
2. If there is a flight plan associated with the trip you are planning, select the Recall number from
the drop down menu. We have added the city-pair to the recall number to make it easier to
select the flight plan. If the plan is filed for multiple days, select the desired date from the Filing
drop down.
3. Type a short Name to identify this particular form.
4. Click the Create Form button to generate a form that can be edited. If you simply want a hard
copy of the form that you can use for manual data entry, click the Print Blank Form button.
The Risk Factor Form is displayed. If the flight is associated with a flight plan and contains smart
risk factors certain fields are pre-populated.
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The header contains the form name created on the SMS Risk Factor Form page (Feb1:KHOU-KBWI),
the template name (Domestic Operations), and tail and flight information (departure, destination,
date and ETD) if the form is associated with a flight plan. Use the Print button to print a copy of
this form. Click the Back button to return to the SMS Risk Factor Form page. The Text Weather
button retrieves and displays the current TAFs and METARs for the departure and destination
airports
The Flight Information section contains items taken off the Filing page (if the plan is filed). If the
plan is not yet filed, you can enter a proposed departure date to populate smart risk factors. All
fields can be changed or updated as operations require. Select Departure Runway and Arrival
Runway from the drop down lists to automatically assess any runway-related risk factors that are in
the template (headwind component, crosswind component, etc.).
Click the PIC, SIC, and Other Crew fields to display drop down menus with company personnel that
can be selected and entered in the field. The PIC and SIC drop down lists contain only those
individuals designated as Pilots on their profile page.
The Risk Factors section displays the risk factors and evaluation criteria as defined by the
Administrator when the template was created.
Assessment of risk factors can be made on the form when it is created or as the planning process
continues by entering the required data or checking the appropriate boxes (for Yes-No criteria)
directly on the form. A running tabulation of points is kept for each Category and for the entire trip
(Risk Total) as data is entered.
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For each of the smart risk factors on the form:

 data used in assessing smart risk factors is shaded in blue following the word Using
 the risk factor field is pre-populated with the data
 the points associated with the risk factor and corresponding data is displayed
 the assessment check box is checked
If a smart risk factor cannot be evaluated (data is not currently available or insufficient to perform a
calculation a note is displayed and the fields are left blank. In these cases, you can still use the form
in the same manner as you do today, i.e., by assigning a risk value directly into the field on the right
side of the row, or by entering the desired value (crosswind component in this example) into the
data entry box. If you enter a value into this box, the risk factor value is assigned based on criteria
shown on the risk factor form.
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You can change the pre-populated values or point assessments for any of the smart risk factors by
entering the new value in the field or using the up and down arrows in the points box. Changing
either of these items changes the data block from blue to yellow and inhibits any further automatic
risk evaluation from occurring for this risk factor. For example, if a change in the risk value is
made, that value will not be updated when the Smart SMS evaluations are updated if a fax package
is created or a flight plan is replanned.
You can restore the default value by clicking the yellow box (Click to use). Once the default value
is restored, automatic evaluations will be enabled again so that the evaluation of the risk factor will
be automatically updated as new information becomes available.
NOTE: The runway length used in the evaluation is the entire runway length and not the runway
declared distances for takeoff and landing. NOTAMs modifying runway length are also not
included in the evaluation.
For risk factors dealing with wind and weather considerations we list the date/time of the
TAF/METAR and the values used in the automatic assessment.
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To view the entire TAF/METAR for the departure and destination city, click the Text Weather
button at the top of the page.
NOTES:
 If there is a METAR for the departure (destination) airport and the ETD (ETA) from the flight
plan is within 2 hours of the current METAR, the information from the METAR is used for
the smart SMS assessment of the risk factor.
 If the ETD (ETA) is more than 2 hours in the future (from the present time), information from
the Departure (Destination) airport TAF is used for the smart SMS assessment.
 If there is no TAF for the departure airport but there is a METAR available we will use the
METAR data to make the smart SMS assessment regardless of times.
 If there is no TAF for the destination airport and the arrival time is outside the 2 hour METAR
usage window we will not make any smart SMS evaluations that require METAR and TAF
information.
 Since a TAF is only valid within a 5 nm radius of the issuing station, we will not use any
nearby TAF’s to make a smart SMS assessment.
 If neither a flight plan recall number or ETD and ETE is entered on the Risk Assessment form
no smart SMS evaluations will be conducted at the destination airport.
 If an ETD is not provided by the user, TAF information will not be used for either the
departure or destination airport and no smart SMS evaluations will be conducted at the
destination airport.
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If no entry is made for a Risk Factor and the “reviewed” box is manually checked, a value of zero is
automatically assigned.
Values can be manually entered in the form and adjusted using the up and down arrow buttons on
the right side of the form.
The bottom of the form contains Mitigation requirements and free text fields to document actions
taken to mitigate a specific or overall risk.
If an individual Risk factor has a mitigation requirement and the threshold value is exceeded, the
factor is highlighted with a double asterisk (**).
When you are finished working on the form, click the back button to save your entries and return to
the SMS Risk Factor Form page. Entries made to the form are automatically saved when the entry is
completed and the cursor or mouse is moved away from the entry field or check box. To return to
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the form at a later time, open the SMS Risk Factor Form page and click the Continue Editing link in
the Actions column of the table.
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10.7 Completed Forms

