Instructions for the B737NG

Dispatch Sheet v4.9.7

The Boeing 737NG dispatch sheet can be used for planning flights with the 737 Next
Generation. It was designed to be used with PMDG 737NGX but is to some extend also
applicable when using the iFly 737NG or the default FSX 737-800.
The dispatch sheet includes an airport and runway database as well as some quite
complex calculation models that, based on user input, will calculate information about
fuel consumption, weights, and time for a planned flight.
The sheet will also help calculating takeoff and landing performance. This will allow the
user to obtain V-speeds and possible engine de-rates for takeoff.
The dispatch sheet is an excel spreadsheet and needs no other software than MS Excel
or any other piece of software that can handle MS excel 2007 files. The two freeware
office packs OpenOffice and Libre Office have been tested with the spreadsheet, and
sadly they can't handle the formatting and the database tables nor the embedded
macros. Also MS Excel versions earlier than 2007 have troubles.
Macros
The sheet uses active macros. Some of the functions require that Excel is set up to
allow these macros. By default macros are disabled, but can easily be enabled like
this:
a) Click on the windows icon in the upper left in Excel. And in the window that opens
select Excel settings (or options depending on language) in the bottom right.
b) Select security Center in the left side menu and click on security center settings in
the bottom right.
c) Select macro settings in the left menu and click on the 4th option to allow all
macros. (It's not recommended due to the security risks when opening unknown excel
files but there are nothing malicious in this file, so don't worry. You can always disable
macros again later)
d) Restart Excel
(I'm using a Danish version of excel, so I'm not 100% sure on the button and menu
names)
History
The first many versions of the sheet were never published. At the beginning it was just
a list of values found via other software like TOPCAT and Vroute. But soon I thought
that it could be fun if I could make the sheet do some of its own calculations. I started
with fuel calculations usage for 737-800 - mainly because TOPCAT denied to let me
land in Santos Dumont Airport of Rio de Janeiro. Then later I added calculations for 6,7,
and 900. And then later again I made it possible to select iFly and FSX aircraft. At the
time fuel calculations were based on three sections of the flight. One calculation for
climb, one for cruise, and one for descent. The latest versions splits each flight in
many more sections making the fuel predictions much more precise. Also I found a

simple way to calculate fuel and time based on cost index, and it seems to be pretty
precise when I tested with the PMDG NGX. I re-designed the layout from a list to a
flowchart and added the runway and airport databases that made it possible to do all
the takeoff and landing performance calculations. The sheet is no longer a simple
shortlist. It has evolved into a full performance calculator though it might not be as
accurate as real life operations would demand. And in some cases it might not be as
accurate as commercial flight simulator addons that does the same. But this sheet is
free and it works.
Overview
At first the sheet might look overwhelming. But actually it is quite intuitive. It is split in
a number of sections that each provides space for entering or reading different pieces
of information about the flight. Generally all cells where the user inputs information
are light blue. All cells where the user selects between options via a drop down menu
are lavender. Yellow cells are highlighted cells containing information that is entered in
to the aircraft FMC. Red cells are only temporarily red as a warning that something is
wrong. So let us have a look at each section below. (The picture below is from an
earlier version but the placement of the sections is correct).

1. Aircraft selection
2. Departure and arrival information
3. Alternate information
4. En route information
5. Payload
6. Center of Gravity
7. Flight Economy
8. Fuel calculations
9. Weights
10.Landing configuration

