jetBlue performance software

[MD80DRVR]

It is. It is being used by many carriers.

Raw data goes into a w&b computer, results come back within a few seconds. If you have the full software V speeds transfer over. If not you have to manually enter those into the MCDU just like the results from the laptop. It greatly reduces heads down time for the FO during taxi. Big deal for runway incursions lately. Before getting disconnected from the tow we used to have all the stuff programmed. Effortless. It can be backed up with the laptop (not sure if that is still the case) or over the radio if it fails. It did fail once in a while but getting numbers over the radio was rarely a cause for delay. Very convenient. Definitely no way back once you get it. I hated how the laptop occupied the tray and the fiddling we had to do with it to stow it, make sure it was unplugged, etc. I can't stand that toughbook. It is nice to not have to update and carry the manuals, still I kind of prefer the binder to find stuff. And I am a computer enthusiast.

OPS is done before we drop the brake and literally takes a minute to complete. Why would you want to rely on someone who isn't on the airplane? OPS is definitely the more reliable and faster option to load planners.

 

[fly2002]

deleted

 

[huncowboy]

OPS is done before we drop the brake and literally takes a minute to complete. Why would you want to rely on someone who isn't on the airplane? OPS is definitely the more reliable and faster option to load planners.

OPS is more reliable but you are comparing a reliability of 100% vs 99%. It is not like you get stuck in case it does not work. You just get your numbers on the radio. Hardly ever happens. However the laptop it is definitely not faster. That is beyond argument. I have done both. Very convenient from the FO's point of view and you don't deal with the laptop. I would never go back, neither would you if you would have experience with it. Less to do = more time to pay attention to other things.

 

[Beetle007]

Some airlines used to have Load Planners send the data over the ACARS. That is what used to take a while.

Now the pilots of some airlines can just type the passenger and bag numbers into ACARS and it is sent to a computer processor and returned to the airplane so that you can automatically upload the performance data. No load planners and No laptop.....and it gives the pilots control of all the input data.

 

[Jet41]

Some airlines used to have Load Planners send the data over the ACARS. That is what used to take a while.

Now the pilots of some airlines can just type the passenger and bag numbers into ACARS and it is sent to a computer processor and returned to the airplane so that you can automatically upload the performance data. No load planners and No laptop.....and it gives the pilots control of all the input data.

Yeah until ACARS is out of service or in Bahamas or being blocked by a building.

 

[huncowboy]

Yeah until ACARS is out of service or in Bahamas or being blocked by a building.

In which case the world comes to an end.

 

[Beetle007]

Yeah until ACARS is out of service or in Bahamas or being blocked by a building.

I have had that happen twice.

The first time the station just gave us the numbers over the radio. The second time the dispatcher sent the numbers to the station and the gate agent handed them to us prior to pushback.

 

[Beetle007]

We also have the Airbus LPC system on our laptop that I guess we could use in a worst case scenario....but no one likes using the laptop anymore so we just tell the station to bring/give us the numbers.