Completed SMS forms are accessible via the Completed Forms tab. Forms are considered
“complete” 2 hours past the entered ETD. Completed forms can be viewed using the View link in
the Actions column but cannot be edited.
Use the checkbox in the left column of the table to select forms and use the Print button to generate
a hard copy of the completed form, remove them from the table (click the Delete button) or save
them as a .pdf file (Download).
When downloading a form, click the Download button and at the File Download prompt, click Open
to view the form.
Use the Save icon in the Toolbar menu to save the file.
NOTE: If your .pdf reader does not have the Save icon, you can add it by clicking
Tools=>Customize Toolbars and checking the Save option under File Toolbar.
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10.8 FlightRisk
To enhance our SMS features, we have teamed with FlightRisk® a Scottsdale, AZ based company
that consolidates and analyzes data from various publications, weather sources, and the experiences
of pilots to find and present the information that is most applicable to a pilot for a specific situation.
With the integration of FlightRisk into our SMS toolset, customers now have the ability to complete
pre-flight risk assessment using the “smart SMS’ forms and FlightRisk airfield assessment and then
share their post-flight experiences with other ARINC Direct customers using the Post Flight
feedback tool within FlightRisk.
Access to FlightRisk is gained by clicking the FlightRisk Analysis sub-tab under the SMS tab. To
access the FlightRisk home page, click the Access FlightRisk button in the top portion of the page.
To run a risk assessment for a previously computed flight plan, select the Tail Number, Flight Plan recall
number, and Type of Operation (FAR 91, FAR 91K, FAR 135, or EUOPS) from the drop down lists and
click the Submit Request button.
The report output is described in Section 10.8.3—Risk Assessment Report.
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10.8.1 FlightRisk Home Page
The page is divided into several sections. Along the top are links that take you to the various
sections within the website. When you mouse-over a particular icon a sub-menu of features is
presented.
The left side of the page displays pilot currency information. This data is configured by the
Company Administrator and can be disabled through the Administration link in the top menu. Data
is manually maintained by the individual.
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The upper right side of the page contains the Quick Start menu which allows you to quickly access
some of the commonly used features.
The bottom right portion of the page contains a message Inbox box which displays email-type
messages sent to individuals within the account by a Company Administrator. Click the message
Subject to open the message.
10.8.2 Running a Risk Assessment
To run a FlightRisk assessment, click the Run a Risk Assessment link in the Quick Start menu or
select the FlightRisk Assessment option from the Assessments icon on the toolbar.
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Complete the planning information for the flight:
1. Airfield Information: FlightRisk will analyze an unlimited number of airfields as part of the
assessment. Input the airfield 4-letter ICAO identifier (enter the airport name or city to lookup
the ICAO identifier). The date field defaults to current date (Today). You can select the
previous or following day using the drop down list or select any other day using the calendar
widget. The time of interest, in GMT, is defaulted to current time plus 30 minutes but can be
overwritten.
2. Flight Information: Select the aircraft, type of operation (part 91, 91K, etc.), and type of flight
(VFR/IFR) from the drop down boxes.
3. Pilot Information: Select the crew for the flight. Defining the crew duty start time will allow FlightRisk
to analyze crew duty time (optional).
4. Click the Run Assessment button to generate the report.

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10.8.3 Risk Assessment Report

Results are presented for each airfield requested. The airport has a tab in the results section and
there is also a PILOT INFO tab that will contain pilot information if the system is setup to analyze
pilot currencies. Detailed or summary Risk Assessment Reports can also be included in flight plan
packages (see Section 6 — Flight Plan Packages).
1. Weather Summary — The system highlights the current weather (observation or forecast) for the
airfield’s time of interest. The system will correctly interpret TEMPO time periods contained in the
forecasts. Click the icons in the top right corner to link to additional information about the airfield.
In this example, the airfield has Non-standard Alternate Minimums , Non-standard Takeoff
Minimums , and Taxi Hotspot Information .
2. NOTAM Summary — The system will aggregate notices from various sources. Each icon
indicates how many notices were found for the airfield by displaying a red circle with a number.
Click on the icon to review the different notices.
10-33
a) Notices (FAA only) — The system sorts notices by phase of flight (Ground Ops,
Takeoff and Landing, Takeoff, Departure, Arrival, Approach, Landing, Airspace, TFR,
Unclassified, and Cancelled) to make them easier to digest. The SmartSort highlights
critical words or phrases (CLSD, OTS, etc.) to draw attention to restrictions. This feature
is defaulted to on but can be disabled using the radio buttons at the top of the page. In
the right column, there are links to airfield instrument procedures (if available) which
can be referenced to aid in interpreting procedure notices.
b) Airport Facility Directory (FAA only) - Selected Notices that pertain to the airfield
or surrounding airspace.
c) Published Notices to Airman (FAA only) - Contains selected NOTAMs and special
event information that pertain to airfield.
d) Temporary Flight Restrictions (FAA only) - List of TFRs that pertain to the
geographic area or ARTCC of terminal operations.
3. Who’s Been There? — This information indicates which pilots in your company have been to
the airfield and who may be able to answer any questions they have regarding operations at the
field.
10-34
4. Performance — This section provides a quick summary of wind components for the various
runways at the airport.
5. Pilot Risk Ratings — This section aggregates information that has been collected from other
pilots who have entered post-flight feedback about an airport. It is broken out by phase so you
can look at specific areas (e.g., Taxi Out/Taxi In Procedures, Approach Procedures, etc.).
Mousing over a specific area displays the total number of ratings received. If there are pilot
comments entered by any ARINC Direct customer they are included to the right of the graph.
Use the View and Enter Ratings link to open a new page that allows you to “drill-down” to focus
on a particular set of ratings or enter your own rating/comments.
10-35
10-36
6. FlightRisk Advisories — This section will indicate any notes or operational limitations that may
impact the flight. The system analysis may include regulatory restrictions, aircraft operating
restrictions, and company operating restrictions. The system may also suggest mitigation
information to help minimize the risk of exceeding a restriction. A stop sign represents an
operational restriction that will be exceeded during the flight. A caution indicates a restriction
that may be exceeded unless mitigation procedures are put into effect. A note represents
additional information that is pertinent to the flight.
10.8.4 Post Flight Assessment