11.Take Off Performance

12.Visual Flight Profile
13.Navigational information
14.Units converters
15.Flight statistics
1 Aircraft selection
Here you can choose your desired aircraft and its configuration. You can select
between the following models: B737-600, 700, 800, 900, BBJ, BBJ2, and BBJ3. You can
also select if the aircraft is equipped with winglets. Next you can choose between the
two brilliant aircraft addons from PMDG and iFly or default FSX (which is good but not
brilliant). Beware that it is not possible to choose a BBJ from PMDG or a default FSX
737-700. Only aircraft that are available can be selected. (And PMDG has not released
a BBJ). If you select a Boeing 737-800 you can also select if the short field
performance package (SFP) should be installed. The SFP enables the 737-800 to use
shorter runways as the one at SBRJ (Santos Dumont, Rio) which it was designed for.
Small adjustments in design allow for more effective deceleration and also allow a bit
steeper angle of attack on approach and a corresponding lower landing speed.
The Drag Bias is a value unique to every aircraft. As aircraft age they will be less
effective thus using more fuel than when they were new. The sheet is based on real
life performing documentations but fuel consumption calculations are still corrected to
experienced PMDG NGX fuel burn. If you for some reason always find that the fuel
calculations deviate from your experienced consumption, this is where you would
adjust the calculations. A value of 100 is equal to my average experienced
consumption using the PMDG NGX. A value of 101 simply add one percent to the
calculated air time fuel usage. Ground fuel used for APU and taxi is not affected.
You can also define the seating configuration of the aircraft. It is possible to select
three different seat classes: Y (economy), C (business), and F (First class). When flying
the PMDG 2-class configurations you should use Y / F for the -800s and -900s and Y / C
for the -600s and -700s. This will get you close to how PMDG distributes the seats
(which is important to predict the correct CoG). Just input the desired number of seats
in each class. Beneath you will notice a percentage showing how much of the cabin
capacity is used. If at 100% seats are as small and as tightly placed as possible. Being
at 80% doesnt mean that the last 20% of the cabin is empty but that the passengers
will have more legroom and the seats might recline more. As an example using the
default 737-800 2-class configuration from PMDG (150Y 12F) should give you about
93%. Putting 189 Y seats in a 737 will give 100%, and although the 737-900 has a
longer cabin 189 Y seats will also give 100% due to the fact that the 737-900 is limited
to 189 seats for evacuation reasons. The -900 would fit 189 C class seats (not the best
business class seat in the world though) whereas the -800 will only fit 173 in an all
business single class configuration. The -800 can fit 95 of the smallest class F seats
and the -900 can go up to 108. But remember: these would be the least comfortable
first class seats on the market.
>>Fun facts:
You might want to take a look at real airliners aircraft configurations. Try entering their
number of seats and the lower percentage you get, the better the comfort you can
expect on that plane. Cabin configurations for many airlines can be found online.
Personally I use this site: http://www.seatguru.com/

For example the Korean Air 737-800 in a 126Y / 12F class configuration scores 80%
and the Ryan air -800 scores 100% with its 189Y class configuration (Youre not
standing but either you fell like standing or you feel like you would really want to be
standing).
American Airlines -800 in a 140Y 16F configuration scores 92% (not bad), and their 3
class configuration scores 91%. Next time you go on a real life flight as passenger you
could use this sheet to estimate the level of comfort aboard.
End of fun facts <<
The choice of seat class impacts how passenger weight is distributed since a first class
passenger weighs less per feet cabin length. This is because first class seats takes up
more space and thus the weight of the passenger is spread over a wider area. This will
again affect the aircraft balance.
Also note that PMDGs choices of cabin layouts are restricted. You cant load 189
passengers on the PMDG NGX 737-800. It is limited by PMDG to 172, which is a shame
in my opinion (utilizing only 92% of capacity according to the sheet).
And finally you can choose if you want runway distances to be displayed in meters or
feet. You can also change weight units by pressing the "change" button. Pressing this
button will shift between Lbs and Kg. All weights in the planning sheet will update
correspondingly. Note that due to the use of rounding in the calculations numbers
might change a bit and thus fuel calculations could differ slightly (1-3 kg max).
2 Departure and arrival information
Here you enter the departure and destination airports as ICAO or IATA codes Basically
three-letter codes will be interpreted as IATA codes and four-letter codes as ICAO.
When either airport code is entered the airport name, city and country as well as the
airport elevation will be displayed. You can then enter the date of the flight and the
expected gate departure time as well as select the expected runway from a drop down
list. It is also possible to enter weather information for departure and destination
airports. To change between using milibars (mb) or inches of mercury (InHG) for air
pressure push the corresponding pressure button. If a value has been entered it will
be converted to the new unit. If a pressure value is out of range the cell will turn red.
Weather information is used for calculating wind components and aircraft performance
during takeoff and landing.
When departure and destination airport has been selected, the box in the middle will
show the distance between the two airports. This is, however, the direct distance
between the two airports. SIDs and STARs as well as airways are likely to extend the
route. Thus you can enter the real route length in the box below, if you know it. If you
are using a route planner such as Vroute, you can get the exact distance including SID
and STAR from there. (In Vroute use the waypoints page to get the true distance)
If you are using a weather program like Active Sky as I do, you can also enter
information about descent winds. This information is not used for fuel calculations at
this time. They are only there for reference when programming the descent in the
FMC.
Whenever you change the airport code, the name and location of the airport will
change to correspond with the entered ICAO/IATA code. But the runway selection will
not update automatically. Hence when you change the airport until you change the
runway selection the runway cell will turn red.

