Sporty s Flight Planner User Guide

Transcription

1 Sporty s Flight Planner User Guide J2ME Version, Updated April 20, 2004 For customers of Cingular, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless Page 1

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents... 2 Overview... 3 Usage Requirements... 4 Feature Overview... 5 Main Menu... 7 Preferences... 9 Flight Plan Weather Reports Navigating Reports Lookup Identifier Manage Files About Parameters Appendix A References Page 2

3 Overview An overview of Sporty s Flight Planner is provided in this section. Introduction The Sporty s Flight Planner client application addresses specific needs of the General and Commercial Aviation community. In an era when heightened communication is critical to Flight Safety, National Security and mitigation of pilot liability, Sporty s Flight Planner helps keep our sky s safe by keeping Pilots in the know with ubiquitous access to Flight Planning and Weather Briefing Services. Sporty s Flight Planner provide Pilots, Student Pilots and other qualified users access to the Federal Aviation Administration s (FAA) Weather and Flight Planning data network via CSC DUATS. Users have the ability to view current and forecasted Aviation Weather for a specific area or along a planned route of flight. These reports include METARs (Hourly Meteorological Surface Observations), TAFs (View Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts), PIREPs (Pilot Reports), FDs (Winds Aloft Resorts) and TFRs (Temporary Flight Restrictions). Additionally, Pilots can also File, Cancel and Close their FAA Flight Plans. The Sporty s Flight Planner client operates on a myriad of wireless phones that are currently available. Sporty s Flight Planner manages flight planning and weather data by communicating directly with the CSC DUATS server. In a recent article from Flying Magazine, the estimated cost for a pilot briefing is $25.00 with a live FSS Flight Briefer as opposed to $0.50 using DUATS. We believe this estimate to be further indication that the FAA and aviation community will continue to support the growth of automated pilot services. The J2ME Version of Sporty s Flight Planner client runs in the J2ME environment on Cingular, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless Document Organization After this overview, the requirements for using Sporty s Flight Planner are discussed. This is followed by a feature overview of the capabilities of Sporty s Flight Planner. Then, a task flow is presented based on the desired operation, in which screens and input values are described. The remaining section presents a detailed parameter description. Support Support information about using Sporty s Flight Planner can be obtained from calling SPORTYS Refer to the Quick Start Guide to begin using Sporty s Flight Planner immediately. Page 3

4 Usage Requirements The usage requirements of the application are described in this section. The following elements are required to use Sporty s Flight Planner: J2ME enabled phone Appropriate Data service plan Sporty s Flight Planner application CSC DUATS account More information about each requirement follows. BREW Enabled Phone A BREW enabled phone is required to run Sporty s Flight Planner. For a listing of compatible phones, visit Appropriate Data Service Plan Each wireless carrier offers a branded data service. For the J2ME Version of Sporty s Flight Planner, the Data Service Plans are: Cingular s Data Connect Plan T-Mobile s T-Zones Plan Sprint PCS SprintVision Plan AT&T Wireless mmode Plan Sporty s Flight Planner Application The Sporty s Flight Planner application can be ordered at Once ordered, a message will be sent to your phone, giving you the ability to wirelessly download the application on your phone. CSC DUATS Account A CSC DUATS account is required to obtain flight planning and weather information. To obtain a CSC DUATS account, go to or call CSC DUATS Customer Support at for access information. Page 4

5 Feature Overview A feature overview of Sporty s Flight Planner is presented in this section. An overview diagram of the screen hierarchy and a brief description of usage scenarios are included. Screen Hierarchy The following diagram presents the Sporty s Flight Planner screen hierarchy. Boxes labeled with text at the bottom right indicate a specific type of screen, including: Menu The screen contains menu options for selection. List The screen displays a list of options to choose. The screen contains fields to enter data. Flight Plan Menu Weather Reports Lookup Identifier Manage Files Menu Menu Menu Preferences Menu New Area (Location & Radius) METAR Routes List DUATS Info Close List TAF Flight Plans List Personal Info Load From Phone List Route Menu FD Aircraft Info PIREP Time Zone From Flight Plan List TAF WX Display Options Load From Phone List Manual Help About The main menu options include: Flight Plan Weather Reports Lookup Identifier Manage Files Preferences About Usage scenarios follow. Obtaining the application Sporty s Flight Planner may be obtained at or by phoning SPORTYS. Flight Planning Sporty s Flight Planner supports a variety of flight planning usage scenarios. An overview listing follows. New Flight Plan Create a new Flight Plan Store Flight Plan Store a Flight Plan to Flash Memory Page 5