One of the key features in FlightRisk is the ability for pilots to share their operational experience at
various airports with other ARINC Direct customers and for everyone to take advantage of other’s
experiences when planning a flight into a new destination. All inputs are anonymous and the
greater the participation the greater the benefit to the ARINC Direct community.
To complete a post flight risk assessment:
1. Select the Risk Ratings and Pilot Feedback link under the AIRFIELDS icon.
2. Enter the 4-letter identifier for the airport you want to assess and click the arrow.
10-37
3. The assessment page is displayed with any existing information populated. Use the risk rating portion of
the page to add information. Rate each phase using the radio buttons and drop down lists.
4. When you have finished, click the Add Rating button.
10.8.5 Administration
Company administrators can manage various features within their FlightRisk account by clicking
the SETUP icon on the toolbar.
It also provides a means to send messages to all company personnel that have access to FlightRisk
on a group or individual basis.
10-38
10-39
Contents
Section 4: Equal Time Points (ETPs), Extended Operations (ETOPS), and Reclear
11.1 Document tab access ......................................................................................................11-2
11.2 Document Folders ..........................................................................................................11-3
11.3 Adding, Deleting, and Viewing Files ............................................................................11-6
11.4 Documents on the iPad ..................................................................................................11-11
11-1
The Documents tab on the ARINC Direct website allows company personnel to upload a variety of
documents and document types and organize them in folders. The uploaded documents can then be
accessed via the website or the iPad. Documents can also be copied from one location to another
once they are uploaded. Folders for Aircraft, Users, and Legs are automatically created so that you
can easily catalog documents.
11.1 Document tab access

Permission for access to the Documents tab is enabled by default for everyone in a company that
has an ARINC Direct login.
CAUTION: Any individual with access to this tab can upload, copy, and delete any document
in any folder in the company account.
Company Administrators can disable this feature for individuals using the following steps:
1. Select the Users sub-tab under the My Company tab
2. Click the Name of the individual you want to disable/enable

3. Scroll to the bottom of the User Privileges column and uncheck/check the Allow Documents box
to remove the Documents tab from view.
NOTE: Even with the tab disabled, individuals will be able to view on the iPad any documents
added to the account.
4. Click the Update User button to complete the action.
11-2
11.2 Document Folders
The Documents page is divided into 2 sections. The left side of the page provides predefined
folders for document organization. The right side of the page is for uploading files and viewing
folder content.
The upper portion of the left side contains 3 special folders:
 Favorites – provides quick access for often used documents and allows you to copy them to
new locations easily.
 Holding Area – for documents that you upload, but that do not have a final location defined
(e.g., documents for a future trip). These documents are stored on the ARINC Direct
servers, but are not uploaded to an iPad. When you are ready to use the document, you can
copy these files to their final location. In addition, documents in folders that are removed
from the system (e.g., an aircraft is sold, a user account that is removed, etc.) are
automatically moved to the Holding Area once the folder is removed. These documents can
then be retrieved, if necessary, or permanently deleted.
 Company – for documents that have company-wide applicability (e.g., Company Emergency
Response Plan)
NOTE: The number in parentheses () after a folder or sub-folder indicates the number of
documents currently in that folder.
The lower portion of the page contains 4 window-shade sections: Legs, Tails, Users, and Past Legs.
Each section can be opened individually or all 4 opened simultaneously. Each section contains a set
of sub-folders for document management.
11-3
 Legs – provides for storage of documents associated with a specific flight plan. A Legs sub-
folder is automatically created whenever a flight plan is computed and assigned a recall
number. Folders are named using the departure date and time and city-pair. The sub-
folders remain in the Legs sections for 12 hours past ETD, after which they are auto-
archived to the Past Legs section.
 Tails – provides a list of folders named for each aircraft in your account. A new folder is
automatically created when a new aircraft is added to your account. These folders can be
used to store tail-specific documents (e.g., AFM).
 Users – provides a list of folders named for each individual, using their login ID that has an
ARINC Direct login. A new folder is automatically created when a new individual is added
to your account.
NOTE: All individual folders are visible on the website to anyone with permissions for the
Documents tab.
 Past Legs –provides for storage of documents associated with legs in the past (i.e., EDT
more than 12 hour in the past). Folders and documents in the Past Legs folder are stored for
30 days.
11-4
11-5
11.3 Adding, Deleting, and Viewing Files
The left side of the page is used to upload, delete, and open stored folders and files for viewing. It
also lists the selected folder (ADG1), folder contents, and provides a search function.
To create a new folder in your ARINCDirect website account, select the green “folder” icon:
Enter a New Folder Name and tap the Save button.
NOTE: Depending on your individual permissions, others in your company may be able to see the
name and contents of folders you create.
The new folder is displayed in the right hand window of the page with the number of files
underneath in parentheses. Click the pencil icon to edit the folder name or the trashcan icon to
delete the folder.
NOTE: The ability to create and edit folders is only available through the ARINCDirect website,
not within the iPad app. The app, however, will reflect the folder organization on the website,
effective with the 4.1 software release. Folders currently created on the website will not display in
the release 4.0 of the app, but the documents contained within these folders will be uploaded and
viewable.
To add files to your account:

1. Select the folder or sub-folder where you want to store the file
2. Click the “file upload” icon.
11-6
3. Locate and select the file you want to upload and click the Open button
4. The selected file is uploaded and displayed on the page
NOTE: The following file formats (extensions) can be uploaded to your ARINC Direct account:
 PDF
 GIF
 BMP
 TIF, TIFF
 JPEG, JPG
 PNG
11-7
5. You can also “drag and drop” a file from your computer when using Internet Explorer
Version10 (IE10) or later and most other browsers.
To use the drag and drop method do not click the plus sign. Locate the file on your computer
and drag the icon directly onto the page or into the applicable folder.
All files are converted to PDF format when uploaded, allowing use of the file annotation
capabilities on the iPad. If you try to upload a file with an invalid extension, the systems displays
an error message.
11-8
To open a file, open the selected folder or sub-folder to display the list of file and click the PDF
icon. To delete a file, open the selected folder or sub-folder to display the list of file and click the
trashcan icon. To edit a file name, click the pencil icon.
To add (or remove) a file to the Favorites folder, click the star icon.
Uploaded files can be viewed in List or Thumbnail format by clicking the icons to the right of the
plus sign.
Files can be copied from one folder to another by selecting the folder where the file is stored and
then dragging the file to the new folder. The system does not remove files; a copied file is also
11-9
retained in the original location. If a file with the same name exists in the new location, you will be
prompted to overwrite the existing file or cancel the operation.
To find a stored document or folder enter all or part of the document or folder name in the Search
field. An easy to read list that shows matching files and folders is displayed which shows matching
files (and their associated folder) and folders.
11-10
11.4 Documents on the iPad

In the documents sections, any flight plan packages that have been created will already be assigned
as a leg specific document. In addition, there is a “scratchpad” that allows for free annotation with
no document beneath it. These annotations are shared across all users and are also backed up on the
ARINC Direct servers.
11-11
ARINC Direct October 2013
Contents
11.1 Document tab access ......................................................................................................11-2
11.2 Document Folders ..........................................................................................................11-3
11.3 Adding, Deleting, and Viewing Files ............................................................................11-6
11.4 Documents on the iPad ..................................................................................................11-10
11-1
The Documents tab on the ARINC Direct website allows company personnel to upload a variety of
documents and document types and organize them in folders. The uploaded documents can then be
accessed via the website or the iPad. Documents can also be copied from one location to another
once they are uploaded. Folders for Aircraft, Users, and Legs are automatically created so that you
can easily catalog documents.
11.1 Document tab access

Permission for access to the Documents tab is enabled by default for everyone in a company that
has an ARINC Direct login.
CAUTION: Any individual with access to this tab can upload, copy, and delete any document
in any folder in the company account.
Company Administrators can disable this feature for individuals using the following steps:

3. Scroll to the bottom of the User Privileges column and uncheck/check the Allow Documents box
to remove the Documents tab from view.
NOTE: Even with the tab disabled, individuals will be able to view on the iPad any documents
added to the account.
11-2
11.2 Document Folders
The iPad documents page is divided into 2 sections. The left side of the page provides predefined
folders for document organization. The right side of the page is for uploading files and viewing
folder content.
The upper portion of the left side contains 3 special folders:
 Favorites – provides quick access for often used documents and allows you to copy them to
new locations easily.
 Holding Area – for documents that you upload, but that do not have a final location defined
(e.g., documents for a future trip). These documents are stored on the ARINC Direct
servers, but are not uploaded to an iPad. When you are ready to use the document, you can
copy these files to their final location. In addition, documents in folders that are removed
from the system (e.g., an aircraft is sold, a user account that is removed, etc.) are
automatically moved to the Holding Area once the folder is removed. These documents can
then be retrieved, if necessary, or permanently deleted.
 Company – for documents that have company-wide applicability (e.g., Company Emergency
Response Plan)
NOTE: The number in parentheses () after a folder or sub-folder indicates the number of
documents currently in that folder.
The lower portion of the page contains 4 window-shade sections: Legs, Tails, Users, and Past Legs.
Each section can be opened individually or all 4 opened simultaneously. Each section contains a set
of sub-folders for document management.
11-3
 Legs – provides for storage of documents associated with a specific flight plan. A Legs sub-
folder is automatically created whenever a flight plan is computed and assigned a recall
number. Folders are named using the departure date and time and city-pair. The sub-
folders remain in the Legs sections for 12 hours past ETD, after which they are auto-
archived to the Past Legs section.
 Tails – provides a list of folders named for each aircraft in your account. A new folder is
automatically created when a new aircraft is added to your account. These folders can be
used to store tail-specific documents (e.g., AFM).
 Users – provides a list of folders named for each individual, using their login ID that has an
ARINC Direct login. A new folder is automatically created when a new individual is added
to your account.
NOTE: All user folders are visible on the website to any individual with permissions for the
Documents tab.
 Past Legs –provides for storage of documents associated with legs in the past (i.e., EDT
more than 12 hour in the past). Folders and documents in the Past Legs folder are stored for
30 days.
11-4
11-5
11.3 Adding, Deleting, and Viewing Files
The left side of the page is used to upload, delete and open stored files for viewing. It also lists the
selected folder (ADG1), folder contents, and provides a search function.
To add files to your account:

1. Select the folder or sub-folder where you want to store the file
2. Click the green plus sign to access your computer
3. Locate and select the file you want to upload and click the Open button
4. The selected file is uploaded and displayed on the page
11-6
NOTE: The following file formats (extensions) can be uploaded to your ARINC Direct account:
 PDF
 GIF
 BMP
 TIF, TIFF
 JPEG, JPG
 PNG
5. You can also “drag and drop” a file from your computer when using Internet Explorer
Version10 (IE10) or later and most other browsers.
To use the drag and drop method do not click the plus sign. Locate the file on your computer
and drag the icon directly onto the page or into the applicable folder.
All files are converted to PDF format when uploaded, allowing use of the file annotation
capabilities on the iPad. If you try to upload a file with an invalid extension, the systems displays
an error message.
11-7
To open a file, open the selected folder or sub-folder to display the list of file and click the PDF
icon.
To delete a file, open the selected folder or sub-folder to display the list of file and click the
trashcan icon.
To add (or remove) a file to the Favorites folder, click the star icon.
Uploaded files can be viewed in List or Thumbnail format by clicking the icons to the right of the
plus sign.
11-8
Files can be copied from one folder to another by selecting the folder where the file is stored and
then dragging the file to the new folder. The system does not remove files; a copied file is also
retained in the original location. If a file with the same name exists in the new location, you will be
prompted to overwrite the existing file or cancel the operation.
To find a stored document or folder enter all or part of the document or folder name in the Search
field. An easy to read list that shows matching files and folders is displayed which shows matching
files (and their associated folder) and folders.
11-9
11.4 Documents on the iPad

In the documents sections, any flight plan packages that have been created will already be assigned
as a leg specific document. In addition, there is a “scratchpad” that allows for free annotation with
no document beneath it. These annotations are shared across all users and are also backed up on the
ARINC Direct servers.
11-10
Contents
Section 12: Self-sufficient Customers
12.1 Flight Planning ...............................................................................................................12-2
12.2 General Messaging .........................................................................................................12-3

12.2.1 AFTN Mailbox Permissions ............................................................................................12-3
12.2.2 Viewing AFTN Messages ................................................................................................12-3
12.2.3 Sending Messages ............................................................................................................12-6
12.3 Flight Plan Actions .........................................................................................................12-7
12.4 Filing Status ....................................................................................................................12-11
12-1
Some ARINC Direct customers based outside the U.S. want the ability to file flight plans straight to
the relevant Air Traffic Control Service Provider (ASP) without any interaction from ARINC
Direct.
While there are several operational advantages to being self-sufficient (e.g., ability to retain full
control over your flight plans and flight plan amendments, ability to file up to five days in advance
with Eurocontrol, and the ability to view acknowledgment and change messages from Eurocontrol
in real time); a self-sufficient customer is also responsible for running and validating all their flight
plans, monitoring all communications between its operations department and the ASP, and for
correcting any filing issues that may result in a rejected flight plan.
NOTE: Self-sufficiency is not recommended for small flight departments or flight departments that
do not have 24x7-dispatch coverage.
12.1 Flight Planning

The procedures for computing and filing a flight plan for your aircraft are no different than for any
other ARINC Direct customer. Detailed instructions on ARINC Direct’s flight planning features
can be found in Section 3—Flight Planning of the ARINC Direct Reference Manual.
Regardless of when the filing button is pressed, the actual flight plan filing information is sent to the
ASP no sooner than the times listed below:
 3 hours before departure for flights departing the U.S. and Caribbean
 12 hours before departure for flights departing from Canada or flying on the North Atlantic
Tracks
 Five days before departure for flights departing within the Eurocontrol
 23 hours before departure for all other flight plans
Flight plans filed by self-sufficient customer are not monitored by the ARINC Direct Flight
Operations Center and all reject and acknowledgement messages are sent to an AFTN mailbox in the
customer account.
NOTE: The only exception to this rule is for flights departing a U.S. airport and filed with a U.S.
Air Traffic Control Center (this also includes any internal U.S. flights). These flight plans are
monitored by the Operations Center.
12-2
12.2 General Messaging
12.2.1 AFTN Mailbox Permissions
AFTN messages are accessed by clicking the AFTN Mailbox tab. A number indicating how many
unread messages are in the mailbox is also displayed on the tab.
Permission to access the AFTN Mailbox is controlled by the Company Account Administrator who
can enable or disable the feature for any individuals listed in the company account using the
following steps:

