ATC Message Handling Systems / ATC Data Systems / ATC Engineering

November 15th 2012 is the implementation date for the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) plan to implement changes to the current Flight Plan Form (PRESENT FPL) that is presently exchanged between Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) and Airline Operators (AO). The new Flight Plan Form (NEW FPL) will contain additional information relating to the advanced aircraft capabilities, particularly the Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) equipment carried on board the aircraft flying the Flight Plan. It is ICAO’s mandate that all States and users of ATC Networks upgrade their data systems to be able to accept the NEW FPL by the middle of 2012.

Copperchase have made a new system available (FPL2012) that provides a conversion facility and testing tool so that non-compliant end-systems can be phased out and new systems commissioned without having the pressure of implementing the changes according to the dates required by ICAO.

The FPL2012 provides facilities to: –

• Convert between the NEW FPL and PRESENT FPL formats
• Distribute PRESENT or NEW FPL’s to various defined circuits.
• Retain and store the 120 Hour (5 Day in advance) Flight Plans, redistributing them at a time required by the legacy end system (NEW FPL or PRESENT FPL)
• NEW FPL testing facilities for the commissioning of new systems and upgrades in readiness for the planned changes.

The above features will allow the users of Flight Planning Systems the option to upgrade or replace existing equipment as and when their local logistical and/or financial situations will allow.
 
The Copperchase FPL2012 is based on a Copperchase AFGATE (ATC Message Concentrator/Distributor) and supports a myriad of configurations with interfaces to the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) and/or the Aeronautical Message Handling System (AMHS).