Tag: Flight Manual

Updated for 2022: Flight Planning Guide Helps Decipher Equipment Codes and Fuel Requirements

AviationManuals Makes It Complimentary

 

Washington, D.C., April 18, 2022 (UPDATED) – AviationManuals, the leading provider of digital flight manuals, has released a new in-depth guide to help with common mistakes operators make on flight plans. The detailed Flight Planning Guide is complimentary and available for download on AviationManuals’ website.

“Errors on flight plans can cause flight delays, force route changes, and even slow LOA approvals,” said AviationManuals CEO Mark Baier. “We are providing this complementary Flight Planning Guide to help operators avoid some of the pitfalls we are seeing related to incorrect flight plan completion,” he added.

According to the FAA, “Over 80 percent of A056 applications fail because the equipment of the aircraft does not match what is being claimed and filed on the flight plan.” AviationManuals’ new Flight Planning Guide can help operators ensure their flight plans accurately reflect such things as minimum fuel requirements, fuel allocation requirements, as well as select correct equipment codes, and follow proper formatting standards.

Detailed information is provided about each equipment code and how common the equipment is for most business jet aircraft. Field codes covered include, navigation capabilities of the aircraft, surveillance equipment, PBN (RNAV and RNP) systems, data link, and other important parameters.  It also covers frequently misunderstood ICAO fuel requirements and designations.

The guide includes checklists operators can fill out and send to their flight planning service providers to update the codes included on their flight plans. AviationManuals’ latest guide is part of a series of complimentary products that aid flight departments in performing more efficiently and effectively.

AviationManuals supports a client base that operates over 4,500 aircraft worldwide, including more than 60 Fortune 100 company flight departments. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, the company provides digital operations manuals with update services, as well as SMS software and iPad apps for fixed-wing, rotary-wing, drone operators, and FBOs worldwide. Founded in 1996, the company has produced thousands of manuals.

Products and services include SMS Software, FBO Manuals, Flight/Company Operations Manuals, International Operations and Procedures Manuals, Minimum Equipment Lists, Emergency Response Plans, and Internal Audit Programs, as well as Letters of Authorization (LOA) support for RVSM, Data Link (CPDLC / ADS-C), PBN (RNP-10 / -4, NAT HLA, B-/P-RNAV, and RNP-1), Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS), and EFBs.

AviationManuals is a member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). For more information on AviationManuals, go to www.aviationmanuals.com.

AviationManuals’ sister company ARC Safety Management is a modular online and app solution for managing safety, communications and overall aviation operations. The company offers customizable web and mobile Safety Management Systems for aircraft operations, FBOs and commercial drone operators to submit, store and analyze SMS data.

Rely on Preparation and Protocol, Not Luck

Why a Flight Manual Is Essential to Your Operation

Golfing legend Ben Hogan is credited for wryly remarking that the more he practiced, the luckier he got. His formula for success was to put in the hard work and follow a diligent regimen to improve and perfect. This certainly applies to aviation, as well.

Operators with the best safety records have formalized processes in order to be prepared for any eventuality and keep passengers and crews safe. They actively pursue risk identification, mitigation and elimination as systematically as top airlines and military flight organizations.

“There is just no substitute for sound, thorough preparation to avoid or cope with foreseeable misfortune,” says author Stephen Coonts in “The Philosophy of Luck,” published in the July/August 1995 issue of Approach magazine.

Playbook for Success

That’s why a Flight Operations Manual is essential for any business aviation operation, whether consisting of 50 pilots or just a two-person outfit. While not mandatory in the U.S., there are countless benefits to having a manual. Like a playbook or employee handbook, a Flight Operations Manual consistently describes internal processes, policies, and standard operating procedures, to keep your team’s eye on the ball.

The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) systematically cover crew duties and responsibilities, mission planning requirements and managing passenger expectations. They also detail minimum crew rest and off-duty periods, among other operational elements. This is fundamental to ensure all team members are aligned. It is also essential for legacy, as a manual helps the organization to carry on the same high standards when someone leaves the company and new hires are onboarded.

Tailored for Compliance

Our Flight Operations Manuals are continuously kept up to date in an ever-changing aviation environment, based on best practices and operator/auditor feedback. We work with our customers to develop tailored manuals that reflect their specific operation. Each manual is compliant with all appropriate regulations. We support Part 91, Part NCC, Bermuda, Cayman, Isle of Man and other regulatory authorities. And, to ensure continued compliance, we also support updated IS-BAO protocols every year.

We provide affordable, customized packages for private aircraft operators to comply with new European regulations. Our personalized solutions include a unique International Procedures Manuals update service and General Operations Policies and Procedures. We also tailor our manuals to maintain similarity with our customers’ U.S. operations for improved compatibility and safety.

Isn’t it time to formalize your processes and procedures with a playbook that ensures your entire team is on the same page? We can help equip your organization with a tailored Flight Operations Manual. Get in touch with AviationManuals today.