6 File Flight Plan File a new Flight Plan on CSC DUATS File a stored Flight Plan on CSC DUATS Edit Flight Plan Load a stored Flight Plan form Flash Memory Edit a Flight Plan retrieved from CSC DUATS Cancel a Flight Plan (NOT AVAILABLE ON THE J2ME VERSION OF FLIGHT PLANNER) Cancel a Flight Plan that is current in CSC DUATS Reminder Event (NOT AVAILABLE ON THE J2ME VERSION OF FLIGHT PLANNER) Receive Reminder to close a VFR Flight Plan (30 minutes after your filed arrival time) Close a filed Flight Plan Close a Flight Plan with CSC DUATS Weather Reporting Sporty s Flight Planner supports a variety of weather reporting usage scenarios. An overview listing follows. Receive FAA Weather View Hourly Meteorological Surface Observation (METAR) View Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) View Winds Aloft (FD) View Pilot Report (PIREP) View Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) Receive Plain English (decoded) Weather View Hourly Meteorological Surface Observation (METAR) View Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) View Winds Aloft (FD) View Pilot Report (PIREP) Scope of Weather Briefing Via a location Via a location and radius Via a filed Flight Plan route Via a stored Flight Plan route Via a manually entered route (may be stored for future briefings) Lookup Identifier Sporty s Flight Planner provides a translator to convert navaid names from plain English to the ICAO identifier. Manage Files Sporty s Flight Planner has built in file management to organize stored routes and Flight Plans. Preferences Sporty s Flight Planner has customizable preferences that are stored, which tailor the application to the user. This reduces entering the same data value repetitively and reduces the time spent filling out forms. Page 6

7 Main Menu This section introduces the Main Menu, which is the starting point of the Sporty s Flight Planner application. The screen hierarchy and overall flow of the application are described in this section. Application Manager Screen The phone has an Application Manager screen that displays an icon for each application loaded on the phone. Navigate to the Flight Planner icon and select it to start the application. Main Menu Screen After starting Sporty s Flight Planner, the Main Menu screen will be displayed. This is the top-level entry point to perform tasks using Flight Planner. To select a menu option, scroll to the menu option text and select it. This will display the next screen for the selected menu option. The following diagram presents the Sporty s Flight Planner screen hierarchy. Boxes labeled with text at the bottom right indicate a specific type of screen, including: Menu The screen contains menu options for selection. List The screen displays a list of options to choose. The screen contains fields to enter data. Flight Plan Menu Weather Reports Lookup Identifier Manage Files Menu Menu Menu Preferences Menu New Area (Location & Radius) METAR Routes List DUATS Info Close List TAF Flight Plans List Personal Info Load From Phone List Route Menu FD Aircraft Info PIREP Time Zone From Flight Plan List TAF WX Display Options Load From Phone List Manual Help About The main menu options include: Main Menu Option Flight Plan Weather Reports Lookup Identifier Manage Files Preferences About Description Perform flight planning operations Obtain weather reports View stored weather reports Translate plain English name into ICAO, navaid and airport identifiers Manage saved routes and Flight Plans Customize specific values Information about the application Selecting any option will display a new screen. Subsequent sections discuss each menu option in more detail. Page 7

8 Usage Tips The following tips are provided to help use Sporty s Flight Planner: To quit the application, go to the Main Menu screen and press the CLEAR-key. To exit out of a menu screen, press the LEFT SOFT-key, or click back at the bottom of the menu. To select an item in a menu screen, Press the SELECT-key. To view menu item text that is too long to display on a single line, move the cursor over the menu item. This will cause the menu item text to scroll, allowing all of the text to be viewed. If the cursor is not over a control (such as a button) it will not be activated (such as to be clickable). The cursor must be moved over the control. Sometimes this requires scrolling up or down, as required, to move the cursor to the control and activate it. A checkbox control is typically used to enable or disable an option specified by the text. The box can be checked or unchecked by moving the cursor over the box and pressing the CLEAR-key. Typically, checking the box will enable the option specified by the text and unchecking the box will disable the option specified by the text. A group of radio buttons forms a selection control to choose one of a displayed set of options. Moving the cursor over the button to the left of the option text and pressing the CLEAR-key can select an option. In the event that an error occurs: o Press the CLEAR-key to cancel the previous command or action. o If this does not return the application to a normal state, quit the application. o If this does not work, power cycle the phone as a last resort. Page 8

