CSC DUATS on the Web
Flight Planner Output

Flight Planner Output -- Detailed Information

This section provides detailed information on the output of the flight planner, including each of the four different flight log output formats.

Each flight plan which is output by the flight planning module consists of three components:

1. The prologue, which includes:
   • the departure airport or fix
   • the destination airport or fix
   • the departure time for which the flight was planned
   • a summary of the routing options used for the plan
   • the flight plan route, which is retained for filing a flight plan
   • a summary of the fuel, time, and distance for the flight

2. The navigation log. Four formats are available for the navigation log; these are described in section below.

3. The summary, which includes:
   • the warning "fuel calculations do not include required reserves"
   • a summary of the fuel, time, and distance for the flight
   • the average ground speed for the flight in knots
   • if the flight plan route is not a great circle route, a comparison between the flight plan distance and the (optimum) great circle distance

The flight planner supports a number of different output formats; these are described in detail below. If you do not change your output format using stored profile options, your flight plans will be printed using the Three-Line Staggered Format.

The Three-Line Staggered Format utilizes three lines for each point in the plan and is "staggered" -- the left and right portions of the flight plan refer to a given point in the plan and the center portion, which is shifted downwards by a few lines, refers to the leg of the flight which connects one point in the plan with the next.

Several different two-line-per-fix formats are also available. Due to space limitations, some of the information present in the three-line format must be omitted from the two-line formats.

Prologue and Summary

In the example below, the flight plan "RHV *A RBL *G SEA" is used -- from Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose CA via airways to Red Bluff CA then via great-circle GPS/LORAN to Seattle WA. Each flight plan output is preceded by a flight plan prologue.

    From: KRHV -- San Jose CA (Reid-Hillview Of Santa Clara County)
    To:   KSEA -- Seattle WA (Seattle-Tacoma Intl)
    Time: Wed Jun 17 17:00 (UTC)

    Routing options selected:  Automatic low altitude airway, Great circle.
    Flight plan route:
      KRHV MABRY V107 V334 ALTAM V392 SAC V23 JINGO V195 RBL LMT240024
      OED060029 EUG060041 UBG060029 BTG060013 OLM060025 KSEA
    Flight totals: fuel: 50 gallons, time: 4:50, distance 616.3 nm.

The flight plan route is automatically saved by CSC DUATS on the Web and will be filled in on other forms including those used for flight plan filing and weather briefings. (The 9-character locations above are fix/radial/distance waypoints.)

A summary follows the flight plan:

    NOTE: fuel calculations do not include required reserves.
    Flight totals: fuel: 50 gallons, time: 4:50, distance 616.3 nm.
    Average groundspeed 128 knots.
    Great circle distance is 607.4 nm -- this route is 1% longer.

Navigation Log

This section describes in detail each of the four available navigation log formats:

1. Three-line: Staggered Format
2. Two-line: Lat/Lon, Fix, Morse (no fuel data)
3. Two-line: Fix, Morse, Fuel (no latitude/longitude)
4. Two-line: Lat/Lon, Morse, Fuel (no fix name)

Three-Line Staggered Output Format

Here is a sample of the three-line "staggered" output format:

        Ident  Type/Morse Code  |                        | Fuel
        Name or Fix/radial/dist |                        | Time
        Latitude Longitude Alt. | Route   Mag  KTS  Fuel | Dist
    ---+--------+---------+-----| Winds   Crs  TAS  Time |------
     1. KSJC   Apt.             | Temp    Hdg   GS  Dist |  0.0 
        San Jose CA             |--------+----+---+------| 0:00 
        37:21:42 121:55:39    1 | Direct             3.3 |   86 
    ---+--------+---------+-----| N/A     311  102  0:15 |------
     2. OAK    ---  .-  -.-     | +9 C    311  102    26 |  3.3 
        d116.8 Oakland          |--------+----+---+------| 0:15 
        37:43:34 122:13:21   55 | V301               0.7 |   60 
    ---+--------+---------+-----| N/A     288  130  0:05 |------
     3. ---    Int.             | +4 C    288  130     9 |  4.0 
                                |--------+----+---+------| 0:20 
        37:48:45 122:22:43   55 | V87                0.6 |   51 
    ---+--------+---------+-----| N/A     342  130  0:03 |------
     4. REBAS  Int.             | +4 C    342  130     8 |  4.6 
        SAUr035/8 SGDr165/14    |--------+----+---+------| 0:23 
        37:56:27 122:22:57   55 | V87                1.1 |   43 
    ---+--------+---------+-----| N/A     345  130  0:07 |------
     5. SGD    ...  --.  -..    | +4 C    345  130    14 |  5.7 
        d112.1 Scaggs Island    |--------+----+---+------| 0:30 
        38:10:46 122:22:19   55 | Direct             2.0 |   29 
    ---+--------+---------+-----| N/A     297  139  0:12 |------
     6. KSTS   Apt.             | +9 C    297  139    29 |  7.7 
        Santa Rosa CA (Sonoma C |--------+----+---+------| 0:42 
        38:30:33 122:48:42    1 |                        |    0 
    ---+--------+---------+-----|                        |------

