Westar's "Visual Vertical Optimizer" for PFPS
Well I must apologize for the delay in updating the site lately. MPUC is only a few months away, so read below (scroll down to the "Register for MPUC 2008" Heading) on how to Register. In the coming week or so I'll provide a review of Westar Aerospace and Defense Group's Visual Vertical Optimizer.
It's a great piece of software that not only gets you your "Live Winds and Temps" or "Historical Winds and Temps" but graphically displays it for you. It also displays the predicted Specific Ground Range or Headwind / Tailwind component at each altitude along the route. The real benefit is that it gives you a full "cut" of the atmosphere in one go. You don't need to run 5 different route plans to see what the effect on fuel and time will be. Even better is that is utilises the US Navy's OPARS server to gather the weather information. These guys have rooms full of Cray Super Computer's - but best of all for the military is that they won't charge you the hefty fee's that the commercial providers do. In fact, they won't charge you anything in most cases!
"Why only Vertical?" I hear you ask. Well let's face it - as military operators you don't have much choice horizontally. You either have to comply with SPINS / ACO's, or you are flying on a Diplomatic Clearance submitted weeks before live winds were available. Horizontal or "Airways" optimiziation is (in my view) one of the most over stated / rated aspects for a military operator. Most of the time you're stuck on your "canned" route. Ask yourself this: How many dollars is your unit paying to "optimize" a route 4 weeks before the actual weather is available? I know, operators don't care about the cost, but I'm yet to hear a logical reason for paying hundreds of thousands for a service that OPARS / ACFP offer for free? Please click on CONTACT ME on the left if you have one! As Operators we need to realize it's a zero sum game. You pay money for one software package and you're actually losing funding for other things. We need an integrated military solution that works in peace and war.
Anyway... back to the VVO.
The added benefit of Westar's VVO is that it's utilising your tested and certified Flight Performance Model to give you the results.
Other features include visual display of your cruise ceiling, drift down and the freezing level along the route. If your not using it, your missing out. Here is a screen shot of a simple PFPS route (displaying wind component). This shows Specific Ground Range.
It's time to get on board. If your using software that forces you to run your route plan 5 to 10 times in order to look at the winds along route you are missing out. A top notch free data source combined with the view of your route that you need to stop climbing and descending on route to check out the winds!
I just checked the MPUC registration site and Westar have a display booth booked in Las Vegas. I'd recommend checking out their stuff.
Register for MPUC 2008 - Las Vegas!
Mid-Year has passed (you'll notice some new "News" and "Tips" on the left and right) and MPUC approaches. The Mission Planning Users' Conference will be held at the Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas. Mission Planners and industry can register to attend at Paul Revere Chapter's website.
Check out the MPUC Discussion Forum.. I invite any industry participants to place any ads (free) relating to your products on display, discussion points etc in the forum to notify the users who'll be there. Mission Planners are also welcome to discuss anything you like.
We've already had a post by one of the developers who wishes to touch base with others so don't be afraid to link up ladies & gents. To reply just click on the Register link at the top of the Forum page. Hopefully Mission-Planner.com can help some software guys get the ideas from the actual operators.
Thanks to the US FMS office for an update on how users from countries other than Australia and the US can access DAFIF.
What is PFPS?
The Portable Flight Planning Software was selected as the single, centrally supported mission planning system for the Australian Defence Force
JMPS - The Joint Mission Planning System is currently being developed by the United States DoD. Once stable and fully suitable for the majority of ADF platforms - users will be migrated from PFPS. The latest estimate for full migration is around 2012. It should be remembered that all the modules being developed in Australia will be developed to work with both PFPS and JMPS.
Flight Performance Models are an expensive yet key part of the system. These models developed for use in PFPS will work with JMPS. A Flight Performance Model is a digital reproduction of the entire performance manual. This differs to what some other providers of civilian flight planning software use (tabular data) which isn't as precise and usually doesn't cover you for low level.
Additionally PFPS FPM's are certified whilst most civilian flight planning companies offer you a service that isn't guaranteed (has the legal 'for entaintainment use only' disclaimer - nice..)
In my opinion PFPS is the best military flight planning product around. I'm not fooled by civilian providers who add something "military" to their civilian product name and proclaim it a military planning system ... you shouldn't be either! Best of all, PFPS doesn't cost you an annual fee!
If you can't plan your entire sortie with a system from take-off - high level - low level - it's a waste of money (and your time learning to use it!!)
Updated 04 Aug 08
