Frequently Asked Questions

What is Schedule Master?
Who provides Schedule Master service?
Who uses Schedule Master?
How does Schedule Master work?
Is Schedule Master reliable?
How does Schedule Master benefit the owner/operator?
How does Schedule Master benefit the Pilot?
We have a large operation. Can Schedule Master help us?
We only have a small operation. Why will Schedule Master help us?
I don’t have access to the Internet. Can I still use Schedule Master?
How long does Schedule Master keep historical data? How can I get it?
What do I need to administer Schedule Master?
How do I get started with Schedule Master?
How much does Schedule Master cost?

Q: What is Schedule Master?

A: Schedule Master is an integrated scheduling service for aircraft, boats and related resources. Optional modules include maintenance and billing. There is no software to purchase or other capital investment required. The service is accessible worldwide on the web, telephone, or web enabled mobile phone. Within the US, the telphone service is provided using toll-free 800-number access.

A: Schedule Master is a service of Time Sync, Inc. Time Sync operates a state-of-the-art network operations center dedicated to Schedule Master and other services of the company. Initially, Schedule Master was developed by our founder to answer the needs of a flying club, which he was actively serving. In establishing Time Sync, this service has been expanded nation-wide. We at Time Sync have diverse backgrounds, but flying is the common thread. Pilot experience ranges from heavy jet airline and military, including helicopters, to small light aircraft. All of us started in light aircraft and have been members of various flying clubs and schools. We know the user hassles and the back office headaches of scheduling aircraft. Recently, we have begun servicing several boating organizations as well. 

A: Schedule Master clients span a diverse range of aviation organizations and other organization types. These include flight schools, Fixed Base Operators, and Charter Services as well as boating clubs and other various organizations. The service has been available for over 15 years.

A: Your schedules are maintained in a central database, along with your resource business rules. A user can access the schedule database via the telephone, the Internet or a web enabled mobile device. All user activity is based upon your business rules and permissions. This provides you complete control over the scheduling process.

A typical telephone session, for example, starts with the user dialing one of our 800-number access lines. Similar to an automated banking system, the Schedule Master guides the user to make a new schedule, cancel a schedule, be reminded of currently scheduled activity or schedule with an instructor. Member phone numbers and resource information is also available.

Accessing our World-Wide-Web site, users can perform these functions, and view the calendar and various resource availability graphically. Our web site is intuitive. Several articles are available for training purposes.

A: Our network operations center is provided with both battery back up and standby generator power. The battery-based uninterruptible power system is capable of running the entire center for several days without any other source of power. To provide service in the event of a long-term commercial power outage, the center maintains a continuous duty generator system that can operate for weeks without servicing.

Our voice and data circuits are high-priority commercial circuits that are continuously monitored and tested for reliability.

Our hardware and software architecture is fully redundant and provides for scalable growth and mirrored sites.

Your organization's activities are logged and archival records maintained to provide an "audit trail."

A: Aircraft and instructors produce income only when they are utilized. Schedule Master helps keep your resources in use and lowers your costs. Here are a few ways:

• ScheduleAlertä , our fully automatic pilot notification system, is specifically designed to keep flying club or flight school aircraft and instructors fully utilized. An integral element of the Schedule Master system, ScheduleAlert notifies pilots by email, fax and pager when an aircraft (or instructor) becomes available. Instead of calling or visiting the airport to find an aircraft for a needed flight, pilots simply indicate the aircraft or model they need. When a cancellation or other change occurs, ScheduleAlert immediately notifies the pilot that the aircraft they need is now available.
• 24-hour scheduling helps keep users and aircraft flying, and provide for the capturing of those last minute needs. Nearly 40% of current customer scheduling occurs outside of normal business hours. 24-hour per day scheduling is an immediate and effective way to increase the utilization of your aircraft.
• You control access and scheduling rules. No more wrong pilot and aircraft/boat combinations that block other users from scheduling the asset and thereby causing a lost opportunity. Easily suspend scheduling by users who fall behind in payments, or automatically remind users of annual review or medical expiration.
• Minimizing schedule abuse. Unfortunately, some users may abuse scheduling by blocking times far into the future and then canceling at the last minute. This results in lost opportunity and sometimes the cry for more aircraft. Schedule Master provides you with detailed information about such activity. More importantly, you can set rules which Schedule Master will enforce to control this abuse. With our Online Billing module, you have the option to automate charges for uncancelled schedules that were not flown.
• Save office staff salaries or answering service charges. Focus your expenses on the important on-site issues and let Schedule Master take care of the scheduling chore. It costs much less and is available 24-hours a day every day. Online Billing also has the option to allow members to enter their own flight time and make online payments, thus minimizing the work for bookkeeping staff.
• Increase communication of maintenance issues. With our Squawks module and our Scheduled Maintenance module, users and management can enter and view maintenance issues and due dates. Notifications can also be triggered for when maintenance is due or complete. Several configuration options allow your organization to set privilieges and visibility for this information.
• Attract more users. Professional people expect your organization to be professional in its activities. As pilots move from city to city, many have already experienced fast worldwide scheduling access 24-hours a day. Present your organization in a professional light, while attracting the pilots that will make your business a success.

