Introduction 

Options Group 

This topic covers the Options group on the Route screen. You will learn how each option in the group is used by the system to generate a route. 

We estimate that this will take 5 minutes to complete.

Detailed Explanation 

Route Builder Options Group

This section of training will review the Options Group in the Route Builder. These options allow the route to be tailored to the users requirements.

AIRAC Cycle:

• Enter the AIRAC cycle to choose an AIRAC data set to use.  The proper AIRAC cycle is picked by default based on the departure time of the flight.
• Users can specify an AIRAC offset in the Airline Code Parameters screens.
  The AIRAC Cycle Buffer field on the Airline Code Parameters FOMS screens tells the system when to cut over to the next AIRAC cycle, if the field is blank the default cutover is 0000z.
   A user can also override the AIRAC cycle to be used for a given flight plan calculation. 

Apply Rules:

• Ignore: If the flight does not comply with the rules a warning or error won't be received. NOTE: This is not recommended for planning in IFPS airspace.
• RAD only: When used, a country's preferred route rules are not applied to the MTTA, only RAD and NOTAMS are applied. A warning is displayed if route  generation fails or if a rule is broken. NOTE: This option gives the NFP      system a better chance of successfully generating a route over complex airspace.
• All: The system applies all rules, including those set to ignore in Ignore Rules Configuration. If the flight does not comply with the rules, a warning message displays in the notification box, and the flight still computes.
• Warn: If the flight doesn't comply with the rules a warning will be displayed in the notification box and the flight will still compute.
• Error: If the flight doesn't comply with the rules the flight will not compute and will display an error.
• Changing the value in the Options group also changes the Apply Rules drop-down list on the Route Group section on the Plan screen.

To begin the Must Not Use demonstration, we will turn on the FIR map layer.

Click the Airspace tab.

Click the FIRs list item.

Click the FIRs check box.

Click the Must not use input field.

Enter FIR KZMP into the Must not use field.

Must not use:

Note: Changes made here only apply if Apply Rules is set to Error or Warn.

Users may enter waypoints, airways, restricted areas and/or FIRs that are to be avoided during the route generation.

 Rules are specified as follows:

• Waypoints - add the name of the waypoint, e.g.: YYZ+CY
• Airways - add the name of the airway, e.g.: YQT+CY J500 YOW+CY
• Restricted Areas - add the keyword (AREA) and the name of the restricted area, e.g.: AREA CY:609M
• FIRs - add the keyword (FIR) and the name of the flight information region, e.g.: FIR CZYZ
• Countries - add the keyword COUNTRY and the country code, e.g., COUNTRY CA
• Rules are separated by forward slashes or commas.

 For example:

YYZ+CY, YQT+CY J500 YOW+CY, AREA CY:609M, FIR CZYS, FIR CZUL, FIR CZWG

Click the Generate button.

Click the Apply button.

Avoid Restricted:

• Ignore: no warning or error is received for restricted areas.
• Apply: will apply restricted area avoidance if MTTA is used to find a route, but no warning will be given if a fixed route through a restricted area is used.
• Warn: warnings are displayed if a restricted area cannot be avoided.
• Error: error messages are displayed if a restricted area cannot be avoided and the route is not built and the compute fails.

Avoid UDA:

• Ignore: If the flight does not avoid UDAs a warning or error won't be received.
• Warn: If the flight  does not avoid UDAs a warning will be displayed in the notification box and the flight will still compute.
• Error: If the flight  does not avoid UDAs the flight will not compute and will display an error.

Avoid NATs:

• Clicking the Avoid NATs checkbox allows you to generate a route that avoids the North Atlantic Tracks.

Avoid turbulence:

• Use this checkbox to generate a route that avoids turbulence using the value set in the Avoid Turb Edr field in the Airline Code Parameters.

Avoid icing (if flying low):

• Use this checkbox to generate a route that avoids icing using the value set in the Avoid Icing PPI field in the Airline Code Parameters. 

Avoid thunder storms:

• Use this checkbox to generate a route that avoids storms using the value set in the Avoid ThunderStorm field in the Airline Code Parameters.

Check RNP:

• The system will compare the Aircraft Characteristics with the navigation data within NFP, taken from the ARINC 424 data, to compare any associated RNP values stored within the appropriate segments or records.
• When selected, the MTTA only selects routes if the aircraft-specified RNP value is lower than the value associated with the navigation data.

Check Permits:

• By default, the checkbox is selected. It will be deselected if the Permit Check button is deselected in the Route group on the Plan screen.
• When selected, N-FP will compare the existing permit approvals recorded in the Permit List with the route of flight.
• Dynamic routes will attempt to generate a route that is compliant with the available permit approvals.
• Routes based on a “route string” will be compared to the available permit approvals, and generate a warning or error if there is a discrepancy.
• If deselected, there are no warnings for missing permits when generating a flight plan or route.

Stay in ERA Circles

• When checked, the system builds a route that keeps a MTTA route within the 60 min EEP/EXP or ETOPS circles. Note: you must have ETOPS enabled to use the checkbox.
  
   

ATTENTION 

Flight hazards including Avoid Turbulence, Avoid Icing, and Avoid Thunder storms must be configured by NAVBLUE Support to function.

IFPS Auto Assist

This option allows users to perform IFPS validation during route generation. When users select the option, the system submits a request to the CFMU to validate the user’s route (whether manually entered, generated via MTTA or combination thereof):

• If it passes, the system returns the user-generated route
  
   
• If it fails, the system regenerates the route using CFMU-suggested route and flight levels
  
   
• If no route is returned, the system returns the user-generated route with a warning that the route failed IFPS validation and no route was returned

Optimize:

• Offers a drop down to select the generation optimization method.
• This drop-down list allows you to select the least cost, least time or least fuel optimization method when generating the route.

MFL: Maximum Flight Level

• This field allows you to enter the maximum flight level for the flight.

MTTA factor:

• This field allows you to enter a value for the MTTA factor.
• By default, the system loads a maximum MTTA value based on the great circle distance from the origin to the destination.

MTTA Factor 

This field allows you to enter a value for the MTTA factor. By default, the system loads a maximum MTTA value based on the great circle distance from the origin to the destination.

The MTTA factor determines the width of an imaginary corridor between waypoints by which the route is constrained. The value of the factor relates the width of the corridor to the distance between waypoints. For example, an MTTA factor of 1.1 tells the system to use a corridor width that is 10% of the distance between the two waypoints at halfway between the two waypoints (as pictured here).

MTTA Factor 

This is often necessary when avoiding certain airspace using the "Must Not Use" feature.

For example:
 A flight using the route string keyword MTTA from KMIA to SKBO will overfly Cuba.If you must avoid Cuban airspace, enter in the "Must Not Use" box and change the MTTA Factor to 2.

If you must avoid Cuban airspace, enter <FIR MUFH> in the Must Not Use box and change the MTTA Factor to 2.

MTTA Factor 

Your new MTTA route will avoid the Cuban FIR. You may notice  a slight increase in the compute time as more airways are being searched by the MTTA routine.

ATTENTION 

If you were to leave the route factor at 1.1 the system would build a route which overflies Cuba and you would get the following warning: RG:311:Failed  to comply with the rules/restrictions.