The Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) Flight Plans Branch is responsible for developing and maintaining fuel efficient flight routes for US military aircraft. They continually review and improve routes to account for changes in airspace and regulations. Their routes through the Arctic and involvement in working groups have saved over $13 million dollars since 2010 through reduced fuel use and flying time. They provide critical routing expertise and ensure military flights comply with worldwide airspace requirements.

1. Tanker Airlift Control Center
18 AF / 618 AOC (TACC)
FLIGHT PLANS BRANCH
Chief of Staff Team Excellence Award
September 2011
Enabling the “Global” in “Global Vigilance, Reach and Power!” 1

2. OVERVIEW
 Who We Are
 What We Do
 How We Do Business
• Continual Improvements
• Airspace Review Officer (ARO)
• Working Groups
 POLAR Over Flight
 Notable Missions
 Savings We Achieve
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3. WHO WE ARE
 XOCZF is the “Focal Point” for all routing & airspace issues
affecting US Military airlift routings
 Research, coordinate, develop, build, & maintain fuel efficient
DoD routings within ATC, OI, & Diplomatic constraints
 Recognized routing expert for US Military POLAR routing
 Recognized by DoS/OSD as routing experts for Kazakhstan
(2010), Uzbekistan (2011) Over Flight Treaty negotiations
 Twenty-Plus Personnel
 DoD Civilians (GS-13, GS-12s, GS-11s)
 Retired Pilots, Navigators, FE, Loadmasters/Boom
Operators, ATC,Aerial Porter
 IMAs ( Capt/Major/Lt Cols )
 Guard ( Capt thru Lt Cols )
 12 Qualified for Database Operations
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4. WHAT WE DO
 Build and Maintain DoD’s Route
Database – 4,000+ City Pair
Flight Plans
 24/7/365 Planning and/or
Execution CFP support for:
 Flight Managers (FM’s)
 Aircrews
 USTRANSCOM/AMC/TACC
Planners
 AFRES, ANG
 Some AETC, PACAF
 US Army
 Other Federal agencies, i.e. DEA
DoD’s Strategic Route Experts!
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5. WHAT WE DO
 “Just on Time” Process
• Review 100% of FM mission the day
prior including pop-ins & re-cuts via
the ARO process
 Generate 17,000+ Wind-Optimized
Flight Plans/mo
 3% of ACFP Total Users
 44% of Workload
 Test 100% of Database Before Each
DAFIF – every 28 days
 Critical Members of Multiple
Worldwide and Regional Working
Groups
 Recognized routing and airspace
expert on foreign over flight treaties
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6. HOW WE DO BUSINESS
 Airspace Review Officer (ARO)
 ARO scrubs all FM supported missions occurring 24-48 hours out by leveraging
current C2 systems, such as GDSS
 When ARO is not manned, Shift Leads review C2 systems looking for changes
and coordinating any required actions prior to mission execution
 Mission issues caught before execution allows for more manpower to be
devoted to researching more optimized routes
 GDSS GDSS
 Use GDSS to track, allocate, remark, approve CFPs
 New CFPs usually entered into city pair flight plan database
 Build new CFP’s for missions in execution or for missions in planning stage
 Notional flight plans
 Routes/CFP’s compliant with all known flight pubs
 FLIP, FCG, RAD, SRD, CFMU, SPINS, AIPS, etc.
 Feedback is Critical to Product Quality!
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7. HOW WE DO BUSINESS
 Airspace Review Officer (ARO) IMPACT:
 Each sortie reviewed and checked for issues (i.e., Routing, Dips, etc..)
 CFP attached and approved in G2 for FM and Crew
 Flight routes updated or generated, as required
 Helps maintain up to date and worldwide airspace compliant flight
routes
 Continuous review process by DBMs and Planners through ARO
process
 Reduces time and effort spend fixing flight route errors
 Process improvements take an already excellent product to the next
level thus increasing war fighters effectiveness
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8. WORKING GROUPS
 CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS LINK BETWEEN U.S. MILITARY
AND WORLDWIDE AIRSPACE AGENCIES
 ARCTIC / CROSS POLAR
 Savings of $31,000 & 128 Lbs less CO2 emitted / C17 mission
 Savings of $75,000 & 200 Lbs less CO2 emitted / C5 mission
 OCEANIC WORKING GROUP
 Savings of $246,000 & 1,100,00 Lbs less CO2 emitted / year
 EUROPEAN ROUTING WORK GROUPS
 Savings of $3,000,000 & 7,500,000 Lbs less CO2 emitted / year
 EUROPEAN ROUTE AVAILABILITY DOCUMENT (RAD)
 Savings of $900,000 & 2,600,00 Lbs less CO2 emitted / year
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9. POLAR / ARCTIC
 Polar / Arctic routing quicker access to AOR and war fighter
 Saves money, fuel, time, maintenance cost and man hours
 Typical West Coast KC-135R Deployment/Redeployment:
 Flight time reduction = 11.2 hrs vs. current European routing
 Mission time reduction = 52.6 hrs vs. current European routing
 Quantifiable Savings: $77,014
 Aircraft Flying Hours ($6,687/Hr*11.2 Hrs) = $74,894
 TDY costs $265/ 8 crew member = $ 2120
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10. SAVINGS WE ACHIEVE
 Since FY 2010 Flight Plans has saved the following:
 Gallons of Fuel : 2,010,657
 Pounds of Fuel : 13,471,404
 Pounds CO2 emissions saved : 43,762,641
 Flying time saved : 57,292 minutes
 FY 2010/11 TDY costs : $139,308
 Return on investment : 900 %
TOTAL SAVINGS
$13,123,469.51
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11. OVERVIEW
 Who We Are
 What We Do
 How We Do Business
• Continual Improvements
• Airspace Review Officer (ARO)
• Working Groups
 POLAR Over Flight
 Notable Missions
 Savings We Achieve
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