Early in the morning in Frankfurt, Jörg Pikolin, a Lufthansa captain of the A320 fleet, is on his way to the crew briefing at the Lufthansa base.
One hour and ten minutes prior to departure are scheduled for the preparation of the flight including the crew briefing. In this time, Pikolin and his first officer load the latest flight data onto their laptops - the workpads - at the docking stations. This provides them with important updates: briefing documentation, weather data and the current flight plan. The current flight route was calculated using Lido/Flight, the flight planning system from Lufthansa Systems.
Briefing for the upcoming flight
When calculating the flight route, Lido/Flight gives consideration to aspects such as the weight and individual performance of the aircraft to be used. In addition, information specific to the route such as high-altitude winds, overflight fees and the available airways flow into the calculation. Taking all relevant data into consideration, the system calculates the most cost-effective route. The route suggested by Lido/Flight, the operational flight plan, is then checked and approved by a Lufthansa dispatcher.
With the operational flight plan the cockpit crew now receives all the key information for the upcoming flight. Based on these data, the cockpit crew decides on the amount of fuel to be taken on board. Even though Lido/Flight calculates a precise quantity which is sufficient for the flight, Pikolin can take on additional fuel, giving consideration to all factors such as the current weather situation and NOTAMs (notices to airmen). NOTAMs (notice to airmen) are up-to-date, operationally relevant information such as the closure of a runway. The quantity of kerosene determined is entered via the workpads and transmitted automatically to several recipients. For example, data are sent to the fueling company which then fuels the aircraft accordingly.
Flight Management System
The captain now informs the cabin crew in detail concerning the planned route, the flight duration, the weather conditions, and the specific safety aspects of the upcoming flight. The crew then heads for the crew bus which takes them straight to the A320. Before the passengers come aboard the cabin crew runs through the safety checks and prepares the in-flight catering for the flight. In the cockpit, the first officer enters the planned flight route into the on-board computer, the Flight Management System (FMS).
