How to Use WinBid for Mac OS X

WinBid for Mac OS X

WinBid for Mac OS X is monthly bidding software for Mac OS X. It permits airline crews to download, store, view, filter, score, and sort lines for monthly bidding. All pairings are included listed sequentially, or by origination date. You can also save the pairings you fly (including personal notes) to your schedule.

Three Lines Viewers: All Lines, Filter/Score Results, and Pick List

WinBid for Mac OS X has three different viewers of the lines for a given bid month. To switch viewers, press the desired link on the left side of WinBid.

All the lines viewers include the pairing viewer feature. Simply double-click on any pairing number shown in a line, and the full pairing will be displayed.

The Filter/Score Results viewer shows the lines from the last filter/score action. If the results were filtered, they will be sorted by pay time (most to least). If the results were scored, they will be sorted by score and also by pay time.  

The Pick List viewer includes functions for deleting lines from the Pick List and also for moving lines around in the Pick List. The Pick List viewer is where you will finalize your bid choices, including manually moving or deleting lines, as well as printing the Pick List to use for bidding.

WinBid for Mac Toolbar

The toolbar provides access to all the functions of WinBid for Mac.

WinBid for Mac Menus

The main menu is contextual, and may change to reflect the current viewer. For example, when the Filter/Score Results viewer is displayed, the main menu will include a List menu which includes sub menus for copy and deleting displayed lines. Most contextual menus also are available by right-clicking (or control+click) on the viewer.

Add Lines Package

The Add Lines Package toolbar button will download a lines package for the selected crew base, aircraft, crew position, lineholder status, month, and year. Regular lines packages are normally available beginning around 45 days prior to when a bid month begins. Secondary lines are normally available 25 days before a month begins. Reserve lines are normally available 20 days before a month begins.

After you select a crew base, aircraft, crew position, lineholder status, and bid month, WinBid will download the lines package using any available Internet connection. If you want to switch to a different lines package that has already been downloaded, use the Manage Lines Package button on the toolbar.

Manage Lines Package

If you have already added a lines package for a given crew base, aircraft, crew position, and bid month, you can switch to a different one with the Manage Lines Package toolbar button. You can also delete lines packages that are no longer being used by selecting the package to delete, and then click the – button.

Filtering and Scoring

Filtering and scoring are different processes used to find the most desirable lines for your personal parameters. Think of filters as exclusive. Think of scores as weighted sorts.

Filters permit you to set numerous parameters and to find only the lines that exactly match your selections. For example, if you want certain days off but you also want no red eyes in those lines, such a filter action would show only the lines that have all the days off you desired, as well as lines with absolutely no red eye trips.

Scores permit you to assign values (positive or negative) to various parameters. A line is given a “score” based upon the combination of the score values you set.

Recursive Filtering and Scoring

With both filters and scores you can choose whether to filter/score all the lines, or simply the previous results. Where that might be beneficial is where you filter for parameters that are absolutely necessary, but then want the results ordered on different parameters. An example would be where you must have all Saturdays off, so you apply that filter. Then taking the results from that filter, you score to also have Sundays off and four-day trips. The results from such a scenario would be only the lines that have Saturdays off, but ordered with the most Sundays off and the most four-day trips at the top of the results list when viewed in the Scored Results viewer.

In the Set Filters and the Set Scores screens you can use the Preview button to get an idea how the results might look. This allows you to tweak the settings to get closer to the desired results.

Set Filters

After you set your desired filtering parameters, you can use the Preview button to see how many lines exactly match all your parameters. Use the Filter button when you are ready to view the filtered lines in the Filter Results viewer.

Set Scores

After you set your desired scoring parameters, you can use the Preview button to see the scores for the lines. Remember that you can assign a negative or a positive value to any scoring parameter. The lines will be scored by the combination of your settings. Use the Score button when you are ready to view the scored lines in the Score Results viewer.

Copying Filter/Score Results to the Pick List

After each filtering or scoring action, the results will be displayed in the Filter/Score Results viewer. To copy lines (or all the displayed lines) to the Pick List, use the Lists menu in the main menu or right-click (option+click) in Filter/Score Results viewer to get the pop-up Lists menu. To copy selected lines, first select the desired lines and then select the Lists, Copy Selected To Pick List menu. This will copy the selected lines to the Pick List, in the same order as shown, removing all repeated lines in reverse order. All lines added to the Pick List maintain the order in which they were added. You can also delete lines from the Filter/Score Results viewer.

You can copy lines into the Pick List from as many filters and scoring actions as you need and the Pick List will maintain the both the order (with the first lines added on top) and remove any repeated lines.

Pick List Viewer: Manually Adjusting Pick List

In the Pick List viewer, there is a menu for deleting selected lines. You can also drag-drop any line to change its position in the Pick List.

To delete a line, or multiple lines, make your selections by selecting the line(s), and then select Delete Selected From Displayed List menu in the main List menu, or right-click (option+click) for the pop-up delete menu.  

To move a line up or down in the Pick List, simply drag the line to the desired location in the Pick List and release the left mouse button.

Example: Moving line 4515 to between 4506 and 4508

Print the Pick List

When the Pick List viewer is displayed, the Print toolbar button will print the full Pick List viewer.

All Pairings Viewer

All the pairings for the selected bid month are listed in the All Pairings viewer. Selecting any pairing will display the pairing details.

The Print toolbar button will print the list of pairings. To print an individual pairing, right-click (option+click) on the pairing list and select which printing option you want.

By Dates Pairing Viewer

The pairings for the selected bid month are listed by origination date in the By Dates Pairings viewer. Select an origination date, and then selecting any pairing to display the pairing details.

The Print toolbar button will print the list of pairings for the selected date. To print an individual pairing, right-click (option+click) on the pairing list and select which printing option you want.

