Flight Times International Version

December 7, 2022
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airline, aviation, captain, cockpit, pilot

Flight Times International Version

Last time, we explored my traditional “FLT TMS” Flight Information sheet, which for 3 decades in the sky helped keep me aloft, on track, and legal.

This week, we check out my “new-improved, radical makeover” International version!

Yep, over on the International side of things, I’ve had to not only “evolve,” but completely revamp my note page for the task at hand.

In fact, it’s changed so much that my new, Intl FLT TMS has morphed into 3 different versions, depending on destination!

Flight Times International Version

"Generic FLT TMS"

Here’s my “Generic FLT TMS.”

This is a recent flight I took from DFW to EZE (Buenos Aires, Argentina.)

Note first that I had to expand my precious little box to take up a whole 3rd of the page. In fact, I can only fit a couple flights on one page now!

Header

Lots of similar stuff here to the Domestic version, and most pretty much self-explanatory.

In short, Flight Number, dep/arr times, MEL & TAC items (see prev. post for MEL definition; a TAC is similar to MEL) Arrival Gate, and Alternates.

Personal Preflight Checklist

My Preflight Checklist is now in the upper right corner.

Again, this becomes the most critical section of my notepad.

In addition to verifying the tail number (now called “Nose Number), a list of several documents required, such as:

AML (Aircraft Logbook)
SECurity slip/Lavatory Serviced slip/Water Serviced slip
NOTOC (Notice of Dangerous Goods—legal “Hazmat,” or Hazardous Material, we may be carrying)
ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards) check signed off in logbook.
“Misc 91” refers to a 777 AD (Airworthiness Directive), which is a piece of paper proving our fueling procedure has complied with the AD.

Ask any Cap’n, and they’ll tell you the most important thing that makes an airplane fly is…the paperwork! And, as PIC (Pilot In Command), you’re responsible for every little official piece of paper that’s required to legally fly.

We finish up the header with personal reminders to turn on the APU, the Seatbelt sign, & make a PA. Lastly, I want to check if we’re carrying any doggies or kitties down in the cargo hold. If so, we need to turn up the heater for them!

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Flight Times International Version

Other Sections

Above left is my fuel load: Minimum required, Planned, Actual, & Arrival. Then, for quick reference, our departure airport frequencies for Operations and Maintenance. At the bottom is PTOW—Planned Takeoff Weight.

Next (middle) are some shortcuts to get to some items in the CDU (computer), such as updating winds and so forth.

Also critical on International flights is our “MOT“—basically the “drop dead” time by which we MUST take off. This especially becomes critical on our DEL flights (see below.)

To the right is a shorthand way to calculate our all-important “MOT.”

MOT: Maximum Off Time

When flying long international hauls, we’ve got to keep close track of our maximum allowed flight and duty times, which comes under FAR 117.

If we cannot takeoff by our MOT, we turn into pumpkins—we have no choice but to taxi back to the gate and cancel the flight for the night!

This especially becomes critical on our longest flight, DEL-JFK. (Knock on wood, I’ve come very close, within 2 minutes of MOT, but so far haven’t expired!)

Next comes:

ETE/Off/ETA are self-explanatory
Altitudes (initial climb to FL 310, or 31,000 feet), and the waypoints for the next step climbs (Juju then FRT)
Below that, our Dispatcher Desk (58—which we can call on our Satellite phone to converse with our Flight Dispatcher.)
SOB: Souls On Board
The L/R FDCR etc. are the phone numbers to call for each Flight Attendant station.

Flight Times International Version

ETOPs Adds

I like to keep as much free space on the pad as possible to scribble notes enroute. Lord knows I need it!

But, when I’ve got a flight overwater, such as crossing the Atlantic to LHR (London), I add a few lines to the Flt Tms.

(For more, see our aNATomy of a NAT Flight series.)

Below, the line beginning with “CYQX” is the elapsed time when we’ll cross from a potential divert to Gander (CYQX) to Iceland (BIKF). If something hits the fan, we’ll already be planning ahead for the divert.

This is for planning only; depending on the severity of the issue (engine failure, depressurization, medical emergency, etc.), and also on weather, and other options available, we could choose to divert elsewhere.

The lines beginning with “HF” are the backup HF (High) frequencies.

Overwater, we will be out of VHF (Very High Frequency) range. VHF is our standard radio frequency, but it’s limited to line-of-sight. HF can operate over the curvature of the earth. It’s annoying to monitor this, however, as there’s lots of static. Also, the frequencies are always in flux, depending on atmospheric conditions. Therefore, we must be assigned the freqs enroute.

Again, these HF frequencies are backups. As long as our CPDLC (Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications, shown above) works, we won’t need to listen to that annoying white noise!

Flight Times International Version

DEL Version

Finally, we come to the Big Poobah, the JFK-DEL flight. We need all the above, plus one more item…

Notice the 2 additional lines below my CDU cheats, starting with “Dec Pt.”

As you may recall from our A Passage to India series, when flying over the Himalayas, we need to keep close tabs on those mighty lofty rocks.

Each Decision Point (+ or – x number of miles from said point) will dictate which route we’d take to “escape” to an emergency field.

Just like our overwater diversions, we’ve got to plan ahead in the event of a “non-normal,” or, worse, a rapid depressurization. However, our “escape route” is super strict. We gotta stick to it to avoid the peaks and fly the valleys. So, we’d program ahead of time said route, and activate it in the event of an issue.