Bill CunninghamBoeingFlight Operations Digital Data Leadwilliam.d.cunningham2@boeing.com

ATA e-Business Forum

Bruno ChatelChadocsConsultantbcha@chadocs.com

Each OEM delivers Flight Operations data using proprietary formats◦ May differ from one airplane program to another

program for an OEM

◦ Mix of structured and unstructured formats

XML, SGML

Published data (e.g. PDF)

◦ Proprietary data models…

…and tools

◦ No shared basic concepts

Need specific/separate systems to manage Flight Operations data for each OEM/program

OEM manuals ◦ Airlines often need to customized OEM manuals◦ Airline also publish in-house manuals (SOPs) that often

cross or combine fleets from multiple OEMs Airline manuals may require specific airline proprietary

formats/tools

Configuration management and other transversal requirements : no opportunity to use same level or technology

Industry publishing solutions providers can convert multiple OEM FO data into a single structure, but this is costly and often involves compromise

Mixed fleet High cost

Receive data from OEM◦ Fleet manual

Calculation of revision impacts Add Airline customized data Publication◦ Fleet manual◦ A/C manual (single-tail)

Deliver to crews◦ Onboard : EFB, Paper◦ On-Ground: Paper, Computers, Tablets, Intranet

Training

A standard exchange model for Flight Operations data will allow airlines complete all these tasks with a single system.

What is it ?◦ Common vocabulary◦ Common data model◦ Common data types and data organization framework◦ Common exchange package technology (based on XML)◦ Each data provider uses the same language to deliver FO

data

What it is not !◦ No standardized manual organization◦ No standardized authoring philosophy, constraints◦ No standardized content !◦ No standardized publication process◦ No standardized style sheets

What do we deliver: Flight Operations data types, manuals◦ Data-centric approach

Data modules are marked-up based on the content, not the organization of the manual

◦ Additional data definitions are provided to organize and publish DM into logic documents

Flight Operations data will be delivered as a set of XML files◦ Data Modules

Technical content DM Status

◦ Publication Modules Organization for Publication PM Status

◦ Data management XML documents

External objects, such as graphics and multimedia are delivered as separate files and referenced in the technical content DMs

Separate XML fragments

Status => metadata related to content◦ Applicability◦ Revision data◦ Metadata (approval/subset

info, tdm, qualifications, policy references, data owner…)

Different lifecycles

Opportunity to exchange only status or content separately (incremental delivery)

Provisions for complete or incremental exchange

Revision data◦ Status Information

New, Changed, Applicability change, Unchanged

◦ Reason for update Technical or Editorial

Deleted, Moved, Textual content

◦ Revision marks Add, Modify, Move, Move and Modify

Revision data is delivered in the DM Status XML Fragment

ACT, PCT, CCT : cross reference tables◦ Based on S1000D◦ Defines the products (aircraft table) and the conditions (list of Airplane

Modifications/Service Bulletins)

Applicability statements◦ Statement that gives the applicability for 1 DM or a specific element

Which products (aircraft), with conditions or not ?

If needed, associated with a formula of technical criteria

◦ In the DM status Can define inline applicability (using XPATH to

address the element in content)

Container/alternates◦ Different DMs of the same subject for

different configurations (applicability) are called alternates

◦ Alternates are grouped in “interface” DM called container.

General purpose◦ Repositories allowing data factorization, provided as data

modules

Repository types◦ Glossary

Set of definitions for abbreviations referenced in content◦ Qualifier (dispatch, avionic contexts)

Business qualification of content such as Impacts on performance of a dispatch condition Limitations on landing capabilities due to a dispatch condition Code of data received from avionics systems allowing to index an

alert for a procedure

◦ Link target summary Set of resolved links targets information Allows resolution of links to data outside of an exchange

package

Are found in the spec :◦ Information Layers

Three layers are available – Need to Know, Nice to Know, Expert Knowledge

◦ TDM Temporary data module

◦ Major event High priority for a set of data

◦ External applications Opportunity to reference external applications (such as

Performance applications) from the content◦ Subset

Identification of a set of data modules, part of a bulletin (OEB, OMB)

◦ Metadata related to a DM Phase of flight, crew qualification, policy references, data owner

An exchange package is composed of a set of objects◦ DM (content and status), PM (content and status), External

objects (graphics & multimedia)

The Exchange Package Status List provides ◦ the package content,

with related status◦ the list of deleted

resources

Delivery can be Complete or incremental◦ Only changed resources

are delivered

Common Exchange InterfaceATA 2300

OEM

A

Exchange Pack

A/C Program XExchange Pack A/C Program Y

OEM

B

Exchange Pack A/C Program Z

Air

line

Revisionimpacts

Customizationenvironment

Data model

Configurationmanagement

Publicationtools

On groundConsultation tool

EFBEFB

EFB

Mixed fleet but…

+ Single data format

+ Single environment

Version 2011.2

Spec + XML Schemas

All business requirements for FCOM, MMEL, DDG, AFM, QRH

Developed by FOIG◦ OEM participants

◦ ATA e-Business Program

◦ Airline participants

◦ XML publishing industry vendor participants and consultants

The group holds quarterly face-to-face meetings

Web and phone conferences are held regularly to monitor and progress the work between face-to-face meetings

Members are assigned action items to work between meetings

New participants are needed and always welcome!

2012/2013 : consolidation, proof of concepts◦ General analysis of all data types

◦ New requirements

◦ Schema Simplification and Consolidation

◦ Spec rewriting/reorganization

◦ Planning for the Future

Questions?

Thank you for attending our session!