Time Zones and Flight Plans - This is complex,read carefully

[tall_guy_pete]

Hi all,

Me and mathew were discussing flight planner the other night. Now I asked him are the times in GMT as like the client is. He suggested to me that they were the local departure time and local arrival time. So we spent a few minutes working out what the times were for the KJFK flight that I created.

It got so complex but we managed it in the end.

Im hoping you have understood because the question is:

Is the flight departure and arrival times (that you set in the 'add flight plan') in GMT time or in local times according to the destination or place?

For example with my Brussels to Kennedy flight we calculated that I would depart brussels at 0600 local time (GMT + 1).

So local arrival time in Kennedy would be as follows ... (I made it a seven hour flight) - all times in 24 hour !

... 0600 + the 7 hours flight time gives us 1300 ... minus the 6 hours for local arrival time which gives us 0800 kennedy local arrival time

... had 1 hour turn around so departed Kennedy at 0900 local time (EST) added the 7 hours flight time to get 1600 hours (EST) ...

.. then finally added another 6 hours to get the local GMT + 1 time for brussels arrival time (1600 + 6 = 2200 GMT + 1) local time

Thanks for this,
Pete

[tall_guy_pete]

Seems to be in GMT time guys, as I assumed in the first place. This should be useful to everyone.

We at Euro Link will need to edit most flights now Nothing to difficult though

[cmdrnmartin]

All Flightplans are the choice of the Airline that runs them. You can put whatever you want there.

The client works in GMT.

I use GMT since it makes calculating flight times much easier.

I would suggest everyone using GMT for their flightplans, because it is simpler, however a small regional opertaing in one time zone could always just use local time. There is no real purpose to the times right now, so it makes no difference.

[Matthew]

I always use local time when im flying, so local time arrival and departures

Makes it all the more realistic

[joefremont]

You take a look at any airline timetable (real airlines not virual airlines). They are always printed in local time and thats what I used when I created the flights for PSV.

[XR219]

While Timetables may quote local times for the punters in the back, ALL flight plans are calculated using Zulu time (fancy name for GMT without going into why they don't call it GMT)

So GMT is the right way to do it.

[IslandBum]

Pete - Personally its what works for you and your group
VHA uses local times for Interisland service simply because its all the same time zone - but for
long haul flights We use GMT - simply because its easier to calculate that way.

In actual fact Ben is 100% correct all times for Operational Use should be in GMT

Leif

[tall_guy_pete]

Think were going to stick with them being GTM as well.

PS: Why would they clla it zulu time ?

[IslandBum]

PETE

Very simple - A=Alpha=Local time Z= GMT they need to opposites that was the easiest way

and I think if you all go look is was BOACs fault (Well actually AERAD)

Leif

[tall_guy_pete]

Thanks for that, will do when I find some free time