9 Preferences You can tailor the application to use your specific information by modifying the preferences. These default values are saved and used to pre-fill specific fields on different screens, enabling faster data entry. Refer to the Parameters section for detailed parameter descriptions. Preferences Menu Screen This screen allows customization of application preferences. A list of menu options is displayed. Selecting any of the first three menu options displays a new screen where values can be entered. The remaining menu options are each displayed with a checkbox; selecting one of these options will check or uncheck the box, which sets the enable status of the option. The menu options include: Menu Option Description Action DUATS Info Customize CSC DUATS information New Screen Personal Info Customize personal information New Screen Aircraft Info Customize aircraft information New Screen Time Zone Select the time zone where you are currently located to view New Screen Options - Decode METAR Display Options - Decode TAF Display Options - Decode Winds Aloft Display Options - Decode PIREP Display DUATS Info Screen your reports in local time. Otherwise select GMT. Display METARs in decoded or plain English format Checked Display in plain English format Unchecked Display in decoded format Display TAFs in decoded or plain English format Checked Display in plain English format Unchecked Display in decoded format Display Winds Aloft in decoded or plain English format Checked Display in plain English format Unchecked Display in decoded format Display PIREP in decoded or plain English format Checked Display in plain English format Unchecked Display in decoded format This screen is used to customize of DUATS information. Checkbox Checkbox Checkbox Checkbox The following values may be set: DUATS Username (same as CSC DUATS Access Code used at DUATS Password (same as CSC DUATS Password used at PIN CODE This is a required four digit PIN Code that the user may select. As long as there is a DUATS Access Code and Password stored in the phone, you will be required to enter the PIN each time you launch Flight Planner. If the incorrect PIN is entered four consecutive times, the DUATS Access Code and Password will be deleted from the phone s memory, and must be reentered. This is to prevent the user of a lost or stolen phone from accessing DUATS. Winds Aloft corridor width Route corridor width Page 9

10 The following actions may be performed: Save button - Save the values as displayed on the screen and exit the screen Cancel button - Cancel changes made to any values and exit the screen Personal Info Screen This screen is used to customize personal information. This information is used for the initial data in a new Flight Plan and Weather queries. The following values may be set: Pilot name Pilot address Pilot phone number The following actions may be performed: Save button - Save the values as displayed on the screen and exit the screen Cancel button - Cancel changes made to any values and exit the screen Aircraft Info Screen This screen is used to customize aircraft information. This information is used for the initial data in a new Flight Plan and Weather queries. The following values may be set: Tail number Aircraft type True airspeed Aircraft home base Aircraft color The following actions may be performed: Save button - Save the values as displayed on the screen and exit the screen Cancel button - Cancel changes made to any values and exit the screen Page 10

11 Flight Plan Flight Plans can be created, canceled, closed, and Flight Plans stored in the phone can be loaded. Flight plan information is entered in a subsequent screen based on the selected menu option. Default values will be filled automatically for some parameters based on the stored preferences. Refer to the Parameters section for detailed parameter descriptions. Flight Plan Menu Screen This screen presents the flight planning options. A list of menu options is displayed. Selecting any of the menu options displays a new screen where values can be entered. The menu options include: Menu Option New Close Load from Phone Description Create a new Flight Plan Close a filed Flight Plan Load a Flight Plan that is stored on the phone (New) File Flight Plan Screen This screen is used to create a new Flight Plan. It will be filed and optionally stored to the phone for future use. This Flight Plan may be stored in the phone s memory if this route is one that you fly often. This will facilitate rapid filing the next time a Flight Plan is filed for the route. The number of Flight Plans that can be stored on the phone depends on the amount of memory available on your phone. The following values are requested: Type of flight One of the three types (VFR, IFR, DVFR) can be chosen by selecting the button to the left of the type. Tail number Aircraft type True airspeed Departure location Departure time Altitude of flight Route of flight Destination location Estimated time enroute Remarks Fuel endurance Alternate airport Pilot name Pilot Address Pilot Phone Home base Aircraft color Destination contact Destination phone Flight Plan name This is optional field is used if the Flight Plan should be stored to the phone. Save Flight Plan checkbox Check the box to store the Flight Plan to the phone. Page 11

