| The basics | | | | capabilities and equipment fit has been spectacular |
| If you are working in aviation, chances are you have | | | | and it became more and more cumbersome to |
| seen an ICAO Flight Plan. It is a strange looking | | | | properly describe the new capabilities and equipment |
| document showing clearly its origins in a world where | | | | fits using the original rules. |
| clattering teletype machines were considered modern | | | | It is Item 10 - Equipment that run out of steam first |
| communications means. The double chevrons pointing | | | | and this resulted in more and more "overflow" |
| left indicate "carriage return" and the three dashes | | | | information ending up in Item 18 - Other information. |
| above each other indicate line feeds... Yes, the ICAO | | | | Considering that not so long ago there were several |
| form is a hybrid of text parts and instructions to the | | | | flight plan processing systems which did not process |
| old teletype machines (and the modern computers | | | | Item 18 at all, this direction of development not only |
| that have replaced them) as to how the information | | | | made Item 18 increasingly messy but in many cases |
| is to be formatted on displays and hard copies of the | | | | the data put in there was simply ignored. Clearly not |
| plan. When transmitted via the Aeronautical Fixed | | | | an ideal situation. |
| telecommunications Network (AFTN), the plan takes | | | | Recognizing this, ICAO established a Flight Plan Study |
| the form of the famous FPL message. | | | | Group (FPLSG) and charged them to determine what |
| Flight Plans are of vital importance for flights in | | | | changes were required to bring the flight plan (and all |
| managed airspace. This is basically the only means an | | | | the associated messages) up to the standards of |
| airspace user has to tell air traffic control what they | | | | to-day and tomorrow. This is an item to remember! |
| are planning to do. You either file your flight plan | | | | The changes will come in two batches, one set |
| before departure or you file it from the air if you did | | | | covering the immediate requirements, the other more |
| not need a flight plan for the first part of your | | | | advanced things like system wide information |
| operation (if you flew in unmanaged airspace and | | | | management, trajectory based operations and the |
| then decide to go into managed airspace for | | | | like. |
| example). The content must be accurate and it must | | | | The first batch is relatively simple. The second will be |
| be in the hands of air traffic control on a timely basis. | | | | much more fundamental... |
| The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) | | | | What and when? |
| has defined a number of so called standard field | | | | As you may or may not know, the ICAO provisions |
| types, each identified by a number. Each field type | | | | for flight plans are contained in a document called |
| contains defined information and the various air traffic | | | | Procedures for Air Navigation Services - Air Traffic |
| services messages must contain the prescribed field | | | | Management with ICAO document designator |
| types in the order specified for the given message. | | | | PANS-ATM, Doc 4444. Currently in its Fifteenth |
| Message types in turn are identified by 3 letters. A | | | | Edition, the first batch of changes to the flight plan |
| message with message type designator CHG is a | | | | provisions will be Amendment 1 to this document. |
| flight plan modification message and one with | | | | The changes will become applicable on 15 November |
| designator FPL is... well, you guessed it, a Flight Plan | | | | 2012. Before you shrug your shoulders and say yeh, |
| Message. | | | | that is way in the future, please do remember that |
| On the flight plan form you will find Items and not | | | | there are many systems in the world that will need |
| field types. Items are also numbered and they | | | | to be modified to work with the new flight plan |
| correspond to the numbers allocated to the field | | | | format and contents. A better reaction is to look |
| types. So both a field type 7 and an Item 7 will | | | | around you and check whether your organization has |
| contain information on aircraft identification and SSR | | | | in fact started the necessary work. |
| mode and code. | | | | So what is going to change? ICAO has taken this |
| The rules for composing the messages and their | | | | opportunity to update most of the Items to better |
| content are very strict and are also globally | | | | reflect to-day's realities and terminology (among |
| standardized. This way ATS messages can be | | | | others removing the reference to poor SABENA in |
| handled manually or by computers, irrespective of | | | | Item 7) but not surprisingly, the most fundamental |
| where they come from or whom they are | | | | changes come in Item 10 which becomes Equipment |
| addressed to. | | | | and Capabilities (was just Equipment before) and in |
| Why the change? | | | | Item 18 - Other Information. Whether these changes |
| The current flight plan form and its composition are | | | | makes Item 18 any easier to read is another matter |
| several decades old. The progress in terms of aircraft | | | | but there you are... |