3. Scroll to the bottom of the User Privileges column and uncheck/check the Allow AFTN Messages
box to remove the AFTN Mailbox tab from view.
12.2.2 Viewing AFTN Messages
When you open the AFTN Mailbox you see a page similar to the one displayed when you click the
Message Center sub-tab (see Section 8 —Weather and Messaging in the ARINC Direct Reference
Manual for details on the Message Center sub-tab and general messaging). Simply put, the AFTN
Mailbox is the Message Center filtered for AFTN messages. When opened, a table of all incoming
and outgoing AFTN messages is displayed, through which you can search, read, and reply to the
messages within your account.
12-3
The page is divided into 3 sections. The top portion provides a calendar which allows you to select
a date or range of dates for which to view messages. The current date is highlighted in yellow.
Dates available for selection are displayed in bold and represent a running 90-day archive of
messages. Self-sufficient customers are assigned a unique AFTN address which is listed under the
calendar on the AFTN message page.
AFTN address
Use the mouse to select (or deselect) a specific date or to select a range of days, click and highlight
the start or end date then click another date on either side of the previously selected date. All dates
within range are highlighted.
To clear the range, click any highlighted date or click a date outside the range to deselect the range
and select that specific date.
Messages for the date(s) selected are displayed in a table in the area below the calendar. The total
number of messages retrieved, the date range, and the aircraft is listed at the top of the table. The
default table size is 25 but you can change the table size by selecting the desired number of
messages to show from the Show 25, 50, 100, 250 results at a time box. You can page through the
table using the ◄► buttons.
The table provides basic information about the message in each row (i.e., date message was
received, time message was received, originator, recipient, message type, and status). Click
anywhere in the row to open (or close) the message and view its content. Messages that have not
been read are displayed in bold type.
12-4
To quickly view all messages associated with a specific flight plan, use the following steps.
1. From the Filing Status page, locate the flight plan of interest
2. Click the status link of the flight plan to view the AFTN messages
3. All messages associated with the selected plan are displayed in a new pop-up window in
chronological order
12-5
CAUTION: ARINC Direct relies on a flight plan identification (FPLID) embedded within AFTN
messages received from Eurocontrol to match messages to a particular flight plan. For those
instances where Eurocontrol does not provide or reference the FPLID in a message, we will not be
able to map it to a particular flight plan. On these occasions, the received messages will be
displayed only in the Message Center. Customers should always check the Message Center in
addition to the Filing Status page for Eurocontrol messages.
12.2.3 Sending Messages
To reply to an AFTN message you can click on the sender’s address in the From: field or the Reply
to Sender link to open the Compose Message page with the AFTN address pre-populated.
Additional addresses can be added, as appropriate. You can also click the Compose link at the top
of the message table to open the page without the pre-populated addresses.
NOTE: From the AFTN Mailbox, messages can only be sent to an AFTN address. To send a
message to an aircraft, email address, or IATA address you must use the Messaging tab.
12-6
12.3 Flight Plan Actions
12.3.1 Replanning a Route
If you receive an amendment message from Eurocontrol or any other filing authority, it is
recommended that you replan the flight. This helps ensure the flight plan on file and the flight plan
that is contained in the fax package and recalled to the aircraft match. To replan a flight plan route
from the Filing Status page:
1. Select the desired flight plan and click the Replan Flight Plan action button or,
2. Open the AFTN message via the link and click the Replan button at the top of the pop-up
window
12-7
3. The Create FPL page is opened and pre-populated with previously entered values
4. Make the desired changes to the current route using the Custom Route box and click the Replan
button to recompute the flight plan.
For details on how to enter route information in the Custom Route box see Section 3—Computing a
Flight Plan and Section 5—Flight Plan Filing and Filing Status in the ARINC Direct Reference
Manual.
12.3.2 Delaying a Departure Time
To delay the departure time of a flight plan that has been previously filed:
1. Select the plan from the Filing Status page and click the Delay ICAO Filing action
2. Enter the updated time in the New Departure Time field and click the Delay button
3. A delay message with the new departure time is sent to the appropriate ASP.
NOTE: A flight plan departure time must be delayed at least 15 minutes past the originally filed
ETD.
12.3.3 Advancing a Departure Time
To change the ETD to an earlier time on a previously filed flight plan, the original plan must first be
cancelled and then refiled with the new (earlier) departure time. From the Filing Status page:
12-8
1. Select the flight plan you want to change and click the Cancel Filing button at the top of the
page.
2. The status is changed first to Cancel Requested; then to Cancelled with CFMU (for Eurocontrol
flight plans) or Cancelled (for all other ASP flight plans).
Once the flight plan has been cancelled, it can be refiled with the earlier departure time using the
following procedures.
1. Re-select the desired plan from the Filing Status page by checking the box next to the recall
number.
2. Select Replan Flight Plan from the flight plan actions box.
12-9
3. The Create FPL page is displayed with the original entries pre-populated in the fields. Change
the ETD to the desired time and click the Replan FPL button to generate a new flight plan. You
can retain the original recall number or generate a new number by unchecking the Retain Recall
Number box under the Replan FPL button.
4. When the updated flight plan is displayed, click the File button and follow regular filing process.
12-10
12.4 Filing Status

The Filing Status page provides more detailed status information for self-sufficient customers than
for non-self-sufficient customers so that operations personnel can better manage their flight plans.
Below is a list of possible status messages.
For flight plans filed with Eurocontrol:

 CFMU Accepted
 CFMU Amended
 CFMU Intervention (MAN)
 CFMU Rejected
 CFMU Suspension
 Cancelled with CFMU
For flight plans filed with ASP other than Eurocontrol:

 Delay Accepted
 Delay Requested
 Delay Rejected
 Cancelled
 Cancel Requested
 Cancellation Rejected
Other messages independent of ASP:

 Pending (for a flight plan filed more than 5 days in advance)
 Sent from “IATA address” (before filing confirmation is received or if ASP does not provide
filing confirmation acknowledgement)
NOTE: Most ASP’s do not provide an acknowledgement message that the flight plan has been
received and is on file or has been rejected.
12-11
Contents
13.1 Background ....................................................................................................................13-2
13.2 Flight Planning ...............................................................................................................13-4

