Flight Operations System

FOS Overview and Features

CTA’s Flight Operations System (FOS) is a comprehensive flight operations management and support system for corporate, charter and government aviation, as well as regional airlines, aircraft management and fractional ownership companies.

FOS for Windows is the latest version of the FOS. No aviation software can match the speed, functionality and ease of use of FOS, a powerful client/server (both LAN and WAN support) or PC (single user) application that meets the needs of the most demanding flight department. FOS truly represents the next generation in aviation software.

System Features

• A superior graphical Windows interface.  An intuitive design and logical organization
• List-oriented display
• Notebook-style windows with tabs
• Consistent operation for all related tasks
• Consistent use of all interface devices such as menus and buttons
• Easy-to-use printer, fax and E-mail interface
• Data lookups
• Lookup case and punctuation insensitive
• Lookup phonetic (sounds-like) option
• Easy access to any data from anywhere in the system, usually with a single click
• Variable size comments (up to 4,000 characters)
• High performance in both processing and navigation
• Context-sensitive online help
• Operating system platform for emerging technologies such as multimedia, image, pen and voice interfacing

Graphical User Interface

• Not all graphical user interfaces are easy to use. Some lack consistency, some have neither logical organization nor intuitive structure. FOS is consistent, logically organized and intuitive. Upon signing in, you are presented with the FOS main window containing a start button for each function.

   

  

List-Oriented Displays

• All lists have scroll bars which you can "drag" with the mouse to scroll, or click on scroll buttons to make the list scroll one item at a time.
• Most list displays have six selections in the top section--Sort, Lookup Filter, Report, Options and Help--which activate dropdown menus, e.g., by clicking on "Sort" you can sort the items in the list.   Other displays may have additional selections.

   

  

   

  To select a particular record from the list, just click anywhere on that line and then click on the right mouse button to display a pop-up menu of Actions--New, Copy, Delete or Edit. Click "New" to create a new record: blank data pages will appear for new input. This is an example of the intuitive interface found throughout the system--it all works the way you expect it to work, eliminating the need for extensive training.

Notebook-Style Data Pages (Windows)

• Most people are accustomed to organizing information in notebooks with tabs dividing the information into logical groups. For all modules and data functions, FOS begins with a list, and after you select from the list, presents a notebook with logically organized tabbed pages.
• Every notebook has tabs that mark the grouping of similar data. Some software has so much data squeezed together in one window that the displays become difficult to read and are often filled with data you don’t need. CTA took a different (and better) approach. Throughout FOS, data is divided into easy-to-read notebook pages.
• Tabs in a data notebook are always visible. FOS ensures "readability" by keeping notebook pages uncluttered and by making every page sizable and movable. In addition, entry fields are in regular font; required data fields are in bold. List buttons are always gray squares to the right of the field.
• Coded fields cause no confusion — most codes are user-definable so that you can establish codes meaningful to you, and one click of the mouse brings up the list of codes, along with their (user-defined) definitions.

Data Lists — Point and Click

• Any time there is a set of values from which to choose, FOS makes the list available to you with a click of your mouse. Three types of lists are used depending on the type of data being displayed in the list. The simplest is the standard drop down list containing system-defined values.
• A square button containing a question mark to the right of a field always brings up a list of user-definable codes. Just double-click on the code you wish to select. Users with appropriate rights can also edit codes or descriptions from this window.
• When a data list (rather than a code list) is appropriate, e.g. when a field requires an aircraft type, one click on the square button (with a question mark) to the right of the field brings up the appropriate data list.
• Once you have selected from the list, the value is displayed. Once displayed, you have easy access to all data associated with that value. Wherever a field name is shown as a button, clicking on that button will open the notebook associated with the value in that field. This provides convenient access to data at any time from anywhere it is referenced. In addition to selecting or viewing data, you can edit the data pages if you are authorized to do so.

Date Formats and Calendar

• There are various date formats: month-day-year, day-month-year, and year-month-day; FOS allows you to use the format you prefer. In addition, FOS fully integrated pop-up monthly calendar lets you select a date visually as a convenient alternative to entering the date manually. Of course, you can key in the dates directly if you choose.

Comments Windows

• With most software it is easy to run out of room for comments. Not so with FOS, where you have up to 4,000 characters available per comment. A full function text editor (including cut and paste, word wrap, etc.) is available for comment entry. There is a Comments Page with each notebook, as well as within specific notebook sections wherever you might need space for comments.

Time and Distance Calculations

• FOS calculates Great Circle distance for each trip leg.  It shows departure and arrival times in GMT, home base and local times.  It includes and shows time zone changes and accommodates Daylight Savings Time.  Estimates flight time based on a aircraft performance data and includes seasonal winds adjustment in the calculation.  FOS/NT estimates fuel burn.  Calculates and shows aircraft costs automatically, based on cost profiles for each aircraft.  Bases each ETE on aircraft type-specific data.  Includes departure and arrival airport delay time.  Includes fuel stops in total time estimate.  Allowances are made for diversions around restricted airspace.  Checks runway length and endurance and issues warnings if a runway does not meet the aircraft type, and the duration of the leg exceeds the endurance of the aircraft.

Airport Data

• FAA Landing Facilities Data Worldwide (all U.S. - 18,778 locations).
• Universal® Worldwide Airport Data, FBO and Hotel Data.
• Look-ups by indentifier (ICAO & IATA), city, and name.
• Geographical search for airports in vicinity of selected airport or in vicinity of any selected place (from Place Data)

U.S. Places Data

• Place Data for over 175,000 named places in the U.S., U.S. Territories and U.S. Possessions.

Aircraft Data

• No limit or number of aircraft or types.
• Owner, description, configuration, times, rates and logbook
• Documents, Credit Cards

Passenger Data

• Address, Phone and Fax telephone numbers (home and office).
• Travel Planner information.
• Passport information.
• Comments

Personnel Data

• Address, Phone, and Fax telephone numbers  (home and office)
• Crew Qualifications.
• Passport Information.
• Crew Currency.
• Logbook Data.

Vendor Data

• Address, phone and fax telephone numbers.
• Contacts
• Notes

FOS/NT: High Performance Software

• FOS is a high-performance 32-bit application that takes full advantage of Windows NT performance enhancers like multi-tasking and multi-threading that allows you to use your computer at times when you would normally have to wait. For example, when you update data or generate a report, FOS continues the process of updating or generating while you work on something else. You can also print in the background while you perform some other task.

System Requirements

FOS is a PC product.  Each PC workstation needs to meet the following minimum requirements:

• Pentium III Class Processor or above.
• 64 MB RAM (WinNT).
• 128 MB (Win 2000).
• 2 GB Hard Drive.
• SVGA Color monitor (Minimum 1024x768 Video Resolution).
• Two-button mouse.
• Windows 7/Vista/XP/NT/2000 Operating System.
• Any Server Operating System that supports an NT/2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7 client may be used.
• 28.8 modem or faster desirable for Custom Support service.
• Best performance is achieved using or Microsoft Windows NT/2000 Server or Novell Netware.