> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.planeconnection.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dispatch Statuses

> Real-time dispatch states for aircraft and FRAT assessment statuses used in the operations dispatch workflow.

PlaneConnection maintains two distinct sets of dispatch-related statuses: **aircraft dispatch states** that track real-time aircraft position and availability, and **FRAT assessment statuses** that track the Flight Risk Assessment Tool approval workflow. Both feed into the dispatch board and trip lifecycle.

## Aircraft Dispatch States

The dispatch status table tracks the real-time operational state of each aircraft. This is a separate concept from the aircraft's fleet status (Active, Maintenance, etc.) -- dispatch state reflects what the aircraft is doing right now.

| State                                  | API Value     | Description                                                                        |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <Badge color="green">Available</Badge> | `available`   | Aircraft is on the ground and available for dispatch. No active trip assigned.     |
| <Badge color="blue">Dispatched</Badge> | `dispatched`  | Aircraft has been assigned to a trip and dispatched to crew. Departure is pending. |
| <Badge color="orange">Airborne</Badge> | `airborne`    | Aircraft is currently in flight. Position data is being tracked.                   |
| <Badge color="yellow">Arriving</Badge> | `arriving`    | Aircraft is on approach or has landed and is taxiing to parking.                   |
| <Badge color="red">Maintenance</Badge> | `maintenance` | Aircraft is undergoing maintenance and is not available for dispatch.              |

### Dispatch State Lifecycle

```mermaid theme={}
stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Available
    Available --> Dispatched : Trip assigned
    Available --> Maintenance : Maintenance event
    Dispatched --> Airborne : Departure
    Dispatched --> Available : Trip cancelled
    Airborne --> Arriving : Approaching destination
    Arriving --> Available : Parked at destination
    Arriving --> Airborne : Go-around or diversion
    Maintenance --> Available : Return to service
```

### Dispatch State vs Fleet Status

Dispatch state and fleet status serve different purposes and operate independently:

| Concept         | Dispatch State                           | Fleet Status                        |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Purpose**     | Real-time position and operational state | Long-term aircraft availability     |
| **Granularity** | Changes multiple times per flight        | Changes infrequently                |
| **Source**      | ADS-B tracking, dispatcher actions       | Admin/dispatcher manual transitions |
| **Examples**    | Available, Airborne, Arriving            | Active, Maintenance, Storage        |
| **Where used**  | Dispatch board, in-flight display        | Scheduling, fleet reports           |

<Info>
  An aircraft can have a fleet status of **Active** while its dispatch state cycles through
  Available, Dispatched, Airborne, and Arriving during normal operations. If the fleet status
  changes to **Maintenance**, the dispatch state also transitions to Maintenance.
</Info>

### Dispatch State Record Fields

| Field             | Type      | Description                                                    |
| ----------------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `aircraft_id`     | Reference | The aircraft this status applies to (one record per aircraft). |
| `state`           | Enum      | Current dispatch state.                                        |
| `current_trip_id` | Reference | The trip currently assigned to this aircraft, if any.          |
| `current_leg_id`  | Reference | The specific leg currently in progress, if any.                |
| `eta_minutes`     | Number    | Estimated time of arrival in minutes (updated during flight).  |
| `fuel_remaining`  | Number    | Estimated fuel remaining in gallons.                           |
| `updated_at`      | Timestamp | Last time the dispatch state was updated.                      |

## FRAT Assessment Statuses

The Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) evaluates risk factors before each flight. FRAT assessments follow their own approval workflow.

| Status                                | API Value   | Description                                                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <Badge color="gray">Draft</Badge>     | `draft`     | Assessment has been started but not yet submitted. Risk factors may be partially scored.                      |
| <Badge color="blue">Submitted</Badge> | `submitted` | Assessment has been completed and submitted for review. All risk categories are scored.                       |
| <Badge color="green">Approved</Badge> | `approved`  | Assessment has been reviewed and approved. The flight is cleared from a risk perspective.                     |
| <Badge color="red">Rejected</Badge>   | `rejected`  | Assessment has been reviewed and rejected. Additional mitigations are required before the flight can proceed. |

### FRAT Lifecycle

```mermaid theme={}
stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Draft
    Draft --> Submitted : Assessor completes scoring
    Submitted --> Approved : Reviewer approves
    Submitted --> Rejected : Reviewer rejects
    Rejected --> Draft : Assessor revises
    Approved --> [*]
```

