What is the availability of AFMatic?
AFMatic is available now for the Gulfstream G550/G500, Gulfstream G450/G350, Gulfstream GV, Gulfstream GIV, Gulfstream GIV-SP (G400/G300), Gulfstream III, Gulfstream IIB, C-20 series, and C-37A. A Special Missions version of AFMatic is available for military applications requiring mission planning, and unique aerodynamic configurations.

Will all Gulfstream models be covered?
All of the FAA-certified large cabin Gulfstream models will be available. We do not anticipate making AFMatic available for the Gulfstream I and II, or for the foreign certifications of the large cabin models due to the small numbers of these types. It is possible that we will develop AFMatic for the mid-size models, G280, G200, G150, and G100, at a later date.

Can I legally make copies of AFMatic for each of the pilots flying the airplane, as well as a dispatcher?
Yes! Most software publishers license their products on a per-copy basis. AFMatic is licensed on a per-aircraft-serial-number basis. You must buy a copy of AFMatic for each airplane serial number that it will be used to support. You may then install the software on as many computers as needed to support those aircraft for which you have purchased the software. Naturally, using the software to support more than one airplane per purchased copy, or giving copies to other operators, would be violations of copyright law.

What data are used as the basis of the calculations in AFMatic?
Computations are based on published data from the aircraft manufacturer, including the FAA approved Airplane Flight Manual and its Supplements and Appendices, Operations Manual, Weight and Balance Manual, Operational Information Supplements, and Noise Information Manual. Other published sources, e.g. the “PERFORMANCE AND OPERATIONAL DATA” series, will be included where appropriate.

When a revision is made to the Airplane Flight Manual, will AFMatic be updated automatically, or do I have to ask for an update?
AFMatic will always be updated to include the latest revisions of all the data sources. As long as you maintain your update subscription renewal, you will receive all updates as soon as they are available.

Tell me about the worldwide airport database.
Data are provided by the National Flight Data Center’s airports database, from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for all U.S. domestic airports with hard surfaced runways having lengths of 3,000 feet or greater, and runway data are provided for those runways. International airports with hard surfaced runways of at least 4,000 feet length are provided by Jeppesen’s NavData database. Airport position and location information are included, as well as field elevation. The principal runway information needed is of course, runway length, stopway, slope, magnetic bearing, and end elevation. These data are supplemented with a number of additional items, such as runway lighting, runway surface type, availability of fuel, oxygen, etc.

What does the update subscription include?
The worldwide airport database is updated every 28 days on the standard AIRAC schedule. In addition to the airport database, any changes to the Airplane Flight Manual, or other manufacturer-provided data, will be included. Any updates to the software, including additional features as well as bug fixes, will be included, along with all required technical support. You will never be asked to “upgrade” your software, because it will always be upgraded to the latest version.

What is not included in the update subscription?
Obstacle data and SID required climb gradient data are not provided, and must be obtained by the user from other sources.

When does my initial year of updates expire?
The update subscription is based on the AIRAC revision cycle. If your original download is for cycle 2015.04, for example, the last update you will receive in your initial year is 2016.03. We will contact you regarding renewal in the month of your last update, and you may renew your subscription on the website.

How and when are the updates delivered?
The updates are scheduled for approximately 2 weeks prior to the effectivity date. AFMatic contains a menu item to check for updates, and when this is selected, it will download and install the update if one is available.

Where can the obstacle data be obtained?
One source of obstacle data is Jeppesen OpsData, which can provide obstacle information on over 2,000 world airports in electronic form. AFMatic contains an import function that reads the Jeppesen OpsData file format, and stores the data in the AFMatic database for later retrieval and use. Obstacle data may also be obtained directly from Airport Obstruction Charts (available from NOAA in the USA), or Aeronautical Information Publications for most other countries. ICAO and IATA are also sources of obstacle data. AFMatic contains an obstacle data editor which is used to manually input and maintain obstacle data.

How about SID required climb gradients?
For SIDs that have requirements for minimum climb performance, the required gradients may be found on the SID charts themselves. These are manually input using the SID editor into the AFMatic database where they are stored for later use.

How do you compute performance for SID required climb gradients?
We have several methods for computing SID performance, and the user can select the method to use for each calculation. First, you can treat the SID the same way as an obstacle, and compute the net takeoff flight path to clear the SID. For the GIV and GV series, you can use the SID climb methods contained in the operational information supplements (OIS-7 for GIV, OIS-3 for GV). Both the single engine and twin engine methods are available, and you can also specify 70 feet height at departure end of runway, if necessary. Lastly, for the early airplanes that didn’t provide obstacle data above 1500 feet AGL or a SID climb OIS, there is a simple gradient method to handle SIDs above 1500 feet. SID performance may be calculated at the same time as obstacle clearance for as many as 25 obstacles.

