FOMS Menu 365 (Taxi/Circuit Times Database Program)

Modified on: Tue, 23 Jan, 2024 at 7:13 PM

The purpose of the program is to allow the user to manage taxi and circuit times for a particular airport with a greater level of detail than is currently available via the airport database program. Also, this program allows the user to define circuit and taxi times for specific times of day and further allows them to tailor the use of these times to a specific airline code or aircraft type.

When these databases are populated for a particular airport, the flight planning system will use the information from these databases to determine the proper amount of taxi time or circuit time to use. If the flight plan being computed does not find information related to the airports of operation for that flight in these databases, it will then use the default times found in the airport database.

The modes available are:

Add
Edit
Video
Screen
Hardcopy
Quit

Add Mode

The add mode allows the user to build a tailored taxi time profile for an individual station. The following describes the valid entries for each field.

Field	Description
TYPE	Enter whether you want to add circuit times <C> or taxi times <T>. Circuit times and taxi times each have their own database. Note: Circuit time added does not apply to alternates.
ICAO	Enter a valid ICAO address that you want to create a taxi time profile for. Note: Entry of an IATA station code is acceptable as the system will convert it to the proper ICAO code.
ALC	Enter an Airline Code that you want to have the profile applied to. If this field is left blank, the profile will be applied to all flights that operate at the airport specified.
EQUIP	Enter a valid equipment type (e.g., B737, B757). A search option is available by typing <?>. Note: If equipment type is specified then the taxi time profile will only be applied when the specified equipment type is used on a flight that operates at the airport specified.
SERIES	Enter the series designation of the aircraft. A search option is available by typing <?>.
MIN	Enter the number of minutes to use as taxi time for a given time period. Example: If the user wanted to show a taxi time of 12 minutes between the hours of 0000Z and 0400Z he would enter 12 into the MIN field on the 0000 line and then press Enter. When this is completed, you will notice that HH:MM column changes from 00:00 to 00:12 for all available time periods. Note: If no other entries are made then the default taxi time for departures would be 12 for this city. In order to set an end time that the desired taxi time is applicable for, the user must move the cursor to the desired end time field and enter a taxi value, which can be the standard taxi time for the city or a new taxi time for another period. The example above shows an example of a possible entry for Station CYYZ. The departure taxi time for CYYZ is set at 12 minutes between 0000 and 0400Z, from 0400Z to 1000Z the departure taxi time is set at 17 minutes. The rest of the day the taxi time is set at 10 minutes. The process described for entering taxi times is the same for the arrival section of the screen. Note: Currently, the system does not use arrival taxi times in any calculation so the necessity to maintain arrival taxi times is not vital.
Updated By	Place the initials of the person who added the record into this field. Note: If left blank, the system will automatically insert the user ID of the person who was logged on at the time the change is accepted.
Date	The date field is used to enter the date the record was added or changed and use the normal FOMS date format.

Edit Mode

To edit an airport taxi time, enter <E> from the Command Line, then enter the ICAO or IATA code of the airport, the ALC, and the EQUIP of the record to be changed. The data will be displayed, and you may use the <Enter> key to go to the fields that you want to edit. To remove individual characters, you may use the backspace key, or <Ctrl>-X to erase the field completely.

Once you have made all the required changes, you may exit to a confirmation prompt by moving the cursor beyond the last field or by pressing <Ctrl>-E. If you are satisfied with the changes you have made, you may save the edited record to disk by responding <Y> to the confirmation prompt. Responding <N> will reposition the cursor on the screen so that you can make further changes. If you prefer to abandon your edits and leave the record unchanged, you may do so by responding <Q>.

Video Mode

You may review the information on file for any given airport by selecting Video mode from the command line, then entering either the ICAO or IATA code of the desired station.

If the airport is on file, then the information will be displayed to screen, otherwise a Record Not Found - Press <ENTER> for NEXT AVAILABLE error message will be returned. Pressing <Enter> will display the next airport in the data file (sorted alphabetically by ICAO code.) You may then scroll through the file by using the up and down arrow keys. Pressing <Enter> again will clear the display, leaving the cursor in the ICAO field for a new entry. Entering <Q> while in Video mode will clear the display and return you to the Command Line.

Screen Mode

When Screen mode is selected, the screen will change to the Report Selector screen.

Click on the TYPE field, enter the type of times (i.e., circuit times <C> or taxi times <T>) and press <Enter> to move to the FROM ICAO field.
Enter the ICAO code of the airport you want to have the report begin with and press <Enter>. Note: Pressing enter with no entry will force the system to run the report beginning with the first airport in the database.
Go to the TO ICAO field, enter the airport ICAO identifier that you want to have the report end on. Note: Pressing enter with no entry will force the system to run the report up to the last airport in the database.
Next, you have the option of entering an ALC, which will filter the report for only those records that contain the desired ALC. Leaving this blank will have the result of displaying all records regardless of the ALC associated with them.
Enter a valid equipment type, which will filter the report to show only those records that have the equipment type specified associated with them. Leaving this blank will have the result of displaying all records regardless of the equipment type associated with them.

Hardcopy Mode

Hardcopy mode functions in the same manner as Screen mode, with the exception that the report is sent to the printer so you do not have the ability to terminate the report in mid-stream.

Quit Mode

Entering <Q> from the Command Line will return the Next PROGRAM-NUMBER prompt so that you have the option of going directly to your next program if you know the menu number, or of returning to the previous menu if you simply press <Enter>.

Note: The following descriptions represent the typical access and privileges afforded to users designated as Dispatch Managers/Supervisors. Users with dispatcher privileges will have limited access to a subset of the screens presented.