13.2.1 Pre-Flight Planning ..........................................................................................................13-4
13.2.2 Map Features ....................................................................................................................13-5
13.2.3 Flight Plan ........................................................................................................................13-8
13.3 Alert Monitoring ............................................................................................................13-8
13.4 Alert Configurations ......................................................................................................13-11
13-1
13.1 Background
Building on the enhanced weather products supplied by our weather service provider (Schneider
Electric), we have developed weather/hazard alerting technology.
During flight planning, we send all airports in your flight plan (including alternates and ETPs) and
all computed routes from the Routes table on the Create FPL page to Schneider Electric for
evaluation. Schneider’s automation looks at the average forecast conditions between waypoints
based on the ETD and computed route. Similarly, evaluations are made for the average altitudes
between waypoints.
The system returns alerts for the following airport conditions:

 Critical Alerts
o Lightning
o Tornado Warning
 Warnings
o LIFR Conditions (based on TAF and METAR)
o Hail
o Fog
o Winds ≥ 20 kts
o Visibility ≤ 3 miles (Forecast or Observed)
o Ceiling ≤ 1000 ft (Forecast or Observed)
In addition, the following criteria are monitored and used for en route alerts:
 Critical Alerts
o Thunderstorms
o Severe Icing
o Severe EDR Turbulence
 Warnings
o SIGMET/Convective SIGMET
o Volcanic Advisory
o Moderate Icing
o Moderate EDR Turbulence
The accuracy and usefulness of the alerts varies depending on the route of flight and how far in the
future the flight is planned. Flight plans computed for more than 36 hours in advance or with zero
or historical winds do not return any alerts.
For filed flight plans, route evaluation begins 3 hours prior to the ETD and continues until planned
ETA, based on the following general rules/criteria:
1. Flights are evaluated for alerts based on current and forecast conditions. The flight route and
time at each waypoint is reviewed approximately every 5 minutes and updates are currently
displayed on the Monitoring page under the Alerts tab.
2. Route alerts are updated anytime the flight plan is recomputed or a computed plan is viewed.
3. The flight plan is also updated when the aircraft sends an OFF report to provide a more accurate
start time.
13-2
4. Alerts are based on the midpoint of each flight segment (set of 2 waypoints). The weather
forecast is then applied to the hour before and after the midpoint time.
5. A buffer of 10 nautical miles to either side and 2000 ft above and below the route is used to
monitor for any weather hazards.
6. Flights are ALWAYS monitored based on the computed ETD and not the filing, since the flight
plan contains the route and time over each point. It is important to keep your flight plan up to
date with your current ETD to get accurate alerts.
NOTES:
 Alert parameters are pre-defined and initially defaulted for all customers. Future releases
will allow customization of alert thresholds.
 EDR Turbulence and icing alerts are based on aircraft type. Specific aircraft values can be
found under the Weather Information section on the Reference tab [Aircraft Types and Icing
Categories and Aircraft Turbulence Thresholds].
 Alert details are only accessible from the Alerts tab on the ARINCDirect website at this
time. Future releases will allow you to have alert notifications and updates automatically
forwarded to you.
 Alert evaluations can be disabled for individual aircraft by Company Administrators using
the Enable Hazard Alerts Evaluate in the Flight Planning Information section on the Aircraft
Profile page.
13-3
13.2 Flight Planning
13.2.1 Pre-Flight Planning
During flight planning, you are provided with an indicator if any alerts are forecast along any of the
routes displayed in the Route table. A red triangle indicates at least 1 critical alert; an orange
triangle indicates at least 1 warning. The total number of alerts (critical alerts and warnings) for the
route is provided in parentheses next to the alert icon.
Details on the alert (severity, type, time period, location along the selected route) are available by
clicking the alert icon.
If there are no alerts or warnings forecast along a route, a green check will appear in the Alerts
column.
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13.2.2 Map Features
The route plot on the map thumbnail displays the selected route with the appropriate flight segment
highlighted based on the alerts (red or orange segments).
To view the areas of concern click the thumbnail to expand the map display and position the mouse
over the alerted segment to get more details;
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or click the route segment (or airport) to open the Hazard Alert dialog box.
NOTE: When you click the route segment, the appropriate alert layer (e.g., EDR Turbulence) for
the forecast period for when your flight is expected to be on that route segment, is automatically
displayed.
You can update the map display to show conditions at various altitudes (from 5000 ft to FL530) and
forecast period (current forecast to +18 hours for North America and +36 hours globally) using the
slider bars within the Forecast Conditions section in the Layers Dialog box.
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Hazard alerts on the map display can be disabled by unchecking the Display Hazard Alerts box on
the Routes tab.
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13.2.3 Flight Plan
When the flight plan is computed, the number of alerts for that route is noted at the top of the plan.
From the website, you can click on the alert icon and display the alert descriptions. The alert
descriptions are not available if the plan is printed or in a flight plan package. Each time you open
the flight plan, the route is evaluated for alerts.
13.3 Alert Monitoring