Once obstacle and SID data are in the database, are they used in every calculation?
The user has complete control over every calculation. If it is inappropriate to account for SID requirements, e.g. on a clear day, simply de-select the SID gradient check box.

Will updating the worldwide airport database wipe out all the obstacle and SID data that have been entered?
No. The data entered by the user are stored in a separate database from the airport information, and are not overwritten when the next update is installed. However, it is recommended that you make frequent backup copies of the user airport database, to protect against accidental erasure.

Is AFMatic FAA approved?
AFMatic is classified by the FAA as an airport analysis program, and as such there is no requirement for certification. The program has been tested using the same methods used to certify Honeywell FMS takeoff performance on the GIV and GV, giving a high confidence of computational accuracy. Operational approval under AC 120-76A may be obtained through your FSDO Principal Inspector.

When a takeoff is calculated, what is included in the computation?
Everything in the Airplane Flight Manual. If it can be calculated using the AFM, it is in there, including limits on climb, field length, brake energy, tire speed, obstacle clearance, SID required gradients, and landing field length for an immediate return. All V-speeds are computed and displayed. All limitations are observed and enforced, including equipment configuration combinations. Contaminated runway data from the Operational Information Supplements can be considered at the user’s option. In addition, when PCN data are available for the selected runway, aircraft ACN is calculated for takeoffs and landings.

Does AFMatic perform FLEX (reduced thrust) takeoff calculations?
Yes. If a FLEX takeoff can legally be made with the input conditions, the calculations are made, and results displayed. When a FLEX takeoff cannot be made, the user is notified of the reason.

How much work does the user have to do to find the highest takeoff weight that can be lifted at a particular airport on a given day?
The Tybee Jet philosophy is that we do the computational work, and you fly the airplane. Every effort is made to automate the process of computing takeoff and landing performance. For example, you can select a flap setting and check the OPTIMIZE box. If the selected flap setting will get the desired takeoff weight out, then you’re done. If not, the other flap setting will be computed, and the one that gets the most weight out will be automatically used.

Using the Gulfstream Airplane Flight Manual is a complex task. If it is this hard for me to plan a takeoff, why should I trust Tybee Jet to get the right answer?
The author of AFMatic, Van Swofford, graduated in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn University in 1978, and has been an aerodynamic performance engineer since then. He has spent approximately 12 years of his 25+ year career working for Gulfstream, with much of that time creating flight manuals for the GIII, GIIB, and GIV. The knowledge and experience gained from these years of flight manual development ensure the accuracy of the computations. In addition to the years of building flight manuals, he has worked on a variety of projects, including development of Quiet Flying for the GII and GIII, proposals to the USAF for the Next Generation Trainer and C-20, and GIV-SP and GV flight test. Software development experience at Gulfstream encompasses a range of technical areas, such as performance analysis, flight manual graphics, real-time graphics for the flight test data acquisition system, and range map generation for the sales and marketing organizations.Tybee Jet maintains a close working relationship with Gulfstream. When there are revisions to performance data, we will incorporate those changes quickly, and will not rest until every detail is understood and correctly programmed.

These days, a lot of software I buy has poor documentation, if there is any at all. How about AFMatic?
AFMatic is provided with thorough documentation in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format, which may be read online or printed out. In addition, this documentation is provided in the form of online help, organized by topic, accessible from within the AFMatic program, so you never have to carry a printed document with you. The documentation is updated every time we make a change to the program, and distributed with the updates each month, so it is always up to date. Here’s our philosophy on documentation in a nutshell: Good software without good documentation is like a good parachute without a good ripcord.

Download the documentation in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format and see for yourself.

Okay, sounds nice, but what about training?
Good question! While every effort has been made to make AFMatic so easy to use that it is intuitive, this software is still an easy-to-use solution to some very complex calculations. We are available to conduct training sessions at your facilities which include training on performance calculations and issues for your particular aircraft, and the use of AFMatic to solve those problems. Please contact us for details and a price quote.

What happens if I find a bug in the software?
Please contact Tybee Jet whenever you experience unexpected behavior of the software. If the behavior of the software is unexpected because the user doesn’t understand some facet of the use of the program, we will assist you and update the documentation to better explain its use. If the program is in error, we will fix it, and release the update on the next regular update cycle. Period. No excuses. If it’s wrong, we’ll make it right. Isn’t that the way it should be?

I have more technical questions. How can I contact you?
Click the link at the bottom of this page to email us with your technical questions, or call us at 615-308-7216.

Okay, I’m sold. How do I order AFMatic?
You may order AFMatic software here. Thank you very much!