Pat Dunn, director of product development for software developer FDManager and an experienced and current corporate pilot, is familiar with the problems that led to the development of his company’s flight log software.
Keeping track of all the variables that need to be correct for a business jet to fly legally is a complicated problem, and when done entirely on paper the process is frequently subject to error. In one instance, Dunn was planning a three-week trip, and he asked the maintenance manager if there were any due items that would occur during the trip. He was told nothing was due, but then halfway through the trip, the manager called and said he would have to make an extra stop for a required maintenance item. Dunn would then have to call the boss and try to explain why the trip would be delayed. “We had a lot to learn,” he recalled.
Now Dunn just checks FDManager before a flight, and he can instantly see whether the planned trip can be done without any maintenance-due items causing delays, and without having to launch another program like Camp Systems to check the same information.
FDManager (Booth 860) also tracks every other aspect of the operation, including pilot qualifications, training and medical records, radiation exposure, de-icing holdover times, number of approaches and holds, fuel burned, invoices, avionics requirements (30-day VOR and two-year transponder checks), minimum equipment lists, scheduled maintenance, discrepancy status and much more.
“It’s a paperless solution for all factions of the organization except it’s not a scheduling tool,” he said. There are plenty of other scheduling programs available that do a fine job, he added, and in any case, FDManager can integrate with third-party software for scheduling, maintenance management, flight planning, safety management systems, etc. Every night at midnight, FDManager sends updated flight time and other information to customer third-party providers, such as Camp Systems, Flightdocs and others.
Eliminating Crew Errors
FDManager streamlines the capturing of flight data, but it proves its worth in helping flight crews more accurately input the data. “If we can get all your paperwork into our system,” Dunn said, “then crews are more likely to do it. It’s legible and more accurate when you start talking about additions and subtractions and carry-forwards for record keeping purposes.”
FDManager, for example, won’t allow an incorrect date or unapproved pilot to be entered in the system. Once the pilot inputs the time out, the program automatically calculates the flight and block time, and the crew then isn’t allowed to manipulate the information, although administrators can be given permission to make corrections. “We’re trying to make sure crews don’t make mistakes,” he said.
Some operations might insist on paper flight logs, but Dunn has found that most operations end up with error rates of 5 to 8 percent in flight logs, based on his examinations of historical records. With such an error rate, Dunn can easily show that it adds up to at least two hours of flight time per year. And the per-hour cost of the maintenance programs to which operators typically subscribe more than pays for the annual subscription fee for FDManager. “If we can save two hours [of flight time mistakes], we pay for the cost of FDManager,” he said.
For multiple aircraft operators, the savings can be higher because FDManager offers fleet discounts. The subscription fee is per airplane, and there are no limits to the number of users or limits for the amount of data stored in FDManager’s secure Amazon-based cloud.
FDManager also comes in handy when operators are faced with SAFA ramp checks, because the software can store the information needed to satisfy inspectors. “We don’t tell you how to do the SAFA check,” he said, “but we have the form that we have used over the years, and it has prevented numerous mistakes. Everybody does things a bit differently, but we give you the flexibility to track the [necessary] documents and keep your system current.”
FDManager can also be used to distribute training materials to flight crews, and it tracks whether or not a document has been opened. Documents are automatically delivered to the recipient when they sign into FDManager on whatever device they are using.
While FDManager can be used to manually place flight plans into the customer’s web portal, Dunn is working on an automatic flight plan distribution mechanism that would eliminate the manual steps. “This will take more time, because there are so many flight planning organizations,” he said. “We have to figure out how to meet their needs.”
Having the flight plan at hand makes it easier for pilots to annotate the map, for example, when marking up waypoint crossings during oceanic trips. If a SAFA inspector suspects that the pilot had a gross navigation error, he explained, “you bring out the flight plan and show them everything you’ve done.” Dunn uses an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil to mark up his flight plans. “All that stays with the flight-of-the-day documents. You know where it is, and it truly makes it readily available.”
For operators, the bottom line is that people are less likely to transfer written data to a computer after a flight. “If we put the ability for the crew to put in data at their fingertips, they’ll do it,” Dunn said. “If they have to go to a computer later, that will never happen. We’re trying to put it all in one place.”
Subscribers can ask for customization of FDManager. “We can write reports for just about anything you want to get,” he said.
FDManager, said Dunn, “meets all regulatory requirements. It’s pretty much compliant around the world,” although some regulators insist that crews continue to use paper flight logs. Dunn is working with operators and regulators to help them understand how FDManager improves regulatory compliance. Nonetheless, all the data can be printed out in various types of reports if necessary.
