AOC Briefings
by Marc Romero, 10 July 2015


Photo: "JAL Narita Operation Center Building" by Abasaa [pd]

A minimum preflight AOC briefing should include:

  • Meteo: TAF/METAR/SIGMET for DEP, ARR, & ENR. Preferably printed copy.
  • Printed copy of NOTAMs for DEP, ARR, ENR.
  • Printed copy of flight plan showing all relevant data (PERF, Cost Index, etc).
  • Status of any engineering or mechanical matters of which you should be aware.

On that last point, it is worth pointing out that unless you are taking over the aircraft "cold", the engineering information may not be completely up-to-date, because most likely the arriving flight is still in progress during your briefing.

The above, as noted, is a minimal briefing. In general, if the word minimal is applied to the word briefing, it should be interpreted to mean "bad". Obviously a briefing is already brief, so minimalizing it probably means being more brief than you should.

At least some discourse should take place between the dispatcher or crew chief and the pilots, because every flight should be treated as an important mission.

The printed flight plan will include:

  • Aircraft data , call sign, cost index, company route code, alternative route, ETD.
  • ATC filed flight plan showing all waypoints on Co-Rte, and Cruise Altitude (CRZ FL).
  • ALTN flight plan if required.
  • Fuel data forecast, listed in reverse chronological order.
  • ZFW CG, TOW CG, and trim factor.
  • Takeoff PERF data.
  • Detailed F-PLN and ALTN data showing waypoints, altitude and airspeed changes.
  • Weather data, including Tropo, Climb Wind, Cruise Wind, Descent Wind.
  • ATIS info.

Example: 2 page printed AOC Briefing