A:Visibility and communication help a user stay informed. Here are some specifics:

• Fast efficient scheduling that is available 24 hours per day. Schedule Master makes scheduling accessible and easy to accomplish via the telephone, Internet or web-enabled cell phone. If a desired aircraft is not available, Schedule Master can search for another by model. ScheduleAlert will notify a pilot by fax, pager or email if the desired aircraft or instructor becomes available. Pilots can leave messages for the next user or others. Group messages and safety information can all be provided, 24 hours a day.
• Users can be reminded of upcoming medicals, annual review, etc. before they are overdue.
• Users can view aircraft status to make sure there are no issues that would prevent his flight. This may allow the user to resolve these issues prior to the flight or to change his schedule to a different resource.

A: Whether you have 1 or 100 resources, scheduling is a critical issue. Misunderstood or inaccessible schedules are costly and wasteful. With Schedule Master, your operation will achieve high resource utilization. As your operation grows, you will know when to add resources, and what type. Your scheduling support will be minimal, allowing you to keep your headcount low, and your staff focused on running your business. Our Online Billing, which allows users to enter their own time and make online payments, also makes a big impact on the staff needed to run your organization. And, it can help you keep tighter controls on customer balances. Your customers will appreciate Schedule Master as well. They will be able to schedule anytime, and can even use Schedule Master to notify them when a particular aircraft is available.

A: When your operation is small, utilization is an especially important issue. If your customers can easily and efficiently utilize the resources available, costs will be lowered, and customer satisfaction higher. One of the first small clubs to use Schedule Master found that all discussion about adding a third aircraft disappeared after switching to Schedule Master. Aircraft utilization went up, and any scheduling ‘abuse’ ended. The result was as if a third aircraft had been added to the fleet, at a fraction of the cost.

A: Yes. Schedule Master is available 24 hours per day though our high capacity phone lines. Much like an automated banking system, Schedule Master prompts the user through scheduling and even provides phone directory, voice mail and group messaging features. Administration of the system does require Internet access and is not available via the telephone.

Q: How long does Schedule Master keep historical data? How can I get it?

A: Monthly archives are kept indefinitely. Management personnel can view on-line reports and summaries. Other users can request backup data by email. One flight instructor recently contacted Schedule Master after his pilot logbook was lost. We were able to provide a complete record of schedules going back 2 years and he was able to reconstruct his logbook and satisfy the FAA requirements in time for his ATP check ride.

Q: What do I need to administer Schedule Master?

A: Schedule Master administration requires an Internet connection. We suggest FireFox 2, Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Safari 2, or higher, or a compatible web browser. With any of these common browsers, you can add or remove users, restrict scheduling, enter group messages, and much more.

Q: How do I get started with Schedule Master?

A: The easiest way is to go to our 'Costs' tab and start with the automated quote. This will walk you through a process that emails you a quote and sends you a link for setting up a free 30-day trial. This could get you up and running immediately. If you have any trouble, you can email us at support@timesync.com or give us a call at 1-888-TIMESYNC.

 Q: How much does Schedule Master cost?

A: Costs vary based upon your scheduling needs and the size of your organization, but typically cost $8 to $12 per aircraft per month. Full phone and Internet service are provided for this low monthly cost. Go to the Costs tab for a quote.