Scheduling simulator

I'd like to have a scheduling simulator where I could try out different ways of scheduling an aircraft before I order it to see what options do I have for using it. It would do everything the current scheduling function does, except not take into account slots. Most importantly I would be able to figure out the maintenance ratio of the planned schedule. Maybe this would not be such a big thing to do, most of the code could be copy pasted from the current simulator, and since it would not affect the actual game play in any way it would be easily tested too.

Sure, I could open another account on another server to try this but:

  • I would need to find a server with the exact slots available on several different airports. Not easy, tried and failed (hence this post)
  • I could only do this with aircraft that cost less than 10 mAS$

I've done up a spreadsheet that basically does this. It lists the airports and the flight times from the main hub, then calculates the time used. Here's how you'd go about getting the data and constructing the sheet:

* You need separate sheets for each aircraft.

* Get the total flight times from the airports. If, for instance, your hub was JFK, and you wanted to have ORD on your sheet, go into that specific plane's information page and go to the performance check tool. Note down the flight time. Double the flight time and make sure you include the turn around times. For some airports, you might have to check both directions, as the times may be different.

* Note this time down next to the airport in question. Do the same for all the airports you want to have in your spreadsheet.

* Now comes the more difficult part. Different aircraft have different maintenance ratios. You have to find the time that gets you pretty close to 100% maintenance, but it also depends on how many flights the plane makes every day/week. Three round trip flights is, at least for me, pretty common and easy. You don't need to make another company on another server. Just get a new plane, or one without a schedule yet, and fiddle around with the times until you get close to 100% maintenance and have the correct number of flights per day/week. Note down the cumulative maintenance time per day. So, for instance, if the plane has 5 hours and 2 minutes of maintenance per 24 hours and is at 101% ratio, then you know the aircraft needs just that much with that many flights. This next part is important: this works best if you have the same maintenance times every day on the schedule. It might work with staggered maintenance times, but I've never done that.

* On your spreadsheet, make a note of the maintenance time per day the plane needs. Then you just formulate the sheet to calculate the times up to 24 hours so you can figure out your schedule. I'm including a picture of my spreadsheet that does this so you can see.

This might seem a little time consuming, and like most projects of this kind, it is... at first. But I can't tell you how many hours this has saved me over the past few months.

But doesn't the maintenance ration (or time needed for maintenance) differ with age? I mean a brand new 737-700 would need (I guess) less maintenance time than a15-y/o 737-700. or am i wrong at this?

It was written somewhere, that age does not effect the maintenance ratio, but it does effect the cost of maintenance (more spares needed).

I've done up a spreadsheet that basically does this. It lists the airports and the flight times from the main hub, then calculates the time used. Here's how you'd go about getting the data and constructing the sheet:

This might seem a little time consuming, and like most projects of this kind, it is... at first. But I can't tell you how many hours this has saved me over the past few months.

Yes, I realize you can do all that. But then there is still a big limitation. You need the plane. What if your whole investement on the plane depends on whether you can schedule it the way you planned ?

Also a lot of work, that still only produces an approximation.

Yes, I realize you can do all that. But then there is still a big limitation. You need the plane. What if your whole investement on the plane depends on whether you can schedule it the way you planned ?

You can go onto another server, get an immediate plane with the $10 million no-waiting-time system, find out the maintenance ratio by putting in flights to get the maintenance ratio as close to 100% as possible and then go from there.

Also a lot of work, that still only produces an approximation.

Enjoy waiting for AS to get to your request. I'm sure it will jump to the head of the line and you'll get what you want immediately.