The PHX instrument flight procedure design software package is a set of tools that can be used by a professional procedure designer to design instrument flight procedures. The PHX procedure design software is Not an automated system but is a “tool based” procedure design software package.
The philosophy of “tool based” software is that the instrument procedure
designer is given a set of “tools” from which he/she can select the appropriate
tool to design any type of instrument procedure. The “Tool based” procedure
design philosophy relies heavily upon the fact that a qualified procedure
designer is an integral part of the procedure design process.
The two philosophies (Automated / Tool based) of procedure design software can be summed up in the following two sentences:
“The system shall design XXX and check for obstacles” - Automated
“The procedure designer will design XXX and check for obstacles” – Tool based
The control of the software is firmly in the hands of the procedure designer not
the computer programmer with only second hand knowledge of instrument procedure design.
A procedure design software package that is “tool based” has many advantages
over an “automatic” system.
• Any type of instrument procedure can be designed not just procedures that are programmed into the automatic system.
• The procedure designer dictates how the instrument procedure is designed and not that the software dictates how to design the procedure.
• Efficient instrument flight procedures can be designed by taking into account
the experience and knowledge of the procedure designer.
• In some cases there is not a specific tool for a specific task but a
combination of various tools in a “tool based” software package can be used to
accomplish a needed goal. An automated system does not give this level of
flexibility to the procedure designer.
• A “tool based” procedure design tool does not immediately become obsolete when ICAO Pans-Ops criteria changes and a significant amount of the “Tools“ can continue to be efficiently used until a new update is released.