FAA TAKES OFF WITH ADOBE FRAMEMAKER Aviation Safety Inspector Wayne Nutsch is Handbook Modernization Project Manager for the FAA's Flight Standards Service. Among other things, his group is responsible for developing and distributing the 6000+ page handbook used by the 3350 safety inspectors out in the field. With the advent of the Web, the FAA has made a decision to convert their paper documents to digital format, in order to implement online delivery. Due to the time savings and the abilities of today's competetive DTP software, COTS (rather than non-COTS) products were considered for the project. After evaluating the FAA's needs and the current market products, an independent contractor determined that Adobe's FrameMaker and Acrobat would be the best package to transform the handbooks into accessible digital format. According to Nutsch, many features distinguished FrameMaker for the project. Besides allowing automated TOC and index generation, FrameMaker can implement internal links throughout entire documents. These links transfer with documents into PDF format, allowing FAA inspectors quick access to critical aviation safety information. The hyperlink ability also allows text to reside in separate files without losing individual page-turning capability. Readers aren't forced to open new files to read new chapters, and file size can be maintained at 50K or less, which allows for faster file loading. Another plus involved FrameMaker's accurate WYSIWYG layout. The group had published previous documents using formatting codes, but the layout could not be checked for accuracy until the document was printed. FrameMaker offered the book-making capabilities the FAA needed, along with a workable interface. The decision to go digital was based on inefficiencies in the old paper Handbook procedure. Readers had to realize that a regulation had changed, then pay their money to place the order, and finally receive a copy a few months later--a copy that could already be outdated. By using FrameMaker and Acrobat, the FAA would have the handbook in both online (PDF) and paper form at the same time, with the same familiar appearance. "Acrobat gives us that capability," says Nutsch. "[Private sectors] can now download the book and get the parts that they want, or even go to a copy vendor and print the whole book with greater resolution than the old handbooks." And all with no more expense that it took to order the book via the old method. A platform-independent format, PDF files allow information to be transmitted in new ways: for example, individual pages of the Handbook can now be faxed electronically. In addition, because people don't need to pay anything to download the Acrobat Reader, PDF files are universally accessible without necessitating any sort of financial commitment to the software. A fully implemented handbook will soon be online, with other handbooks soon following. The FAA has already received favorable results when posting two other large PDF documents, so they know the process will work. Advisory Circular 9089A (The Amateur-Built Aircraft & Ultra-Light Flight-Testing Handbook) was the first document placed online, with 100 pages and black-and-white line art graphics. A shorter color document (Advisory Circular 43-16, describing the transportaion of oxygen generators) was placed on the Internet within 48 hours after the 1996 ValuJet plane accident. Via Acrobat, the FAA was quickly able to respond to a proven aviation safety hazard. Because FrameMaker was a recent purchase, not all files have been converted yet. Staff are still undergoing training via Adobe-recommended instructors, who are required to submit videotaped portions of their classes to Adobe for evaluation. The handbook staff's attitudes have been very positive, and Nutsch says they are very pleased with the instructors Adobe recommended. The FAA is also evaluating a proposed Online Aviations Safety Inspector System (OASIS) project, which will place PDF files on CD-ROM. OASIS would in essence implement laptop computer workstations, to be used by inspectors not at their normal duty stations (for example, stationed on a carrier) and who need quick access to critical safety information. Including information in PDF format on CD-ROM would allow for more up-to-date information than the standard paper handbooks, in addition to easier updating and transportation. The FAA plans to manage periodic Handbook revisions on Internet, intranet, and CD-ROM, in order to get critical aviation safety information to inspectors at a moment's notice. The process of trying to individually replace a few hundred pages in a few thousand copies of a 6000-page book -- and all in a timely manner--is extremely difficult under the current format. When the book is online, inspectors will be able to see what has been changed and download the new pages with little effort. When this happens, says Nutsch, "inspectors could be out inspecting airplanes instead of updating books." FrameMaker and Acrobat will eventually allow all handbooks to be placed online, making information easier to access. "The overall scheme," says Nutsch, "is to link everything together--regulations, circulars, test evaluations--and... inspectors will be able to reference all the material they need through hypertext links." Once that happens, inspectors will have all the information they need at their fingertips, rather than having to wade through numerous volumes of regulations. Having digital documents also leaves the door open for possible multimedia applications, such as including relevant soundbites or video sequences with the information, or providing personal training to new inspectors. -------------------------------------------------- (c) 1997 by Fed Services, Inc. Electronic Government, Special Adobe Issue. pp.4-5 Material to be used solely in regards to examining my credentials for employment.
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