Euroscope Slot Plugin?

[Chriss Klosowski]

Hello,

Does anybody know of a good AOBT, EOBT, COBT, CTOT plugin for planner positions? At the moment we are all doing it by hand but we are looking for it to be done automatically by Euroscope especially with out events. Any help would be appreciated!

[Mateusz Zymla]

I really spent quite amount of time to check it out - and nothing was really worth it/working. I am thinking about writing it by myself... Anyways, would like to be updated on this, too, if you find something.

 

Cheers, 

[Bernardo Reis]

Dutch vACC has a plugin that has some functions related to TSAT and CTOT I belive.

[Martijn Rammeloo]

Dutch VACC uses a tool called 'Schiphol Planning Interface' (SPI). It consists of two main parts: a ES plugin, and a PHP backend, running on our webserver. I am the developer of the latter part.

SPI has many tasks: gate assignment, TSAT/RETD/CTOT planning, EAT/hold planning, SSR assignment, route checking etc.

The TSAT/RETD/CTOT planning works as follows:
- Every minute I read the vatsim datafeed
- Now I know which aircraft are at EHAM
- Now I also know at which gate they are parked, based on lat-lon coordinates
- Triggered by the plugin, I can calculate the 'taxi-time' between the gate and the appropriate runway (based on actual Schiphol data)
- Using this taxitime, I can build a nice sequence, based on one departure (RETD) every 2/3/4 minutes per runway.
- And at the same time I know the start-up time (TSAT)

- The system also recognizes booked flights, giving them priority in the sequence. This is especially important if an event uses CTOTs, like Cross The Pond.
- Via the plugin, the controller can manually alter TSAT/RETD for one plane or a range, the tool will calculate a new sequence.

The plugin adds columns to the departure and arrival list, like GATE, TSAT, RETD etc., as well as offering the controller options to send commands to the backend. Event-admins use a web-based dashboard to configure the tool, for example the start-interval and syncing the database with some event-booking systems.

Unfortunately, I don't share any code. Some scripts use personal or even commercial keys for external services, and it would be too much work to 'hide' those. On the other, giving advice is not a problem at all.

Kind regards,

Martijn
 

[Bernardo Reis]

Do you have a limit of traffic at the holding point? Or it just calculates the TSAT=CTOT-TAXI TIME

[Martijn Rammeloo]

1. RETD = RETD of last aircraft in sequence for the relevant runway + start-interval (usually 2 minutes)

2. TSAT = RETD - taxitime

(And for event traffic with CTOT: RETD = CTOT)

Please note that the system is also able to detect suitable gaps in the start sequence, so that it can 'squeeze' flights into those gaps.

I also added one improvement after the last edition of CtP, a so called 'CTOT blocking mode': all booked CTOTs are unavailable as RETD for non-booked traffic, even if the booked flight is not online yet. The script will find and use all suitable gaps in the 'CTOT-sequence' for that particular runway. Thus, event pilots have a much higher chance of meeting their CTOT, and non-event pilots know in advance their TSAT. #nodelaysateham

Also note that all automation is great, but in the end it is the person using it to assess the situation on the ground before he transfers a pilot to GND for push and start. So, if for some reason too much traffic must wait at a holding point, adjust your plan... The tool is perfectly able to adjust TSATs of one or more aircraft, if needed prioritzing event traffic.
 

Edited May 18, 2020 at 12:40 PM by Martijn Rammeloo

[Bernardo Reis]

Very interesting! How do you cope with the occasional traffic that doesn't or files an odd time for departure?

 

EDIT: Or those that become ready much earlier or later than planned?

Edited May 18, 2020 at 12:56 PM by Bernardo Reis

[Martijn Rammeloo]

If you mean the departure time in your flightplan? It doesn't... This system is only being used during peak hours, and then only two types of time are important:
- CTOTs for traffic that actually have one ('the lucky few' during CtP for example)

- 'as soon as possible' for all other traffic

The departure time in a flightplan would be rather meaningless in those cases.

If a pilot really want to depart at a later moment, the controller can enter an RETD manually. The tool will obviously calculate a proper TSAT.

And your 'edit question' is the other way around: if the situation on the ground permits it, the controller can (on request of both the pilot and controller) assign an earlier TSAT, including 'now'. The tool will calculate a new RETD. Since the original RETD now becomes available, this may be used by the next flight contacting the Planner. Or he may choose to give (an) earlier RETD(s) to the aircraft that already received one.
In the case that the pilot is not ready on time, the controller can either delay him manually, trying to sqeeze him in, or let the tool determine a new RETD. This could mean a very long delay... (as in RL, when you miss your CTOT).

My next project will be to introduce specific start-intervals per SID. Yesterday, during the EGLL-EHAM city pair, London asked us to use a 5 minute start-interval for traffic inbound EGLL. However, there was no limit at all regarding traffic on our 6 other departure routes. It would be great to make the planning tool taking these kind of rules into account. However, I need to find a way to make ES tell me the SID belonging to a flight, and I believe that is not possible.

Edited May 18, 2020 at 01:33 PM by Martijn Rammeloo

[Bruno Guimaraes]

On 5/18/2020 at 5:51 AM, Martijn Rammeloo said:

Dutch VACC uses a tool called 'Schiphol Planning Interface' (SPI). It consists of two main parts: a ES plugin, and a PHP backend, running on our webserver. I am the developer of the latter part.

SPI has many tasks: gate assignment, TSAT/RETD/CTOT planning, EAT/hold planning, SSR assignment, route checking etc.

The TSAT/RETD/CTOT planning works as follows:
- Every minute I read the vatsim datafeed
- Now I know which aircraft are at EHAM
- Now I also know at which gate they are parked, based on lat-lon coordinates
- Triggered by the plugin, I can calculate the 'taxi-time' between the gate and the appropriate runway (based on actual Schiphol data)
- Using this taxitime, I can build a nice sequence, based on one departure (RETD) every 2/3/4 minutes per runway.
- And at the same time I know the start-up time (TSAT)

- The system also recognizes booked flights, giving them priority in the sequence. This is especially important if an event uses CTOTs, like Cross The Pond.
- Via the plugin, the controller can manually alter TSAT/RETD for one plane or a range, the tool will calculate a new sequence.

The plugin adds columns to the departure and arrival list, like GATE, TSAT, RETD etc., as well as offering the controller options to send commands to the backend. Event-admins use a web-based dashboard to configure the tool, for example the start-interval and syncing the database with some event-booking systems.

Unfortunately, I don't share any code. Some scripts use personal or even commercial keys for external services, and it would be too much work to 'hide' those. On the other, giving advice is not a problem at all.

Kind regards,

Martijn
 

Is this Plugin available for public download i.e for controllers from other divisions to use?

This is an awesome code and plugin for the EuroScope ATC Software, damn it should come with it hahah

[Martijn Rammeloo]

Hi Bruno,

No, unfortunately not. In the post you are quoting, I try to explain why.

Kind regards,

Martijn