Click Here to Go Back to Previous Flt Brief Newsletters.
|
Newsletter - June 17th, 2009 FltPlan.com Offers Free RAIM Prediction Service FAA will require GPS RAIM predictions starting July 1 - If you have GPS equipment you need this information July 1, 2009 is right around the corner. That's the date when the FAA will require RAIM predictions from pilots filing RNAV 1 routes (Q and T), RNAV 1 STARs, and RNAV 1 DPs as part of their preflight planning if navigation will be predicated on GPS. Instead of just doing a RAIM prediction for your approach, you'll also need to predict that you'll continue to have RAIM for every leg of the flight. FltPlan.com, using FAA aproved methods, makes compliance easy. RAIM stands for Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring. It is a technique used within a GPS receiver/processor to monitor GPS signal performance. Basically, it's a check to see if the receiver will be able to validate its position. RAIM optimally requires six satellites in view (or five satellites if the aircraft is equipped with baro-aiding). Baro-aiding is a method of augmenting the GPS integrity by using a non-satellite source. It uses the pressure altitude corrected for the local barometric pressure setting to provide accurate altitude information. According to FAA document AC 90-100, "the pilot should confirm the availability of RAIM with the latest GPS NOTAMs. If no GPS satellites are scheduled to be out-of-service, then the aircraft can depart without further action. If, however, any GPS satellites are scheduled to be out-of-service, then the availability of GPS integrity (RAIM) must be confirmed for the intended flight (route and time). In the event of a predicted, continuous loss of RAIM of more than five minutes for any part of the intended flight, the flight should be delayed, canceled, or re-routed where RAIM requirements can be met." GPS RAIM Predication requirements apply to any flight using:
In addition to your route of flight, FltPlan.com checks for:
Some FAQs About eAPIS I've submitted my eAPIS manifest. Do I still need to have a completed Form 178 for the CBP officer? Technically no, but it doesn't hurt to have it. According to CBP policy, the eAPIS manifest replaces Form 178. However, due to the complexities of training thousands of CBP officers, it's possible for misunderstandings to occur. If you subscribe to FltPlan.com's eAPIS service, you can quickly print a copy of Form 178 by clicking on the link on your eAPIS page. This way all your bases are covered. Is it still necessary to notify the port of arrival by phone or radio before my arrival in the U.S.? Yes. Your eAPIS manifest does serve as advance notice, but pilots still need to follow up with CBP for their destination airport and make sure that the arrival details are accepted. My passenger has a passport but no other document type. What do I do? That's not a problem. Just leave Document 2 blank. Two forms of documentation are not required, just helpful. If my departure time changes by an hour or two do I need to resubmit my manifest? No. It is only mandatory if the arrival/departure date changes. However, if your departure time varies by more than three hours from your originally submitted manifest, we suggest you submit a new manifest. Upload Your Flight Plans to Your Aircraft's FMC with Satcom Direct FltPlan.com is now a Satcom Direct preferred datalink provider FltPlan.com, in conjunction with Satcom Direct, now allows you to get your FltPlan.com NavLog information sent directly to the flight deck. There's no longer any need to type all your data into your FMS. This saves time, saves your fingers, and cuts down on data entry errors. Your FMS computer can be pre-populated with following data from your flight plan:
Correct ICAO Aircraft Type Designators Become Mandatory Here at FltPlan.com we have always encouraged the use of ICAO aircraft type designators and given warning messages if the aircraft type designator you entered was incorrect. Now, however, use of the correct ICAO aircraft type designator will be mandatory. ATC computers are programmed for aircraft performance based upon the aircraft type. If you file a flight plan with an invalid aircraft type, the controller will get a notation of ZZZ and there will likely be a delay or a query from ATC on your type aircraft. When you use FltPlan.com, you will get an "invalid aircraft type" message if the aircraft type you listed is not ICAO compliant. If you're unsure what the correct designator is, a list of most all aircraft type IDs for General Aviation aircraft can be found on the Change or Add Aircraft page. Just scroll down the page. The aircraft are listed by manufacturer, then model. Some common mis-entries are as follows:
FltPlan.com Now Offers Full Flight Planning To and From Bermuda You can now create and file flight plans to/from the island of Bermuda using FltPlan.com. | ||||||||||||
all rights reserved © Copyright 2009 by Flight Plan LLC |