The status of any alerts issued for a flight plan with an assigned recall number is displayed on the
Monitoring page under the Alerts tab in your ARINCDirect account. Monitoring starts 3 hours prior
to planned ETD and routes are evaluated against the current forecasts every 5 minutes.
Data can be searched/filtered by flight plan recall number, departure, destination, or tail number by
entering the desired criteria in the search field.
The Alert Status table displays the flight plan recall number (Recall), tail number (Tail), departure
airport (Dep), destination airport (Dest), planned departure date and time (Date Time (Z)), alert status
(Status), and monitoring status (Monitoring). You can sort individual columns by clicking the
column heading (e.g., Tail).
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The Status column displays highest level of alert forecast for the flight plan. If a flight is not yet
active, the monitoring start date and time is shown. You can view the current status of alerts for any
flight scheduled to depart in the next 36 hours.
NOTES:
 The Monitoring page does not automatically update but needs to be manually refreshed.
 Flight plans not computed in your ARINCDirect account (i.e., third-party flight plans [flight
plans from other vendors] or Quick File flight plans) are not monitored and will show Not
Monitored. For ARINCDirect Flight Following customers, third-party flight plans ARE
monitored.
To view details and access other flight planning features on the website for any monitored flight
plan, click the down arrow next to the recall number. To open the route map and access the
mapping features described above, click the map thumbnail.
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Use the Update Filing or Cancel Filing buttons to change the filed time or cancel the flight plan.
A timestamp indicates the most recent update for the alerts displayed. If a flight plan is cancelled,
alert monitoring is suspended. To check the planned route for updates, click the Refresh Status
button.
The flight plan and its associated alerts are displayed by phase of flight (Climb, Cruise, Descent).
The first 3 alerts for a specific segment are displayed. Use the slide bar or the Show All arrow to
view additional alerts.
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13.4 Alert Configurations

You can customize several alert thresholds on a per aircraft basis using the Configurations feature
under the Alerts tab.
NOTE:
 The accuracy and usefulness of the weather alerts varies depending on the route of flight and
how far in the future the flight is planned. Flight plans computed for more than 36 hours in
advance or with zero or historical winds do not return any alerts.
 You can only add an alert configuration for data. All aircraft are configured for
hazard/weather monitoring by default.
To customize the hazard/weather alert parameters for an aircraft select the “down arrow” to the left
of the tail number to open the aircraft window shade.
The Weather Alert Configuration page contains two sections — Settings and Triggers. The Settings
tab allows you to set alert boundaries. The Triggers tab allows you to set the specific alert
parameters.
To enable/disable the display of alerts on the Create FPL page, check/uncheck the Evaluate Routes
during Flight Planning box. If the box is unchecked, flight plans will still be evaluated for
hazards/weather but results will only be displayed on the Monitoring tab. Use the slide bars to set
the alert boundaries for the airport and enroute portion of the flight plan.
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Click the Cancel link to cancel changes and close the window, the Save link to save changes, or the
Restore To Defaults link to restore the system defaults.
The Alert Triggers tab allows you to configure the Warning and Critical alerting parameters, on a per
tail basis, for the airport and enroute portions of your flight plan.
The Hazard conditions that are monitored are listed in the left column of the Triggers table.
Warning and Critical values are set using the drop down menus.
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ARINCDirect system default values are noted in the table and if selected, will be automatically
changed if they are updated in our database.
There are a limited number of parameters that can be passed to Schneider Electric for evaluation. If
this number is exceeded, a warning message is displayed at the top of the Configurations page
indicating the number of items that need to be disabled.
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REFERENCE MANUAL

Section 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2

1.2 Organization ..................................................................................................................... 2

1.4 General Website Features ............................................................................................... 3

Section 2: Login, Main Page, Account Details, and Preferences

Section 3: Computing a Flight Plan

Section 4: Equal Time Points (ETPs) and Extended Operations (ETOPS)

Section 5: Flight Plan Filing and Filing Status

Section 6: Flight Plan Packages

Section 7: Runway Analysis and Weight and Balance/Performance

Section 8: Weather and Messaging

Section 9: Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS)

Section 10: Safety Management System (SMS)

Section 11: Document Management

Section 12: Self Sufficient Customers

Section 13: Hazard Alerting

 Create accounts for new customers

1.4 General Website Features

Main page tabs

Action buttons Information buttons

4. A disabled text entry field is gray

Section: 2 Login, Main Page, Account Details, and Preferences

2.1 Customer Accounts ........................................................................................................2-3

2.2 ARINC Direct Main Page .............................................................................................2-5

2.3 My Company Tab ..........................................................................................................2-6

2.4 Auto Forward Codes......................................................................................................2-26

2.5 Flight ID Assignments ...................................................................................................2-30

2.6 Sharing Aircraft Information .......................................................................................2-32

2.7 Company Preferences ....................................................................................................2-34

2.8 Individual Preferences ...................................................................................................2-35

2.9 Bookmarks ......................................................................................................................2-41

2.10 Training ..........................................................................................................................2-43

Section 3: Computing a Flight Plan

Section 4: Equal Time Points (ETPs) and Extended Operations (ETOPS)

Section 5: Flight Plan Filing and Filing Status

Section 6: Flight Plan Packages

Section 7: Runway Analysis and Weight and Balance/Performance

Section 8: Weather and Messaging

Section 9: Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS)

Section 10: Safety Management System (SMS)

Section 11: Document Management

Section 12: Self Sufficient Customers

Section 13: Hazard Alerting

2.1 Customer Accounts

2.1.1 Creating a “Tail”

2.1.2 Account Login

1. Access the ARINC Direct Home Page (URL – https://direct.arinc.net/).

3. Click the Login button

2.2 ARINC Direct Main Page

2.3 My Company Tab

2.3.1 Company Accounts

2.3.1.1 Adding an Account

1. Login as Company Administrator

7. Click the Save New User button

2.3.1.2 Password Management

To change an individual’s password:

2. Check the Change Password box

6. Click the Update button at the bottom of the page

2.3.1.3 Deactivating Users

1. From the Users page, select the name(s) to be deactivated.

3. A confirmation window is displayed.

2.3.2.1 Adding an Aircraft

To add an APIS-only aircraft to your account:

2.3.2.2 Tail Information