Maximum outside air temperature is usually around 50 degrees Celsius, though it is

influenced by factors such as air pressure. Should the entered OAT be higher than the
current max, the temperature cell will turn red.
3 Alternate information
Here you enter the alternate airport. As with the primary route you can read the direct
distance between your primary and your alternate destination. You may also need to
enter the exact distance here. The information you put in here is used for calculating
reserve fuel. You cant however select runways at your secondary airport. Nor is it
possible to input weather information or read time predictions.
4 En route information
This section is split in two: the altitude section and the time section.
In the altitude section you can read your max and optimal flight levels based on your
aircraft type and weight. You can then enter your desired flight level. If your selected
flight level is above max, or if the route is too short to allow you to climb that high,
you will get a warning notification (red cells) and the temperature cell will not show
temperatures but either too high max or too high trip depending on what limits
your altitude. When you have selected a desired flight level, you can read the ISA
temperature for that specific altitude. If you have access to the information you can
enter an ISA deviation. This may influence aircraft performance.
The sections for primary and alternate route are almost identical but the primary route
has an extra option namely the option of using step climb en route. If you are heavy
on takeoff and your route is long you could benefit from climbing higher when you
have burned some fuel. Select Y for yes if you would like to plan with steps or N for no
if you dont. The estimated fuel saving can be read in percentage of the total fuel
usage. If theres no benefit or possibility of using steps the option will be grayed out.
The lower box contains the time information and the estimated en route fuel burn. The
figures are constantly calculated when new information is entered in the sheet.
5 Payload
In this section you can enter the number of passengers (PAX) and estimate the
payload by using standard luggage and PAX weights. If you are using PMDG NGX
entering a PAX weight of 74kg and 5kg for carry-on will give the same passenger
weight as the NGX CDU payload screen will use. These are also the numbers that the
sheet's payload generator uses.
You can distribute passengers to all three types of seats (Y,C,F), if they are available
(set in section 1). If you have seated more passengers that there are seats, the
corresponding cell will turn red. Takeoff should be avoided with standing passengers,
although, as somebody pointed out in the NGX forum, some airliners would definitely
let their passengers stand if they were allowed.
You can also control how much luggage the average passenger is bringing. Just input
the average weight of a piece of luggage and the average weight of one piece of
luggage.
All cargo and baggage is by default distributed to the rear cargo compartment. This
can be changed by entering how much weight you want in the forward compartment,

