General Standards For Submission of Computer Prepared Formats

Civil Aeronautics Board, Office of Comptroller
Number 38
Issue Date: November 15, 1982
Effective Date: Immediately
Part 217, 241,298

Since 1976 we have permitted air carriers to submit computer prepared formats in place of the standard CAB reporting forms.  Utilizing computer facilities to produce reports represents savings in time and cost of report preparation.  However, computerized Submissions must conform to certain standards as to size, legibility, and amount of information shown.  This Reporting Directive is issued to update the guidelines originally published in Accounting and Reporting Directives No. 51 issued November 30, 1976, which is hereby cancelled.

1. Proposed computerized formats must be submitted to the Chief, Information Management Division of this office for approval prior to their use in actual reporting;
2. The computerized format must be presented in a similar manner to the format on the standard CAB Form and must also contain all the information that is requested by the standard CAB Form.  In addition, the carrier's name, the title and form number of the report, and the period to which the report applies must be clearly indicated on each computerized submission;
3. The computerized report must be an original which is printed in such a way as to guarantee legible photocopies;
4. The column headings on any computerized report cannot be abbreviated without prior approval;
5. For Form 41 reports, the maximum size acceptable is 11" x 15" and proper spacing must be provided to allow fastener holes to be punched in the report without obliterating any information on the report. Please leave space on top margin for vertical reports; space on left margin for horizontal reports.
6. Because of our poor experience in the past in trying to copy the information from multicolor computer paper, we suggest that either plain paper or the back side of such multicolor paper be used.
7. When a report requires certification by an officer of  the carrier, it is not necessary for the certification to be included  or each page of the report.  Certification should appear on either the first or last page of the computerized submission.

Anthony F. Toronto