Flight Plan Route Source

FlightAware General
1

Hi there,

When FA pulls flight plan information for a given aircraft, what source is being used?

I ask because I wonder if the route shown is the filed route, or the route in HOST at the time of the departure message. The curiosity is mostly about how PDRs are handled when an aircraft files a non-conforming route. Will the FA route reflect the pilot’s original flight plan, or the PDR?

Thanks!

2

It’s the route post-processing by ETMS, not what’s filed. However, we only display what the original processed FP was, so it does not included pre-departure amendments. The route line shown en route is live.

3

Ok, so, there’s high potential, if not certainty, that if an aircraft files a particular route, and HOST wants to apply a PDR (say a SID in lieu of direct a given fix), FA won’t show such information?

Reason I ask, I’m trying to find a public source of PDR (and perhaps PAR) information, and what routes HOST will attempt to apply for a given flight plan.

Is there any known source for this kind of data?

4

We don’t have PDR date per se, but we’ll show the corrected route that has the SID or other route changes. The route on FlightAware is usually the clearance you’ll receive.

5

Wait, I’m confused.

You say you only display what the “original processed FP” is, but then you do show a corrected route prior to departure?

Help me understand the processing logic, am I anywhere close on this?

Airline flight ABC123 files FP thru NADIN (with bad departure route)
NADIN distributes FP to appropriate HOST
HOST instantaneously inserts yet-to-be-issued PDR
HOST distributes FP to ETMS as if PDR is/will be issued
FA pulls and posts ETMS FP data

As such, any FP amendments after ETMS pull aren’t displayed, and certainly not any airborne route changes (like when the ARTCC shortcuts someone). Of course, I understand the route line is live, I’m just talking strict text flight plan route data.

I hope I’m not treading on anything proprietary. As a former center controller, I’ve just been curious how FA sources the data and how “accurate” the flight plan is to the actual clearance at the time of departure.

Thanks!

6

Your process is totally correct. However, we only display the route as it originally goes through that process. A similar process will make amendments prior to departure and we do not currently display those. We feel like the route is usually accurate but it’s not guaranteed.