### Risk Levels

Each FRAT assessment produces a total score that maps to a risk level:

| Risk Level                             | Description                                                              | Action Required                                               |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <Badge color="green">Low</Badge>       | Standard operations. No additional mitigations required.                 | Proceed normally.                                             |
| <Badge color="yellow">Moderate</Badge> | Elevated risk. Review mitigations before proceeding.                     | PIC and dispatcher review.                                    |
| <Badge color="orange">High</Badge>     | Significant risk. Requires management review and additional mitigations. | Management approval required.                                 |
| <Badge color="red">Critical</Badge>    | Unacceptable risk without substantial mitigations.                       | Chief pilot or DO approval required. Flight may be cancelled. |

### FRAT Risk Categories

The FRAT scoring evaluates six categories. Each category contributes to the total score:

| Category    | Factors Assessed                                               |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Weather     | Ceiling, visibility, winds, icing, turbulence, thunderstorms   |
| Crew        | Experience, fatigue, currency, familiarity with route/aircraft |
| Aircraft    | MEL deferrals, maintenance status, equipment limitations       |
| Route       | Terrain, airspace complexity, alternate availability, distance |
| Time        | Time of day, duty time elapsed, circadian factors              |
| Operational | Passenger requirements, schedule pressure, special cargo       |

<Tip>
  FRAT assessments are linked to specific trips and optionally to specific legs. High-risk
  assessments appear as alerts on the dispatch board and in the trip detail timeline.
</Tip>

## Dispatch Compliance Gate

Before an aircraft can transition from Available to Dispatched, the system runs a set of pre-departure compliance checks. If any check fails, dispatch is blocked until the issue is resolved.

| Check              | Regulation     | What it verifies                                                                     |
| ------------------ | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Crew duty time     | 14 CFR 135.267 | No crew member exceeds the 14-hour duty day or 8-hour flight time limit.             |
| Crew currency      | 14 CFR 135.243 | PIC instrument proficiency, recurrent training, and medical certificate are current. |
| Recurrent training | 14 CFR 135.293 | All assigned crew have completed required recurrent training.                        |
| eAPIS filing       | 19 CFR 122.49a | For international flights, eAPIS manifest has been filed with CBP.                   |
| FRAT score         | AC 120-92D     | Flight Risk Assessment score is within acceptable limits or has management approval. |
| Dual authorization | 14 CFR 135.77  | Both dispatcher and PIC have independently approved the operational release.         |

### Compliance Gate States

| State                                 | Meaning                                                                          |
| ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <Badge color="green">Clear</Badge>    | All checks passed. Dispatch may proceed.                                         |
| <Badge color="yellow">Warning</Badge> | Approaching a limit (e.g., crew at 80% duty time). Dispatch allowed with review. |
| <Badge color="red">Blocked</Badge>    | One or more checks failed. Dispatch is blocked until resolved.                   |

<Info>
  Duty time overrides are available under 14 CFR 135.267(c) for unforeseen circumstances. Overrides
  require a documented reason and are recorded in the audit trail for regulatory review.
</Info>

## How Dispatch Statuses Differ from Trip Statuses

Trip statuses track the administrative lifecycle of a trip (Draft through Completed). Dispatch statuses track the real-time operational state of the aircraft and the risk assessment approval workflow. A single trip may involve multiple dispatch state transitions as the aircraft moves through Available, Dispatched, Airborne, and Arriving for each leg.

| Aspect              | Trip Status               | Dispatch State                  | FRAT Status                    |
| ------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| **Scope**           | Entire trip (all legs)    | Single aircraft, current moment | Single assessment per trip/leg |
| **Transitions**     | Manual (dispatcher/admin) | Automatic (tracking) + manual   | Manual (assessor/reviewer)     |
| **Terminal states** | Completed, Cancelled      | None (cycles continuously)      | Approved                       |
| **Regulatory role** | Operational control       | Situational awareness           | Risk management (AC 120-92D)   |

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Trip Statuses" href="/reference/trip-statuses">
    Trip lifecycle statuses and transition rules.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Aircraft Statuses" href="/reference/aircraft-statuses">
    Fleet-level aircraft availability statuses.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use the Dispatch Board" href="/how-to/ops/use-dispatch-board">
    Monitor aircraft dispatch states in real time.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conduct a FRAT" href="/how-to/ops/conduct-frat">
    Complete a Flight Risk Assessment before departure.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>