12 The following actions may be performed: File FP button File the Flight Plan and save it if the Save Flight Plan box is checked Cancel button - Cancel changes made to any values and exit the screen Close Flight Plan Screen This screen is used to close a filed Flight Plan. The following values are requested: Tail number Aircraft type Departure location Destination location Destination as filed in the Flight Plan Actual destination Actual destination of flight Remarks The following actions may be performed: Close FP button Close the Flight Plan Cancel button - Cancel changes made to any values and exit the screen Load Flight Plan from Phone List Screen This screen is used to load a Flight Plan stored on the phone. New Flight Plans that were created with the Save Flight Plan option will be available from this list. Once a Flight Plan is loaded, it can be modified as required and filed via Sporty s Flight Planner on CSC DUATS. If there are no Flight Plans stored on the phone, the following message will be displayed: No saved flight plans. Press CLR Press the CLEAR-key to return to the previous screen. If there are flight plans stored on the phone, a list of Flight Plan names will be displayed. Select the name of the desired Flight Plan. This will display the (New) File Flight Plan Screen where values can be entered. Page 12

13 Weather Weather data can be retrieved by specifying different location criteria, based on area or route. Area weather may be retrieved by reference to: A navaid and radius. A list of navaids. Route weather may be retrieved by reference to: A route from a stored Flight Plan. A stored route. A manually entered route, which may also be stored. Once the Weather has been retrieved, it is stored in a Report that can be accessed for viewing. Reports are stored for 24 Hours, and therefore you are able to view Weather data from previous DUATS sessions. Weather information is entered in subsequent screens based on the selected menu option. Default values will be filled automatically for some parameters based on the stored preferences. Refer to the Parameters section for detailed parameter descriptions. Weather Menu Screen This screen is used to select the initial options for obtaining weather information. A list of menu options is displayed. Selecting any of the menu options displays a new screen with the next tier selections. The menu options include: Menu Option Area Route Description Obtain weather by specifying an area Obtain weather by specifying a route Area Weather Menu Screen This screen is used to select the options for obtaining area weather information. A list of menu options is displayed. Selecting any of the menu options displays a new screen where values can be entered. The menu options include: Menu Option Radius List Description Obtain weather by specifying an area and a radius Obtain weather by specifying a list of locations Route Weather Menu Screen This screen is used to select the options for obtaining route weather information. A list of menu options is displayed. Selecting any of the menu options displays a new screen where values can be entered. The menu options include: Page 13

14 Menu Option From Flight Plan Load from Phone Manual Description Obtain weather from a Flight Plan route Obtain weather from a route stored on the phone Obtain weather from a manually entered route (Radius) Area Weather Screen This screen is used to obtain area weather information from a location and radius. The following values are requested: Tail number Altitude Departure time Estimated time enroute Location Radius The following actions may be performed: Get WX button Obtain the weather information Cancel button - Cancel changes made to any values and exit the screen (List) Area Weather Screen This screen is used to obtain area weather information from a list of locations. The following values are requested: Tail number Altitude Departure time Estimated time enroute List of locations The following actions may be performed: Get WX button Obtain the weather information Cancel button - Cancel changes made to any values and exit the screen Route Weather (from) Flight Plan List Screen This screen is used to select a Flight Plan containing a route to obtain route weather information. New Flight Plans that were created with the Save Flight Plan option will be available from this list. If there are no Flight Plans stored on the phone, the following message will be displayed: No saved flight plans. Press CLR Press the CLEAR-key to return to the previous screen. If there are flight plans stored on the phone, a list of Flight Plan names will be displayed. Select the name of the Flight Plan containing the desired route. This will display the Route Weather () Screen where values can be entered. Route Weather Load Route List Screen This screen is used to select a stored route to obtain weather information. Routes that were saved with the Save Route option will be available from this list. Page 14

