A Question for Programmers
05-20-2010 | 05:55 PM
#11
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Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,851
Likes: 99
Thanks for the tips everyone. As I spend the next few days learning Java and planning the coding, does anyone have anything they think this all inclusive program should do.
Here is my plan. You select the aircraft, date, time, departure, destination, route, and whether you want to plan for minimum time or minimum fuel. The program then completes a nav log and provides a summary of all pertinent performance data. A flight plan is filed automatically, a DUAT weather brief is brought up, and approach plates are shown. The nav log, performance summary, weather brief, and plates can then be printed. There will be a button on the bottom to add an additional leg.
The aircraft is automatically blocked out on the schedule system and an estimated income for the flight is shown. For 135 and 91K operations, it will also calculate if it is cheaper for the plane to fly back empty, reposition, or wait for the passengers to return. It will log and track customer history to give an average time of how early or late they are from their planned departing times and use that information to decide if the crew should wait for them to return or fly somewhere else. Crew rest periods and aircraft maintenance will also be tracked.
I want versions of this to work on smart phones and tablets so that changes could be made on the go. If this ends up on the market my plan would be to charge around $40 for the software and 1 plane. Additional planes would cost around $15 each or 10 aircraft for $80. I think the combination of capability and price will make it unique.
I know it is a lot, but I have done most of it on Excel, and Java will give me a lot more options and make it easier. Are there other things you think it should do? What are problems with current flight planning and scheduling systems that you would like to change?
Here is my plan. You select the aircraft, date, time, departure, destination, route, and whether you want to plan for minimum time or minimum fuel. The program then completes a nav log and provides a summary of all pertinent performance data. A flight plan is filed automatically, a DUAT weather brief is brought up, and approach plates are shown. The nav log, performance summary, weather brief, and plates can then be printed. There will be a button on the bottom to add an additional leg.
The aircraft is automatically blocked out on the schedule system and an estimated income for the flight is shown. For 135 and 91K operations, it will also calculate if it is cheaper for the plane to fly back empty, reposition, or wait for the passengers to return. It will log and track customer history to give an average time of how early or late they are from their planned departing times and use that information to decide if the crew should wait for them to return or fly somewhere else. Crew rest periods and aircraft maintenance will also be tracked.
I want versions of this to work on smart phones and tablets so that changes could be made on the go. If this ends up on the market my plan would be to charge around $40 for the software and 1 plane. Additional planes would cost around $15 each or 10 aircraft for $80. I think the combination of capability and price will make it unique.
I know it is a lot, but I have done most of it on Excel, and Java will give me a lot more options and make it easier. Are there other things you think it should do? What are problems with current flight planning and scheduling systems that you would like to change?
05-21-2010 | 07:35 AM
#13
Thread Starter
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,851
Likes: 99
Yes, this program will be that specific. Every chance I get, a scan POH performance charts and then convert the charts to formals. It takes about 2 hours per plane now, but I think I figured out a way with Java to cut the time down to 1 hour.
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