Changing a flight plan after filing

There are many occasions when a flight plan needs to be changed after it has already been filed and is active. A modification to an active flight plan can be made through the use of change ‘CHG’ messages.

How to change an active flight plan

Select an active flight plan and press the ‘Change’ button to be redirected to Step 1 of the flight planning process.

A yellow title bar (called ‘Update Mode’) will be on permanent display, highlighting that the plan to be modified is currently filed and therefore active.  

Original information about the filed flight plan is also shown: date, time, departure and destination airports, and aircraft registration. The title bar can be used as a reference once any changes have been applied.

Two buttons are presented at the bottom of the screen: ‘Cancel’ and ‘Update’.

Cancel ignores any changes entered and exits the screen.

Update sends the CHG message to be Acknowledged (or Rejected). Any new changes will be updated on the screen.

All parts of a flight plan presented in Step 1 can be updated. In the example above, the time of departure has been modified, and added the alternate airports.

If changing the Aircraft ID, press 'Validate' to make sure the route is valid with the changed aircraft; once confirmed, press 'Update'.

If adding alternates while being in the ‘Update Mode’, click the Autoroute button to build valid routes to the alternate airports.

After all changes have been made, press the ‘Update’ button.

After pressing the ‘Update’ button a ‘FLIGHT PLAN UPDATE’ pop-up message appears. It confirms any changes made and advises what action will be taken by RocketRoute Flight Plan (whether a ‘change’ or a ‘cancel and refile’ message will be sent).

There are 3 possible scenarios for the user depending on which fields were updated: 

1. “Changes stored locally, briefing pack is updated”,
2. “Send CHG”,
3. “Send CNL and Refile”

1. “Changes stored locally, briefing pack is updated”

Only occurs when changes are made in the following sections:
Performance Profile, Fuel and M&B, ETOPS/SEOPS planning, and Autoroute Settings.

2. “Send CHG”

Shown only when changes were performed in the following sections:

Flight Rules, Type of Flight, Route, SID/STAR & Alternate, Reclear in Flight, Field 18, Aircraft registration only in case FPL is filed with Flight Number.

When these fields are modified a change (CHG) message will be submitted to the relevant authorities.

3. “Send CNL and Refile”

When changes are made to Flight Number or Aircraft registration if a flight plan was filed without a Flight Number.

Upon ‘Update’, the flight log and briefing pack are updated accordingly.

The date of flight (DOF) can be changed only when changing the Estimated Off-Block time (EOBT); only when there is an overnight EOBT change and the EOBT change is not more than 20 hours.

List of Fields that can be changed:

Flight Rules/Type of Flight - Field 8
Type of Aircraft/Turbulence - Field 9
Equipment - Field 10
ADEP/EOBT - Field 13
Speed/FL/Route - Field 15
ADES/Total EET/Alternates - FIeld 16
Other Information - Field 18

Examples of CHG messages

Original FPL:
(FPL-TST111-IG
-FA8X/M-SBDGHRWXY/S
-EDDB1300
-N0580F240 DCT BELID/N0580F230 Y264 MAG Z20 DIBDO/N0580F240 Z20 ORTAG T177 ODIPI T157 KERAX DCT
-EDDF0037 EDDM
-EET/EDMM0009 EET/EDGG0015 PBN/A1B2C2L1O2S1 REG/FALCON RMK/FILED BY 00441273782130 RMK/CREW CONTACT 00380637268520 DOF/190401)

1. Equipment Change:
   (CHG-TST111-EDDB1300-EDDF-DOF/190401-10/SDE1GJ2RW/S)
2. EOBT Change:
   (CHG-TST111-EDDB1300-EDDF-DOF/190401-13/EDDB1400)
3. EOBT Change overnight:
   (CHG-TST111-EDDB1300-EDDF-DOF/190401-13/EDDB0300-18/EET/EDMM0009 EET/EDGG0015 PBN/A1B2C2L1O2S1 REG/FALCON RMK/FILED BY 00441273782130 RMK/CREW CONTACT 00380637268520 DOF/190402)
4. Route change (the same message (CHG for field 15) is submitted if speed or FL is changed):
   (CHG-TST111-EDDB1300-EDDF-DOF/190401-15/N0580F240 BELID Y264 MAG Z92 ABGUS T151 ALOSI T157 KERAX DCT)
5. Alternates change:
   (CHG-TST111-EDDB1300-EDDF-DOF/190401-16/EDDF0037 EDFM)

NOTE // Any subsequent modification message (CHG) for a change of Item 16 to update the stored flight plan will overwrite the previous alternate aerodrome(s).

If alternate is ZZZZ and is changed to ICAO:
(FPL-TST111-IG
-FA8X/M-SBDGHRWXY/S
-EDDB1300
-N0580F240 DCT BELID/N0580F230 Y264 MAG Z20 DIBDO/N0580F240 Z20 ORTAG T177 ODIPI T157 KERAX DCT
-EDDF0037 ZZZZ
-EET/EDMM0009 EET/EDGG0015 PBN/A1B2C2L1O2S1 REG/FALCON ALTN/5611N01000E RMK/FILED BY 00441273782130 RMK/CREW CONTACT 00380637268520 DOF/190401)

(CHG-TST111-EDDB1300-EDDF-DOF/190401-16/EDDF0037 EDFM-18/EET/EDMM0009 EET/EDGG0015 PBN/A1B2C2L1O2S1 REG/FALCON RMK/FILED BY 00441273782130 RMK/CREW CONTACT 00380637268520 DOF/190401)

Additional changes that can be performed in FAA:

a. ADEP change:

(CHG-RRT123 -KAPA1400 -KVNY -DOF/190614 -13/KDEN1400 -15/N0421F410 CONNR5 DBL J60 BLD J107 HEC LYNXX8 -16/KVNY0200 KLAX)

b. ADES change:

(CHG-RRT123 -KDEN1400 -KVNY -DOF/190614 -15/N0420F400 BAYLR4 TEHRU DCT JASSE Q90 DNERO MDNYT2 -16/KLAX0159 KSNA)

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