Using Dropbox with WinBid

WinBid can keep track of your flying schedule from month to month in “My Schedule.” As well, it can help you keep track of your flying time in “My Logbook.”

If you use WinBid Pairings 2 on your iPhone your scheduled pairings and logbook can be shared between your Mac and your iPhone (and your iPad if you have the apps there as well!).

Using the Dropbox feature, if there are any changes to your schedule on your Mac, then those changes are sent via Dropbox to your iPhone – and vice versa. Likewise, any changes to your logbook on your Mac and those changes are sent via Dropbox to your iPhone – change them on your iPhone and the changes are sent to your Mac.

Unlike some apps, you are in complete control of how Dropbox treats your data. You will always be asked before your scheduled pairings or your logbook is replaced from Dropbox.

When you select My Schedule in WinBid for Mac (or My Pairings in iPhone), a check in Dropbox is made for a newer version of your scheduled pairings . If a newer version is found, you are asked if you would like to replace the current version with the newer version.  Likewise, when you select My Logbook in WinBid for Mac ( or Logbook in iPhone), you will be given the option to replace the logbook if a newer one is found in Dropbox.

If you want to replace your scheduled pairings with data in Dropbox regardless of which location is newer, simply select the File, Check Dropbox for Schedule menu (or Action, Check Dropbox for Schedule button on iPhone).

If you want to replace your logbook with data in Dropbox regardless of which location is newer, simply select the File, Check Dropbox for Logbook menu (or Action, Check Dropbox for Logbook button on iPhone).

Strategies for Moving Data Via Dropbox

You will need to have Dropbox configured for both your Mac and your iPhone (and/or iPad).

Turn on Dropbox on in WinBid for Mac as well as WinBid Pairings 2. This is done in the respective Preferences view.

The device (Mac or iPhone) that has made the latest changes, sends that data through Dropbox, and then is picked up by the other devices that are sharing the Dropbox source.

At any time, if you want the current device’s data to be the data that Dropbox has stored, simply make a temporary or permanent change to scheduled pairings and the logbook, and it will be automatically sent to Dropbox.

For example, if you delete a device’s data, and don’t want empty data to be in Dropbox, simple open the other device and make any temporary or permanent change in the scheduled pairings and logbook, then that newer version (not empty data) is available to all devices.

Remember, the latest edited data is what is on Dropbox. That becomes the data that is shared between devices.

My Schedule

WinBid has the ability to manage the pairings that you fly. You can save your line’s scheduled pairings along with notes and they are saved regardless of the currently displayed bid month configuration. You can display previous months along with the pairings and notes even if for a different than the currently displayed aircraft. Any pairings and notes displayed in My Schedule can be displayed with a single-click on the pairing in any calendar day.

If Dropbox is configured on your Mac, you can use Dropbox to share your scheduled pairings between WinBid for Mac OS X and WinBid Pairings 2. Any changes you make in either app can appear in the other app. This is the easiest way to share your scheduled pairings and notes with your iPhone or iPad.

• To add an entire line’s pairings to the currently loaded bid package to your calendar, click the ++ button and select the line to add to My Schedule.
• To add a single pairing to My Schedule, click the + button and select the pairing to add.
• To delete a pairing, click the – button in the date on My Schedule. To delete an entire month’s activity, click the ++ button below the calendar.

• To add passenger loads to a pairing, press the Pax Loads button at the bottom of the pairing window.

If you want to add events from My Schedule for months other than the currently displayed bid month, simply select that lines package from the Manage Lines Package toolbar button first, and then return to My Schedule to add the pairings. Once a pairing is added to My Schedule, you can add or edit notes regardless of the current lines package.

Exporting a Pairing to a File

• Open WinBid and go to My Schedule
• Open the pairing for the date
• Use the Export to a file toolbar function to save the pairing to your desktop

Exporting a Pairing’s Legs to ‘My Logbook’

You can preload your logbook with the legs of a pairing. This fills in all necessary fields for your logbook except the aircraft tail number. This permits you to simply modify those legs in your logbook for actual block time etc. with minimal input or effort.

• Open WinBid and go to My Schedule 
• Open the pairing for the date  
• Use the Send To Logbook toolbar function to send the pairing to your logbook.

Logbook

WinBid includes a fully functioning airline pilot logbook. It keeps times in hours and minutes (format: hh:mm,  hhhh:mm, etc.).

Logbook Report

You can get logbook totals and track legality in the Logbook Report feature. Access the Logbook Report by selecting “My Logbook” then in the main app menu, and select the Report, Show Totals Report menu. You can also use the Totals Report button on the toolbar.

Importing and Using a Shared Logbook in Dropbox

To get you started with the logbook, you can enter blocks of time up to 9,999 hours in a single line. You can also import a logbook from Little Red Book for Windows.

You can also use Dropbox and have WinBid Pairings 2 and WinBid Logbook for iPhone share logbook information. Any changes in your logbook on your Mac or iPhone can be made to the other logbook location.

Importing a Logbook from Little Red Book for Windows

• Start Little Red Book on your Windows computer
• Use Little Red Book’s File, Export, Export Logbook File To WinBid Pairings or WinBid Logbook menu and save the logbooktoiphone.cdf file to your Windows desktop.
• Copy the logbooktoiphone.cdf file to your Mac.
• Start WinBid for Mac OS X
• Go to “My Logbook”
• In the main app menu, select the File, Import Logbook From Little Red Book menu and select the logbooktoiphone.cdf file to open/import.

Printing

Everything in WinBid can be printed. The Print toolbar button will print the currently displayed viewer, or in cases where there are multiple items to print (example: All Lines viewer), you can right-click (control+click) on the viewer for the pop-up print selection menu.