The information on the edge (fix portion) includes the following:

      Ident  Type/Morse Code | ... | Fuel |
      Name or Fix/radial/dist| ... | Time |
      Latitude Longitude Alt.| ... | Dist |
  ---+--------+---------+----| ... |------|
   2. OAK    ---  .-  -.-.   | ... |  4.7 |
      d116.8 Oakland         | ... | 0:20 |
      37:43:34 122:13:21  103| ... |   60 |
  ---+--------+---------+----| ... |------|
   4. REBAS  Int.            | ... |  6.0 |
      SAUr035/8 SGDr165/14   | ... | 0:28 |
      37:56:27 122:22:57  100| ... |   43 |
  ---+--------+---------+----| ... |------|

Left Side (Information about the fix)

Line 1:

• the sequence number of the fix in the flight plan
• the fix identifier or type; "---" indicates an unnamed intersection
• the type of fix or, if the fix is a navaid, the Morse code for the fix identifier

Line 2:

• for navigational aids:
  • the frequency, preceded by "d" if the facility has DME capability
  • the facility name
• for airports:
  • the facility name
• for intersections:
  • identifiers, radials, and if available, distances of navaids which define the fix (i.e., the SAUr035/8 is the Sausalito VOR, 035 radial, 8 nautical miles)

Line 3:

• the latitude and longitude of the fix in degrees:minutes:seconds or degrees:minutes.fraction
• the expected altitude at which the aircraft will be at this fix expressed in hundreds of feet

Right Side (Cumulative fuel/time/distance information)

Line 1:

• the cumulative amount of fuel burned during the flight

• the cumulative time for the flight

• the distance remaining to the destination in nautical miles

Information for waypoints is slightly different than for other fixes:

    ---+--------+---------+----|
     2. Wpt. d116.8/030.0/3.1  |
        OAK    ---  .-  -.-.   |
        37:45:39 122:10:31  104|
    ---+--------+---------+----|

Left Side (Information about the fix)

Line 1:

• the sequence number of the fix in the flight plan
• the fix type: RNAV or Wpt.
• The frequency, radial, and distance in nautical miles to the fix off which this waypoint is referenced; this distance is compensated for slant range errors for RNAV fixes but not for Wpt. fixes
• the cumulative amount of fuel burned during the flight

• the identifier of the fix off which this waypoint is referenced
• the Morse code for the fix identifier
• the cumulative time for the flight

• the latitude and longitude of the fix in degrees:minutes:seconds or degrees:minutes.fraction
• the expected altitude at which the aircraft will be at this fix expressed in hundreds of feet
• the distance remaining to the destination in nautical miles

The information in the center (leg portion) includes the following:

    | Route   Mag  KTS  Fuel |
    | Winds   Crs  TAS  Time |
    | Temp    Hdg   GS  Dist |
    |--------+----+---+------|
    | V301               0.8 |
    | 170/6   288  126  0:05 |
    | -3 C    286  130     9 |
    |--------+----+---+------|

Line 1:

• the type of route, which may be an airway designator, "Direct", or a SID or STAR name
• the fuel consumption for this leg

Line 2:

• the average forecast winds aloft for this leg at the average altitude; N/A indicates that winds aloft are not available for this position and time, or that a no-wind flight plan was requested
• the magnetic course for this leg (ground track)
• the expected true airspeed for this leg in knots
• the time to fly this leg

Line 3:

• the forecast temperature aloft at the leg's average altitude
• the magnetic heading for this leg (wind corrected)
• the expected ground speed for this leg in knots (wind corrected)
• the distance covered by this leg

Note: The flight planner computes the magnetic course for each leg of the flight, which may differ from the published definition of an airway segment by a few degrees. The airway segment is defined using VOR radials, which are based on the declination of the VOR; the VOR declination does not always correspond to the magnetic variation at the VOR's location. Always consult current VFR or IFR charts for the published radial for an airway.

Latitude/Longitude, Fix Name, Morse Code (no Fuel Data) Output Format

    Ident  Freq  Latitude Longitude Location                        Total Dist
       Via                               Mag  Mag Dist TAS GS  Leg   Time Rem.
                                    Alt  Crs  Hdg   NM KTS KTS Time
---+------+-----+--------+---------+----+----+---+----+---+---+----+-----+-----
 1. KRHV   Apt.  37:19:59 121:49:07 San Jose CA (Reid-Hillview Of S  0:00  616
       Direct                         1  355  355    6  90  90 0:04
---+------+-----+--------+---------+----+----+---+----+---+---+----+-----+-----
 4. SUNOL  Int.  37:36:20 121:48:33 OAKr093/21 ECAr229/33            0:13  597
       V334                          65  358  358   12  90  90 0:08
---+------+-----+--------+---------+----+----+---+----+---+---+----+-----+-----
 6. SAC   d115.2 38:26:37 121:33:02 Sacramento                       0:40  546
       V23       ...  .-  -.-.      115  329  329   55 130 130 0:25
---+------+-----+--------+---------+----+----+---+----+---+---+----+-----+-----
10. LMT   d115.9 42:03:42 122:15:10 Klamath Falls                    2:22  323
    240.0/024.1  .-..  --  -        115  343  343   30 130 130 0:14
---+------+-----+--------+---------+----+----+---+----+---+---+----+-----+-----

Line 1: information about the current fix

• the sequence number of the fix in the flight plan
• the fix identifier or type; "---" indicates an unnamed intersection
• for navigational aids: the frequency, preceded by "d" if the facility has DME capability; for Airports or Intersections, "Apt." or "Int."
• the latitude and longitude of the fix in degrees:minutes:seconds or degrees:minutes.fraction
• the facility name, or, for intersections:
  • identifiers, radials, and if available, distances of navaids which define the fix (i.e., the SAUr035/8 is the Sausalito VOR, 035 radial, 8 nautical miles)
• the cumulative time for the flight
• the distance remaining to the destination in nautical miles

Line 2: more information about the current fix, and information on how to get to the next fix in the plan

• the type of route, which may be an airway designator, "Direct", or, in the case of an RNAV or LORAN-direct route, the radial and distance in nautical miles from the navaid to which this waypoint is referenced
• the Morse code for the fix identifier
• the expected altitude at which the aircraft will be at this fix expressed in hundreds of feet
• the magnetic course for this leg (ground track)
• the magnetic heading for this leg (wind corrected)
• the distance covered by this leg
• the expected true airspeed for this leg in knots
• the expected ground speed for this leg in knots (wind corrected)
• the time to fly this leg

Fix Name, Morse Code, Fuel Data (no Latitude/Longitude) Output Format

    Ident  Freq  Alt Name and Morse Identifier         Total Dist   Total
                     Mag  Mag Dist TAS GS     Leg  Leg  Time Rem.    Fuel
       Via           Crs  Hdg   NM KTS KTS   Fuel Time
---+------+-----+---+----+---+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------
 1. KRHV   Apt.    1 San Jose CA (Reid-Hillview Of San  0:00  616    0.0
       Direct        355  355    6  90  90    0.9 0:04
---+------+-----+---+----+---+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------
 4. SUNOL  Int.   65 OAKr093/21 ECAr229/33 SJCr009/15   0:13  597    3.0
       V334          358  358   12  90  90    1.9 0:08
---+------+-----+---+----+---+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------
 6. SAC   d115.2 115 Sacramento     ...  .-  -.-.       0:40  546    8.1
       V23           329  329   55 130 130    4.2 0:25
---+------+-----+---+----+---+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------
10. LMT   d115.9 115 Klamath Falls  .-..  --  -         2:22  323   25.2
    240.0/024.1      343  343   30 130 130    2.4 0:14
---+------+-----+---+----+---+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------

