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By the end of this guide, you will have completed the pre-departure release checklist — verifying crew qualifications, aircraft airworthiness, weather, NOTAMs, fuel plan, weight and balance, passenger manifest, and customs compliance — and released the trip for dispatch.
The Operations module must be enabled for your workspace. You also need the appropriate operations permissions. Contact your workspace administrator if you cannot access these features.
You need the dispatch.release permission to complete the checklist and release a trip.

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Prerequisites

  • The trip must be in Confirmed status with aircraft and crew assigned.
  • All trip legs must have departure and destination airports set.
  • A current weather briefing should be available (auto-fetched or manually uploaded to the trip binder).

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Open the release checklist

The Release button is only visible on trips in Confirmed status. If the button is not visible, verify that the trip status is Confirmed and that you have the dispatch.release permission.

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Checklist items

The release checklist is organized into five groups: Crew qualifications, Aircraft airworthiness, Flight planning, Passenger and customs, and Trip binder. Each item has a checkbox, a status indicator (green for passed, red for failed), and supporting detail. Some items are auto-checked by PlaneConnection based on crew profile data, aircraft records, and trip timing. Items marked “Manual” require you to verify the condition outside the system and check the box yourself.
Auto-checks rely on current data in crew profiles. If a pilot has recently renewed a medical certificate or completed a proficiency check, ensure the record has been updated in their crew profile before attempting the release. Stale data will cause false failures.

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Complete the checklist

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Override a blocked item

In exceptional circumstances, a blocked checklist item can be overridden by an authorized user.
Overrides are intended for situations where the system data is incorrect or where a regulatory exception applies. Overriding a legitimately failed item without proper justification violates your organization’s operational control procedures and may constitute a regulatory violation under 14 CFR 135.
Only users with the chief_pilot or director_of_operations role can override blocked items. To override:
  1. Click the failed item row to expand it.
  2. Click Request Override.
  3. Enter a mandatory justification explaining why the override is appropriate (e.g., “Medical renewal completed today, paperwork in transit, verbal confirmation from AME Dr. Smith”).
  4. Click Approve Override.
The item changes to a yellow “Overridden” indicator. The override, justification, and authorizing user are recorded in the release record.

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View release history

Every release creates a permanent, immutable record. To review past releases:
  1. Open the trip detail page.
  2. Click the Timeline tab.
  3. Release events appear as timeline entries with a link to the full release record, including every checklist item, notes, overrides, and the releasing dispatcher’s name.
Release records are retained for the duration configured in your workspace settings (minimum 12 months per 14 CFR 135.63).

Manage the Trip Binder

Assemble documents required by the release checklist.

Conduct a Flight Risk Assessment

Complete the FRAT that the release checklist verifies.

Manage Crew

Keep crew qualifications current to pass release checks.

Manage Discrepancies

Resolve aircraft discrepancies that block release.
Last modified on April 11, 2026