15 If there are no routes stored on the phone, the following message will be displayed: No saved flight plans. Press CLR Press the CLEAR-key to return to the previous screen. If there are flight plans stored on the phone, a list of route names will be displayed. Select the route name containing the desired route. This will display the Route Weather () Screen where values can be entered. Route Weather Screen This screen is used to obtain route weather information. This screen is used to obtain route weather information. There are three ways to enter this screen: Route Weather (from) Flight Plan List Screen Route Weather Load Route List Screen Selecting the Manual menu option from the Route Weather Menu Screen The following values are requested: Tail number Departure location Departure time Altitude Route Destination location Estimated time enroute Alternate destination Winds Aloft corridor Route corridor Route name This optional field is only used if the route should be stored to the phone. Save Route checkbox Check the box to store the route to the phone. The following actions may be performed: Get WX button Obtain the weather information Cancel button - Cancel changes made to any values and exit the screen Page 15

16 Reports Each DUATS Weather session, whether Route or Area, is saved in a Report. The ten most recent Reports remain stored for viewing. The following reports can be viewed: METAR: TAF: FD: PIREP: TFR: View Hourly Meteorological Surface Observation View Terminal Aerodrome Forecast View Winds Aloft Report View Pilot Report View Temporary Flight Restrictions Note: The METAR, TAF, PIREP and FD Reports can be viewed in FAA format or plain English if decode is selected in the Preferences Menu. Page 16

17 Navigating Reports Once a weather Transaction has been completed, you will see the Reports page. The Weather transaction will also be stored so it can be viewed at a later time. From the Main Menu select Previous Reports, and you will be taken to the Reports List menu. The previous ten reports are available for review. Once you select the Report Type, you will get an ICAO list. Move Up and Down in the ICAO list and select the first location that you wish to view. You can navigate forward through the Reports with the Right Soft Key. To move back, use the Left Soft Key to return to the ICAO list and move Up to your desired location. Once you select the report you wish to view, you can navigate using the navigate keys on the phone. The navigate keys have the following functions for each report type: Page 17

18 METAR REPORT STRUCTURE METAR: UP: Move up in the current METAR DOWN: Move down in the current METAR SOFT 1: Return to the ICAO METAR List SOFT 2: View next METAR TAF REPORT STRUCTURE TAF: UP: Move up in the current TAF Header or Forecast DOWN: Move down in the current TAF Header or Forecast SOFT 1: Return to the ICAO TAF List SOFT 2: View next Forecast or Header (if on last forecast) Winds Aloft (FD) REPORT STRUCTURE Winds Aloft: UP: Move up in the current FD Header or Report DOWN: Move down in the current FD Header or Report SOFT 1: Return to the ICAO FD List SOFT 2: View next Report or Header (if on last report) PIREP REPORT STRUCTURE PIREP: UP: Move up in the current PIREP DOWN: Move down in the current PIREP SOFT 1: Return to the ICAO PIREP List SOFT 2: View next PIREP Page 18

19 TFR REPORT STRUCTURE TFR: UP: Move up in the current TFR DOWN: Move down in the current TFR SOFT 1: Return to the ICAO TFR List SOFT 2: View next TFR Page 19

20 Lookup Identifier A plain English North American airport and navaid name can be translated to its corresponding ICAO code. A listing of ICAO codes along with the associated plain English name is displayed. Default values will be filled automatically for some parameters based on the stored preferences. Refer to the Parameters section for detailed parameter descriptions. Lookup Identifier Screen This screen is used to lookup an ICAO identifier based on the plain English name of a North American airport and navaid. The following values are requested: Tail number Plain English name The following actions may be performed: Lookup button File the Flight Plan and save it if the Save Flight Plan box is checked Cancel button - Cancel changes made to any values and exit the screen If there are no matches found for the plain English text, the following message will be displayed: No Match. Press CLR If there are matches found for the plain English text, a list of ICAO codes along with the associated plain English name will be displayed. Scroll to the desired ICAO code. Press the Back-key to return to the previous screen. Page 20