which will then be subtracted from the rear compartment weight. Thus it is possible to
move the aircraft center of gravity forward and backwards.
There are different procedures at different airlines describing how to load the aircraft
and distribute cargo and baggage. Earlier versions of this sheet used a 40/60 rule with
60% of the baggage placed in the rear compartment. But compared to the weight of
the living meat sitting upstairs the weight of the cargo often doesnt impact balance
that much. Common for all the rules of thumbs I have seen is that most luggage
should go in to the rear compartment, and if you are carrying less than 1.5 ton dont
even bother open the front compartment door.
The Manifest Generator
Next to the payload section there are to grey push-buttons. The upper creates a
passenger manifest based on the entered averages in the payload box. The lower of
the two buttons creates a random passenger manifest. You will not see the values
changing when pushing the buttons. Instead a new sheet will be created. The newly
created sheet contains a passenger list, a time stamp, a load factor, and weight
information. Some passengers are children, some carry an infant, some travel alone,
and others travel in families.
The generated manifest will show how many passengers are on board and split them
in males (M), females (F), Children ((x)), and infants (INF). Men are heavier than
women, infants do not use seats (but they create more carry-on weight for the person
carrying them), and children are not as heavy as adults. Therefore the passenger
manifest will show both the number of PAX and a "PMDG PAX equivalent". The PMDG
PAX equivalent is the number of passengers you load in to the PMDG NGX CDU to get
the planned weights using PMDGs standard weight of approximately 79kg per
passenger. Often you'll have to enter a different number of passengers in the CDU
than you are actually planning to load on the aircraft .
To export these numbers to the flight planner sheet make sure you are still viewing the
passenger manifest sheet and then pres CTRL-e. All this will only work if Excel is set up
to allow the use of macros. The generated sheet can be deleted without any problems.
There are no connections or links to the other sheet at all.
When you export the manifest to the flight planner you will notice, that the flight
planner always will reset the passenger and carry-on averages. Instead of using your
entered weights (if you used the upper PAX generator button) it will alter the number
of passengers so that the total weight will correct. again, this is to make it possible to
use the PMDG NGX CDU to load passengers on the aircraft. You should also notice
though, that the luggage weight will not change if you planned in Lbs-mode and
exported the sheet in Kg-mode. Thus always make sure, that you are in the same unit
mode, when you export the values to the planning sheet as you where when you
generated the passenger lists.
Also observe that the generator only works with one class of seats.
6. Center of Gravity
An aircraft Center of Gravity (CoG) is the spot along the fuselage where if you
balanced the aircraft on your finger it wouldn't fall forward or backwards. If the CoG is
too far behind, you would risk a tail strike or even a stall on takeoff. If it's too far
forward you might end up having difficulties to clear the runway and climb. Hence the
CoG is an important value to observe when doing the flight preparations. The PMDG

NGX automatically calculates the CoG for you. But for flight planning it is nice to have
an idea where it might be before entering the aircraft.
In the Boeing 737 the CoG is displayed as a distance from the CoG to the Mean
Aerodynamic Cord (MAC). It is normally displayed in percentages (%MAC). The MAC is
a predefined spot along the length of the aircraft determined by the placement and
design of the wing (Very basically explained). Imagine that spot to be let's say 50 ft
and the CoG falls 10ft behind it then the %MAC would be 20% (10 is 20% of 50).
Different aircraft in different configurations in different conditions and with different
payloads will have different CoG limitations. If you're within the limitations, the CoG
will still dictate how much you would need to trim your aircraft for takeoff. If CoG is
forward (small %MAC) you will need some trimming. If its further back you will need
less trimming, because the weight of the aircraft rear will do some of the work for the
elevators. Trim setting according to the calculated MAC can be found in the aircraft
performance documentation. Here it is calculated either from a manually entered
%MAC or from a calculated %MAC.
Three factors are the most important contributors to the shifting of the CoG. These are
1. Passenger number, weight and seating.
2. Relationship between the weight of cargo in the two compartments.
3. The weight and placement of fuel.
These factors can (not easily) be calculated. This is done by the sheet.
But the aircraft also has a dry-weight CoG: The Center of Gravity when it is empty. This
is much harder to calculate precisely as there are so many factors going in to the
equation. Everything from galley equipment, entertainment system, cabin layout etc.
impacts the Empty CoG. Since this dispatch sheet lets you define almost whatever
cabin layout you would like, the CoG calculations are build on some very theoretical
calculations and made to match the PMDG flight model.
When planning the flight in the dispatch sheet both the empty CoG and the shifting
CoG will change now and then. The calculated CoG will take all these factors into
account. On the other hand you might have a better way to calculate the CoG - hence
the option to enter the %MAC manually. CG can't be calculated for BBJ, BBJ2, and BBJ3.
Just choose which of the two you want to use from the drop-down menu.
Please note that when you load passengers on the PMDG NGX it will seat them
randomly, thus making it impossible to predict the actual CG. This dispatch planner
will seat passengers evenly over the whole cabin. It will not take the distribution of
auto generated passengers into account.
7 Flight Economy
An important part of flight planning is the use of Cost Index (CI)/Long range cruise
(LRC): Here you can choose between using ECON flight (Cost index based) or LRC (long
range cruise).The cost index is explained as a function of time related cost divided by
fuel use cost. But basically its just a function of: "higher CI will get you there faster
but spend more fuel". Cruise speeds calculated from CI takes the wind component into
account. If you are flying downwind and thereby gaining a time advantage, the same
CI will command a lower cruise speed to save even more fuel.
CI is entered in the FMC as a number between 0 and 500 (for Boeing 737NGs that is.
Other aircraft may have different ranges for CI).What CI you would use is an