Line 1: information about the current fix

• the sequence number of the fix in the flight plan
• the fix identifier or type; "---" indicates an unnamed intersection
• for navigational aids: the frequency, preceded by "d" if the facility has DME capability; for Airports or Intersections, "Apt." or "Int."
• the expected altitude at which the aircraft will be at this fix expressed in hundreds of feet
• the facility name and Morse code identifier, or, for intersections:
  • identifiers, radials, and if available, distances of navaids which define the fix (i.e., the SAUr035/8 is the Sausalito VOR, 035 radial, 8 nautical miles)
• the cumulative time for the flight
• the distance remaining to the destination in nautical miles
• the cumulative amount of fuel burned during the flight

• the type of route, which may be an airway designator, "Direct", or, in the case of an RNAV or LORAN-direct route, the radial and distance in nautical miles from the navaid to which this waypoint is referenced
• the magnetic course for this leg (ground track)
• the magnetic heading for this leg (wind corrected)
• the distance covered by this leg
• the expected true airspeed for this leg in knots
• the expected ground speed for this leg in knots (wind corrected)
• the fuel consumption for this leg
• the time to fly this leg

Latitude/Longitude, Morse Code, Fuel Data (no Fix Name) Output Format

    Ident  Freq  Latitude Longitude  Fix Information    Total Dist   Total
                      Mag  Mag Dist TAS GS     Leg  Leg  Time Rem.    Fuel
       Via       Alt  Crs  Hdg   NM KTS KTS   Fuel Time
---+------+-----+---+----+----+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------
 1. KRHV   Apt.  37:19:59 121:49:07 San Jose CA (Reid-H  0:00  616    0.0
       Direct      1  355  355    6  90  90    0.9 0:04
---+------+-----+---+----+----+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------
 4. SUNOL  Int.  37:36:20 121:48:33 OAKr093/21           0:13  597    3.0
       V334       65  358  358   12  90  90    1.9 0:08
---+------+-----+---+----+----+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------
 6. SAC   d115.2 38:26:37 121:33:02  ...  .-  -.-.       0:40  546    8.1
       V23       115  329  329   55 130 130    4.2 0:25
---+------+-----+---+----+----+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------
10. LMT   d115.9 42:03:42 122:15:10  .-..  --  -         2:22  323   25.2
    240.0/024.1  115  343  343   30 130 130    2.4 0:14
---+------+-----+---+----+----+----+---+---+------+----+-----+-----+------

Line 1: information about the current fix

• the sequence number of the fix in the flight plan
• the fix identifier or type; "---" indicates an unnamed intersection
• for navigational aids: the frequency, preceded by "d" if the facility has DME capability; for Airports or Intersections, "Apt." or "Int."
• the latitude and longitude of the fix in degrees:minutes:seconds or degrees:minutes.fraction
• the facility name or Morse code identifier, or, for intersections:
  • identifiers, radials, and if available, distances of navaids which define the fix (i.e., the SAUr035/8 is the Sausalito VOR, 035 radial, 8 nautical miles)
• the cumulative time for the flight
• the distance remaining to the destination in nautical miles
• the cumulative amount of fuel burned during the flight

• the type of route, which may be an airway designator, "Direct", or, in the case of an RNAV or LORAN-direct route, the radial and distance in nautical miles from the navaid to which this waypoint is referenced
• the expected altitude at which the aircraft will be at this fix expressed in hundreds of feet
• the magnetic course for this leg (ground track)
• the magnetic heading for this leg (wind corrected)
• the distance covered by this leg
• the expected true airspeed for this leg in knots
• the expected ground speed for this leg in knots (wind corrected)
• the fuel consumption for this leg
• the time to fly this leg

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