Waiting on Numbers
- Thread starter SoonerATC
- Start date
They are waiting on their performance numbers to come back through ACARS. It depends on the system in place at the individual airline, but we input the number of passengers, fuel, bags and their placement and send them off via ACARS. We then get back a TDM (takeoff data message) that gives us our speeds, flaps, trim setting, engine failure procedure, etc... for that takeoff.
At ASA we use Aerodata and the whole process only takes about 30-45 seconds....other airlines have different vendors and some even have in-house units that take care of this and the time to receive your data varies
At ASA we use Aerodata and the whole process only takes about 30-45 seconds....other airlines have different vendors and some even have in-house units that take care of this and the time to receive your data varies
Beehive
Well-Known Member
Waiting for the over/under on the Yankees game before they call their bookeE.
Good thing for ATC flex shifts!
///AMG
Well-Known Member
Not that what you are saying isn't true, but last time I rode on an ASA jet from MEM to JAN, we ended up sitting in some sort of marshall area short of the parallels next to 2 other ASA jets waiting for said data for over 45 minutes. FO explained that it had to do with some last minute baggage. Luckily I was several drinks in (from the layover), sleepy and really did not care
ASpilot2be
Qbicle seat warmer
It is the same for us with Air Canada. Which sucks because the ops agent is also a ramper:crazy:
Not that what you are saying isn't true, but last time I rode on an ASA jet from MEM to JAN, we ended up sitting in some sort of marshall area short of the parallels next to 2 other ASA jets waiting for said data for over 45 minutes. FO explained that it had to do with some last minute baggage. Luckily I was several drinks in (from the layover), sleepy and really did not care
Well, that is most likely pilot error. They probably had an ACARS "No Comm" at the gate and the captain thought it would be a good idea to push thinking it would clear itself away from the terminal. We are NOT supposed to do this!!! After realizing he couldn't get it to work, our backup procedure is a nightmare. You have to fill out a ridiculously long form, then call dispatch and dictate the whole thing to them. They then have to repeat what you gave them and input it into their performance programs. After they get the information back, they give it to you and you now have to read it back to them. Then you have to input it into the FMS and set the other data. If they are busy this can take a Looong time.
What a crock.... I miss the whiz wheel!!!!
dc3flyer
Well-Known Member
HA HA HA!!!
I heard some airline guy today say he "still didn't have their numbers" today while holding short of the runway in Vegas.... MAKES SENSE!!!!!
///AMG
Well-Known Member
I think that how it can impact a controller is if a controller offers another runway or an intersection departure that wasn't originally planned for.
Then the "numbers" might change and the crew will need to get the performance data for the new runway or intersection.
Our company puts the performance data from Aerodata in as part of the dispatch release, with all the runways, and intersections that could be used for the airport. As long as our takeoff weight is less than the weight listed on the dispatch release for the runway and intersection, then we were good to go.
BobDDuck
Island Bus Driver
Most of the regionals that get w&b number via ACARS use some vendor that gets the numbers out pretty quickly (less than a minute normally). Bigger carriers either use that or have their own load control officer(s) at each station. At a hub Load Control can get really backed up and cause airplanes to weight (har har) for a while.
SoonerATC
Well-Known Member
That's spot on. I've offered more convenient runways to taxiing aircraft before and they've come back many times saying they don't "have the numbers for that runway" and had to continue on to the more distant or less convenient runway.
That also explains why pilots will ask me which runway they can expect before they even push. I had thought they were just wanting to get the airport diagram out and get familiar with their taxi route
.
At my airline, we're given runway dependent performance data right before pushback. At some airlines, that performance data is requested during taxi or they have approval to pushback without it as long as they have it prior to takeoff.
At our airport, 9/27 is the big runway. The terminal is at the east end of airport. When the wind is calm, or light out of the east, we will land air carriers on 9 so they can roll to the end and depart 27 so there is no taxi. Does it help the pilots if they know this when taxiing in? Or getting the IFR Clearance? I mean, does it help get numbers faster if they know a while in advance?