economical figure, where airline dispatchers calculate the cheapest way to fly the
route regarding to both the cost of fuel but also the cost of using more time.
Optimal CI can differ from route to route, from company to company, and even from
day to day. A CI between 6 and 30 is most common but it could be way higher. The
higher the fuel price is, the lower CI you would use. The higher the time related costs
are, the higher CI you would use.
You can also choose to use the long range cruise setting (LRC). Long range cruise is
defined as the cruise speed that will limit the range by 1% compared to the Vmu
(Minimum fuel usage speed = CI 0). It is in most situations comparable to a CI of 35,
but the speed logic varies slightly. As an example LRC will not take the wind
component into account when calculation cruise speeds.
8 Fuel calculations
- Fuel load is the total amount of fuel loaded. It has to be selected by the user. Use the
button Set Min to set fuel load to the minimum amount needed. Sometimes it can be
necessary to push the min button twice. Please note that your optimum flight level
might change as fuel is added or removed. The Set Max button will set the fuel to
the maximum. It is not only limited by fuel tank capacity but also by the maximum
weights. Bringing full tanks on a short flight will exceed the maximum landing weight.
A Longer flight might also be limited by MTOW. Be aware that if you load the plane
with the maximum fuel figure and for some reason burn less fuel than expected, you
will have to hold over the destination airport until you are safely below maximum
landing weight. Also please note that runway length is not taken into account when
calculating max fuel. At some airports it is the dimensions of the runway that limits
take-off and landing weight. So keep an yey on the runway margins as well. They will
turn red if the runway is to short.
Excess fuel will initially be regarded as Captains fuel, but can be moved to
Tankering/Ballast Fuel by entering the amount of excess fuel in the Tankering/Ballast
Fuel cell. Tankering and Ballast fuel will, contrary to Captains Fuel, not be regarded as
reserve fuel.
- Contingency Fuel is extra fuel for unexpected route deviations, holds, ATC vectors,
and so forth. This is usually set to 5% of trip fuel and alternate fuel.
- Next you have the expected time for APU and taxi at departure and arrival. The
departure figures are used to calculate taxi fuel. The arrival figures are used for
calculating the estimated total fuel usage of the whole flight as well as the minimum
minimum landing fuel.
- Hold fuel is often calculated as fuel for 30 minutes at 1500ft. But this can change
according to local regulations and environment. Also if you fly without an alternative
destination, you will probably need more holding fuel according to regulations.
- Taxi fuel is the fuel calculated to be used until takeoff. It includes fuel used for APU
and for the taxiing itself.
- Minimum landing fuel is the fuel to be left in the tanks when you flown your trip, had
a go around, had a 30 min hold, diverted to your alternate, and landed. The minimum
is calculated destination taxi and APU fuel plus 25%). Company minimums are usually
around 2000lbs or 900Kg.
- Tankering / Ballast Fuel is unusable fuel. It will not count as reserve fuel. It could be
fuel for the return flight if fuel prices, availability or facilities at the destination makes
refueling undesirable.
- Minimum reserve fuel is Hold + Contingency + Alternate fuel.
- Captains fuel: Sometimes the captain knows that an extra bit of fuel is needed just to
be on the safe side. The Captains fuel is calculated as the difference between the fuel

needed and the selected fuel load. If it is in negative, you need to select a higher fuel
load or you could end up flying a heavy sail plane.
- Takeoff fuel is initial (ramp) fuel load minus taxi fuel. This is the amount of fuel that is
used to calculate takeoff performance.
-Landing fuel is takeoff fuel minus trip fuel .It is the maximum expected amount of fuel
onboard when landing at the primary destination. Hence it is used for landing
performance calculations.
- Actual Reserve Fuel is the reserve fuel figure to enter in the FMC. It is not exact but
shown in hundreds, as that is what the FMC requires.
9 Weights
Aircraft weight, Fuel, and payload are added together to find the aircraft Gross Weight
(GW). The most interesting figures are the takeoff weight (GW minus taxi fuel weight)
and the landing weight (GW minus taxi and trip fuel weight). Landing Weight (LW) and
Takeoff weight (TOW) are used to calculate takeoff and landing performance and Vspeeds. Also the aircrafts LW, TOW and Zero Fuel weight (ZFW) limitations are shown.
If the aircraft is too heavy the corresponding cell will turn red. The most limiting weight
(LW, TOW or ZFW) is shown below.