21 Manage Files File management allows the names of stored routes and Fight Plans to be viewed and stored routes and Fight Plans to be deleted. Manage Files Menu Screen This screen presents the file management options. A list of menu options is displayed. Selecting any of the menu options displays a new screen containing the list of files. The menu options include: Menu Option Routes Flight Plans Description View a list of the stored routes View a list of the stored Flight Plans Manage Routes List Screen This screen is used to view the stored routes and optionally delete any of them. If there are no stored routes, the following message will be displayed: No saved routes. Press CLR Press the CLEAR-key to return to the previous screen. If there are stored routes, a list of the stored routes is displayed. Each route name has a checkbox to the left of it. Check the box of the stored routes to delete. Press the Delete button to delete the route from memory or press the CLEAR-key to return to the previous screen without deleting any routes. Manage Flight Plans List Screen This screen is used to view the stored Flight Plans and optionally delete any of them. If there are no stored Flight Plans, the following message will be displayed: No saved flight plans. Press CLR Press the CLEAR-key to return to the previous screen. If there are stored Flight Plans, a list of the stored Flight Plans is displayed. Each Flight Plan name has a checkbox to the left of it. Check the box of the stored Flight Plan to delete. Press the Delete button to delete the Flight Plan from memory or press the CLEAR-key to return to the previous screen without deleting any Flight Plans. Page 21

22 About The About screen is a splash screen that is momentarily displayed for three seconds. It contains information about the application, including: Application name Copyright information Company name Application version information Page 22

23 Parameters Parameter descriptions of the values used in Sporty s Flight Planner are described in this section. Each parameter description contains the following information: Parameter Description Format Boundaries Notes Example Name of the parameter as it is displayed in the Flight Planner application Description of the parameter Format of the parameter Boundary values of the parameter Notes about the parameter Example parameter The parameter description follows: Username Parameter Description Format Boundaries Notes Example Password Parameter Description Format Boundaries Notes Username or Access Code CSC DUATS Username or Access Code to access the CSC DUATS system See below DUATS-Assigned Access Code contains 8 digits Personal Access Code contains either 9 or 10 digits Application accepts parameter value as specified To report a lost access code or password, call DUAT ( ) For a Personal Access Code Password Password to access the CSC DUATS system Personally selected password 5 to 8 characters long Application accepts parameter value as specified To report a lost access code or password, call DUAT ( ) Example WA Corr Parameter Description Format WA Corr Winds Aloft corridor width, in nautical miles, for weather and flight planning purposes nn[n] Where n is a digit composing the distance in nautical miles Boundaries 10 <= N <= 600, in increments of 5 Notes Application accepts parameter value as specified Example Winds Aloft Forecast data is interpolated by DUATS for requested flight levels not specified in the FD data records 150 For 150 nautical miles on each side of the route of flight Page 23

24 Route Corr Parameter Route Corr Description Route corridor width, in nautical miles, for weather and flight planning purposes Format nn[n] Where n is a digit composing the distance in nautical miles Boundaries 10 <= N <= 100, in increments of 5 Notes Application accepts parameter value as specified Example 50 For 50 nautical miles on each side of the route of flight Pilot Name Parameter Pilot Name Description Pilot name as it is registered with the FAA Format DUATS maximum is 45 characters Boundaries - Notes Application accepts up to 24 characters Example Jane Michelle Doe, III Pilot Addr Parameter Description Format Pilot Addr Pilot home address Should include the following information: Street name and number and, if appropriate, apartment number, PO Box, or RFD route and box number, City name, 2-letter state abbreviation, 5-digit zip code However, DUATS maximum is 90 characters Boundaries - Notes Application accepts up to 64 characters Example 123 First Street, San Luis Obispo, CA Pilot Phone Parameter Pilot Phone Description Pilot telephone number Format NNN NNN NNNN, where N is a digit and each group of digits is separated by a single hyphen or space Maximum of 12 characters Boundaries - Notes Application accepts parameter value as specified Example N-Num Parameter Description Format Boundaries Notes N-Num Aircraft tail number Nxxxxxx Where x is a digit in the value representing the aircraft tail number Must be a valid aircraft tail number Minimum of 1 alphanumeric following a letter, usually N Maximum of 6 alphanumerics following a letter, usually N Application accepts parameter value as specified Page 24

