1. FILING OF VFR FLIGHT PLANS
FPL 2012 TASK FORCE – 10 JUNE 2011

2. PANS-ATM
CURRENT: IF A FLIGHT PLAN IS FILED >24HRS IN ADVANCE OF EOBT, THE PLAN IS HELD IN ABEYANCE UNTIL MAXIMUM OF 24 HRS BEFOR FLIGHT BEGINS SO AS TO AVOID THE NEED FOR THE INSERTION OF DATE GROUP INFORMATION

3. PANS-ATM
AMENDMENT 1: ‘IF A FLIGHT PLAN IS FILED MORE THAN 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE ESTIMATED OFF-BLOCK TIME OF THE FLIGHT TO WHICH IT REFERS, THE DATE OF THE FLIGHT DEPARTURE SHALL BE INSERTED IN ITEM 18 OF THE FLIGHT PLAN.’

4. PANS-ATM
AMENDMENT 1: IN ADDITION TO THE USE OF DOF ON FIELD 18, FIELD 18 INFORMATION WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED IN OTHER FLIGHT PLAN RELATED MESSSAGES E.G. CNL, DLA, CHG & DEP

5. IMPACT ASSESSMENT DOF CURRENTLY NOT PROCESSED IN NATS AIRPORT SYSTEMS
VFR PLANS FILED DIRECT TO AIRPORT SYSTEMS
AT MERCY OF PILOTS FILING THESE PLANS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR PLANS BEING SENT FROM SYSTEMS NOT USING REVISED FORMAT
INCLUDING INTERNET BASED SYSTEMS

6. IMPACT ASSESSMENT
ADDITION OF DOF IN FIELD 18 REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL SOFTWARE CHANGE AND ESTABLISHMENT OF DATABASE TO STORE FUTURE PLANS
INCLUSION OF FIELD 18 IN, E.G. DLA, CNL, CHG MESSAGES ALSO REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL SOFTWARE CHANGE
MUST BE ABLE TO MATCH UPDATE MESSAGES WITH THE CORRECT PLAN

7. IMPLICATIONS
MATCHING PROCESS FOR APPLYING UPDATES USES A/C IDENTIFICATION, DEP A/F, DEST A/F & EOBT. POST-2012 DOF MUST ALSO MATCH
EASY TO HAVE DOF IN MAIN FPL MESSAGE BUT IF TRANSMITTING SYSTEM STILL SENDING UPDATE MESSAGES WITHOUT IT, THEN THE UPDATE WILL BE LOST
DEP MESSAGE ONLY ON DAY OF FLIGHT BUT FLIGHT MAY NOT BE UP TO DATE
OVERDUE ACTION MAY NOT BE TAKEN

8. IMPLICATIONS
OUTSIDE AGENCIES NEED TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT (OR VICE VERSA) ALL MESSAGES THAT INCLUDE DOF OR ELSE UPDATES WILL BE LOST
DEPENDENCY ON NEIGHBOURS – MAY NOT ACCEPT INTERNAL FILING OF PLANS >24HRS IN ADVANCE BUT SHOULD ACCEPT AND PROCESS SUCH PLANS FILED EXTERNALLY
COORDINATION WITHIN THE EUR REGION IS VITAL

9. CONCLUSION THREE POSSIBLE WAYS FORWARD:
ALL EUR STATES ALLOW FILING OF VFR FLIGHT PLANS >24HRS IN ADVANCE IAW WITH AMENDMENT 1 TO PANS-ATM
ALL STATES PROCESS PLANS FILED EXTERNALLY EVEN IF THEY DO NOT ALLOW INTERNAL FILING >24HRS IN ADVANCE
NO FILING OF VFR FLIGHT PLANS >24HRS IN ADVANCE IN EUR REGION