10 Landing performance
Expected landing speed and approach speed are calculated from the landing weight as
well as the weather information entered in section 2 (Departure and arrival
information) and the selected flap configuration.
To determine if the runway is long enough select the desired autobrake setting, or
select Max Man (maximum manual braking). Then select your expected runway
conditions and the landing mode (either manual or autoland). The Landing Distance
Available (LDA), the Landing Distance Required (LDR), and the difference (the brake
margin) can be read. If numbers are negative the cell will turn red and you might run
out of runway before you have stopped. All distances are displayed either in meters or
feet depending on your selection in section 1.
Another important piece of information about your landing configuration is the
expected approach category. Most approach plates have different landing minima for
different approach categories. The approach category is not defined by aircraft type
but by the approach speed for that specific flight. Thus a 737NG can span from
category D when heavy (= high approach speeds) to B when light and not too high
wind component (= low approach speed). Landing flap settings can therefore also
affect approach category. Selecting a lower flap setting can make it possible to land at
shorter runways or with lower landing minima. But the increase in induced drag will
also increase fuel consumption during the final approach.
You can choose between either FAA or ICAO rules for defining approach category. In
most cases either regulation will give the same approach category.
It is possible to select between autoland or manual landing. Autoland requires a longer
runway due to safety margins. Also autoland is only allowed if the glideslope is

between 2.5 and 3.25 degrees. The glideslope can normally be found on the ILS
instrument approach chart.
11 Takeoff performance
This section is used to calculate if the selected expected takeoff runway is long
enough for takeoff. It is actually a very simple takeoff performance calculator. It will
calculate Vspeeds and runway margins. The values are calculated based on aircraft
type, aircraft weight, engine rating, thrust de-rating, flap settings, outside
temperature, airport altitude, air pressure, wind speed, runway slope, runway
condition, runway length, and PACKS and anti-ice settings. The calculations are much
simpler than a real performance calculator would have. But results arent that far from
the real values. Local Vspeeds and takeoff performance might be defined by factors
that this sheet does not take into account. There is no obstacle information in the
airport/runway databases hence no obstacle limitations. Runway length might be
shortened by operational limitations or by use of mid-runway entry-points this is also
not taken into account. If you want these features, and are ready to pay, I can really
recommend TOPCAT by Flightsimsoft.
If runway is not long enough you will get a negative margin value. If the combined derate (both engine and assumed temperature de-rate) is more that 25% the de-rate
cells will turn red as this is not allowed.
Boeing recommends de-rating when possible. De-rating does not save fuel. Instead it
decreases engine wear. The price is a longer takeoff roll, which at most airports is no
problem, as the B737NG, even at max takeoff weight, has pretty good takeoff
performance. Actually as jet engines are most efficient at maximum power, using derates might slightly increase fuel consumption during takeoff run.
When the runway is contaminated or with standing water or if anti-skid is inoperative
de-rating is not permitted. In weather conditions with heavy gusts or with the risk of
wind shear de-rating is not recommended. Also it should be considered not to use derate in the following situations:
- Short runways
- Low visibility
- High crosswind or tailwind
- With reversers or speed brakes inoperative
- In poor braking conditions
- After deicing
This section also governs the initial climb. That is the climb from ground up to
acceleration height or reduction height whatever is the highest. The reduction height
is the height above runway altitude where engine power is reduced from takeoff power
to climb power. The acceleration height is the height where the aircraft will decrease
the vertical speed to increase the indicated airspeed to the requested climb speed
which is 250 knots below 10,000 feet. Above 10,000 feet the climb speed is set
according to the cost index selected.
Company SOP or local airport regulations might dictate what acceleration height and
reduction height to use. Company is interested in the most economical combination
but airports are focused on noise. At some airports the ideal departure is to get high
fast and noisy so you are higher when you fly over a nearby city. Other airports closer
to build up areas might restrict noise just after takeoff thus requiring a low reduction
altitude and maybe even postpone acceleration altitude to make aircraft climb
steeper.