25 Example Type Parameter Description Format N310JG Type Aircraft type with special equipment designator Specify the type of aircraft and any special equipment. Special equipment is identified by a slash (/) and a single character designator identifying special transponder and/or navigational equipment. Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)/Heavy equipped aircraft, add the prefix T for TCAS, H for Heavy, or B for both, followed by a slash to the aircraft type An additional slash followed by a single suffix identifying transponder and/or navigation equipment may also be added Valid equipment designators include: Equipment Type TSPDR DME TACAN RNAV RNP GPS FMS RVMS Transponder with U A P I R G E or F W Mode C (altitude reporting) Transponder with T B N C no altitude encoding No transponder X D M Y Boundaries - Notes Application accepts from 2 to 7 characters Example Authorized aircraft designators are contained in the FAA Contractions Handbook (Publication ). For additional information on aircraft equipment refer to the AIM. H/DC10 For a Heavy DC10 aircraft C182/U For a Cessna 182 aircraft with a Mode C transponder PA30/X For a Piper PA-30 aircraft with no transponder TAS Parameter TAS Description True air speed Format Entered in knots between 09 and 1000 OR Entered as a mach speed as a M followed by a number, representing hundredths of a mach, between 1 and 500 OR Entered as SC for speed classified Boundaries Notes Example See Format Application accepts from 10 to 999 knots 115 For 115 knots M75 For 75 hundredths of a mach (0.75 mach) SC For speed classified Page 25

26 Home or Homebase Parameter Home or Homebase Description Aircraft home base Format 3 to 12 characters Boundaries - Notes Application accepts parameter value as specified Example KSBP For San Luis Obispo County, McChesney Field Color Parameter Description Format Boundaries Color Aircraft color, specified as primary plus trim Up to 12 characters, in code or word format, as defined in the list below See below for a table of color code and word combinations Code A B BE BK BR G GD GY M O P PK R S T TQ V W Y Word Amber Blue Beige Black Brown Green Gold Gray Maroon Orange Purple Pink Red Silver Tan Turquoise Violet White Yellow Notes Example Application accepts parameter value as specified RED/BLACK' or R/BK For an aircraft color of primarily red and black Dept Parameter Dept Description Departure point of flight, specified by ICAO identifier or Latitude/Longitude coordinate Format 3 to 5 character ID such as an ICAO identifier for an airport, a navigation aid, an intersection, or a Latitude/Longitude coordinate OR AAAA/OOOO Where AAAA is latitude and OOOO is Longitude. Note that KSBP signifies an airport and SBP signifies a navaid, and they are physically separate locations. Boundaries For Latitude/Longitude coordinates - Coordinates must lie within any of the 20 conterminous ARTCC or Alaskan regions Notes Application accepts from 3 to 5 characters Example For an ICAO identifier - SBP For San Luis Obispo County, McChesney Field For a Latitude/Longitude coordinate /7702 Page 26

27 Time Off Parameter Time Off Description Departure time Format hhmm For Universal Coordinated Time OR +mmmm For specifying the number of minutes past the current time Boundaries 0000 <= N <= 2359 For UTC OR +0 <= N <= For specifying the number of minutes past the current time OR NONE For bypassing Winds Aloft information Notes For UTC N must contain four digits; use a leading zero if required; the time is specified by a 24-hour clock See boundaries Notes Application only accepts time from 0000 <= N <= 2359 Example 1300 For UTC +30 For 30 minutes past the current time Altitude Parameter Altitude Description Altitude, specified as a Flight Level or a Block altitude Format nn[n] Where n is a digit composing the Flight Level and no leading zero is required OR Nn[n]Bxx[x] Where n is a digit composing the base Flight Level and x is a digit composing the top Boundaries 10 <= N <= 999 Notes Application only accepts altitude from 10 <= N <= 999 in hundreds of feet Example 120 For an altitude of 12,000 feet (aka flight level 120) 80B150 For a Block altitude with a base of 8,000 feet through a top of 15,000 feet Route Parameter Route Description Route of flight, specified by airports, navigation aids, intersection, or waypoints Format Refer to the parameter description of a departure point, destination or the Boundaries Boundaries Refer to the parameter description of a departure point, destination or the Boundaries Notes Application accepts route string of up to 128 characters Do not include the departure or destination point as a route element Use a space between each route identifier A route of flight may use a preferred route (if available), SOCAL route, use your default route, or define a route. The acceptable elements of a flight plan are: Victor, Jet, Control, Colored, Atlantic, Bahama, L.F./M.F. Airways, Oceanic Low/High Frequency routes; Standard Instrument Departures (SID's); Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STAR's); location IDs; fixed radial distances (fixes); navigation aids; airports; latitudes and longitudes; or any combination of the above. Page 27