Basically there are two standards called NADP1 and NADP2 (Noise Abatement
Departure Procedure):
NADP1 (when airport is close to noise sensitive areas):
Reduction height 800ft
Acceleration height 3000ft
NADP2 (when noise sensitive areas are further from the airport):
Acceleration height 800ft
Reduction height 3000ft.
The NADPs are standards but some airports might use non standard procedures.
Check with the airport documentation to see what requirements are at the selected
departure airport. And as mentioned above these figures can also be set by the airline
SOP. Note that the selected combination of acceleration and reduction height might
slightly impact fuel consumption and time used.
12 Flight Profile
Here you can see a profile of the flight as it looks in the calculations. It will not show
navigational restrictions or anything like that it is very simplified but errr fun.
It will show a graphical representation of the basis for the fuel and time calculations. It
is possible to select different datasets for the two axes. The horizontal axis can either
show time or distance. The vertical axis can either show altitude, ground speed or IAS.
13 Navigational information.
The information here is not needed at all for performance, fuel, time, and weights
calculations. But I found that it was very handy to be able to have some information
shown in the flight summary sheet, so I do not need to constantly look in the
navigation charts.
14 Unit converters
The upper one is a fast converter between Lbs and Kg or vice versa. In the lower you
can also convert mass figures to volume (i.e. Lbs to Gallons) based on ISA fuel density
for Jet-A fuel.
15 Flight Statistics
This section shows some of the results of the calculations that really didnt fit in to the
other sections.
The Cruise Time figure will show the time from top of climb to top of descent. This can
be used to predict the trip altitude, as it seems to correlate to a minimum of 10
minutes at cruise flight level - at least in the PMDG FMC. This is of cause only true if
the trip is short. If the trip is long enough to reach the optimal flight level for cruise,
the optimal altitude will be the trip altitude.
The summary sheet
This sheet will combine all relevant information about your flight in a summary. This is
the way I use it:

When Im done planning the flight and entering all information I save the file to
dropbox and open it with my smartphone. This way I have all the information I need to
prepare the flight and the departure and approach briefing (I use Fs2Crew), without
the need of printing maps or taking a bunch of notes on paper. This way I wont have
to jump in and out of FSX to get weather information, nav frequencies and so on. Or
you can just print the page if you dont want to use a smartphone or tablet.
The lower section of the sheet is a listing of COMM frequencies at the departure and
destination airports.
The flight briefing sheet
The third sheet simulates a standard Flight Briefing Package. But since this is neither a
route-planner or a weather engine, route-specific information and en-route weather is
not included.
It consist of:
1. Loadsheet (Weight calculations)
2. Flight Summary (Fuel and time calculations)
3. Takeoff and landing report (takeoff and landing performance)
4. Center of Gravity Graphs
a) Takeoff CoG
b) Landing CoG
c) Enroute CoG
Future development.
The Payload and Passenger Manifest is also just the beginning. That feature will be
expanded later with a seat map and some other eye-candy as well as more usable
functions..
Daylight saving time is used in the sheet but only for European or US systems. I'm
working on equations that will calculate DST for all other areas. The equation must
check if the selected date falls within the DST period for the selected airport. But this
is not as easy as it sounds, as DST never uses fixed dates but always something like:
the first Sunday in a specific month or something even more complicated
As for other developments Im open to ideas.
Support
If you need help, have comments, ideas for improvement (and maybe a way it could
be done) please write to akornfsx@outlook.com

Closing remarks
I made this sheet in my spare time. I made it for myself because I needed it and
because it was fun. I share it with the community because I hope that others find it
useful. It is not a semi-professional dispatch program or anything like that. Nor is it
trying to be. It is just an excel sheet with some basic but useful calculations.
Please enjoy :-)

Lasse.
Please read readme file for credits