28 Radial/distance waypoints are specified as "VVVrrrddd" where VVV is the known navigational aid or fix (this may be from two to five characters), rrr is the radial (3 digits), and ddd is the distance (3 digits). No intervening spaces are permitted. Latitude/longitude waypoints are specified as "lat/lon" where lat and lon are coordinates and "/" is a slash. Latitude and longitude coordinates may be specified as: 2 digits (degrees: dd) 3 digits (degrees: ddd) 4 digits (degrees and minutes: ddmm) 5 digits (degrees and minutes: dddmm) 7 digits (degrees minutes seconds tenths: ddmmsst) 8 digits (degrees minutes seconds tenths: dddmmsst) No intervening spaces are permitted. For example, 37:19:59 121:49:07, could be specified with varying degrees of precision as 37/122, 3720/12149, or / Military flight plans are not accepted by DUATS. Example KSBA RZS For a route including Santa Barbara Municipal Airport and the San Marcus VORTAC Destination or Alternate Destination Parameter Destination or Alternate Destination Description Intended destination or alternate destination of flight Format 3 to 5 character ID such as an ICAO identifier for an airport, a navigation aid, or an intersection Note that KSBP signifies an airport and SBP signifies a navaid, and they are physically separate locations. Boundaries - Notes Application accepts from 3 to 5 characters Example KSBP For San Luis Obispo County, McChesney Field ETE Parameter ETE Description Estimated time enroute Format hhmm Where hh is the hours and mm is the minutes The time is referenced to a 24-hour clock Boundaries 0001 <= N <= 6659 Notes Application requires all four digits; use leading zeros if required Example 0300 For a three hour duration Remarks Parameter Remarks Description Optional parameter containing remarks about the flight plan Format Plain language This field can be left blank since it is optional Boundaries - Notes Application requires accepts remarks of 32 characters or less Example DROP OFF 1 AT HEF Page 28

29 Fuel Parameter Fuel Description Fuel endurance for the flight, stated in time Format hhmm Where hh is the hours and mm is the minutes Use a leading zero if required to fill in all four digits Boundaries 0000 <= N <= 2259 Notes Application requires all four digits; use leading zeros if required Example 0400 For 4 hours of fuel Num Aboard Parameter Description Num Aboard Number of persons (pilot plus passengers) aboard Format 1 <= N <= 500 Boundaries - Notes Application accepts between 1 and 500 Example 3 For 3 people onboard; one pilot and two passengers Destination contact Parameter Destination contact Description Contact name of a person at the flight destination Format Plain language Boundaries - Notes Application accepts a name of 24 characters or less Example John Michael Doe, Jr. Destination phone Parameter Destination phone Description Telephone number of a person at the flight destination Format NNN-NNN-NNNN, where N is a digit and each group of digits is separated by a single hyphen or space Maximum of 12 characters Boundaries - Notes Application accepts parameter value as specified Example FlightPlan Name or RouteName Parameter FlightPlan Name or RouteName Description Optional field to name a flight plan, in order to save it on the device for future use Format Plain language Boundaries - Notes Application accepts an optional flight plan name containing up to 32 characters If no name is specified, a name will automatically be created with the following form: Departure Destination Example Flight Plan 1 or Route 1 For a flight plan from KSBP to KSAN KSBP KSAN Page 29

30 Lookup Identifier Parameter Name Description Plain language name of an identifier look up an ICAO, airport or navaid identifier Format Plain language Boundaries - Notes Application accepts a string length from 3 to 42 characters The lookup routine will return a list of ICAO identifiers corresponding to the plain language identifier, if matches exist Example Enter a name: van nuys Returns a list of the following matches: ICAO: KVNY, navaid: VNY, airport: VNY Radius Parameter Radius Description Radius from a specific location for an area weather briefing Format nn[n] Where n is a digit composing the radius in miles Boundaries 10 <= N <= 500, in increments of 5 Notes Application accepts parameter value as specified Example 50 For a radius of 50 miles from a specific location Page 30

31 Appendix A References The references used in this document are listed in this section. CSC DUATS, CSC DUATS User Guide, CSC DUATS, CSC DUATS on the Web Sign On, FAA, Air Traffic Publications, Page 31