Beginners Guide

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Register an account

The first step towards flying with the airline is registering a new account, via the link below:

• Visit the registration page

The registration page will ask you for the following information:

• Full Name - please use your real first and last name

• Email Address

• Airline (choose any - we are not restricting aircraft choice by airline)

• Home Airport

• Country

• Timezone

• Transfer Hours (if you're moving over from another airline, this will jump you up the rank ladder)

• Password

If you have no hours to transfer, you begin as a "Student Pilot" (see below).

Following registration you will be sent a confirmation link via email. After following the confirmation instructions, you will arrive within the airline with a pilot reference number in the format "VFA-0123".

Install the ACARS client

In order to track flights, we use a piece of software called ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) that you can run alongside your flight simulator. Visit the link below to find out all about ACARS - where you can download it, how to install it, and how to configure it.

• Visit the ACARS page

Starting as a student pilot

We operate a simple rank system, where the hours you have filed determine your rank. To begin with you are a "Student Pilot", and will only be able to choose from a limited pool of aircraft for your first few flights. You typically specify type of aircraft you'll be using when filing a free, scheduled, or tour flight.

You can find out all about the rank system and the aircraft available to each rank via the link below:

• Visit the Ranks page

As a student pilot, you are welcome to do free flights (programme your route into ACARS directly), or take part in any of the Flying Club Tours (check out the Tours page within the Airline). Most of the flying club tour legs are under 100nm so perfectly suited to the Robin, Cessna 152 and 172.

Recording your first free flight

Here's a handy check-list to walk you through recording your first flight with the Airline - much more information is available about the various ways you can pre-load flight plans into ACARS on the ACARS page.

Starting your flight

1. Install ACARS following the instructions on the ACARS page.

2. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator, and start a flight with either the Cessna 152, 172, or Robin DR400 in a parking area at your favourite small airport.

3. When the simulator has launched, open the ACARS client, visit the "Flight" page (the second icon down in the left margin), and fill the form out as follows:

   • Airline - "VC - VFO Flying Club"

   • Flight Number - any integer under 1000 (we use higher numbers for scheduled flights and tours)

   • Leg - leave blank

   • Code - leave blank

   • Flight Type - Training

   • Departure - the ICAO code of the airfield you are departing from

   • Destination - the ICAO code of the airfield you are intending to fly to

   • Flight route - leave blank (it's optional, and only for reference)

   • Aircraft - choose the aircraft you are using from the drop-down menu, and then fill out payload as appropriate

4. Click the Start Flight button at the bottom of the page.

You're ready to go! Minimize the ACARS client, start the aircraft up, taxi out to the runway and complete your flight.

Finishing your flight

1. Land, taxi in, park your aircraft, and shut it down

2. Return to the ACARS client, and click the Finish Flight button on the Flight page

3. Review the Summary page in the ACARS client to see how you did

4. Visit the PIREPs page within the website to see your report

While flying around, feel free to explore the various pages within the ACARS client - and perhaps investigate sending a flight to ACARS from the airline website for your next flight - via a tour leg, perhaps (it's all covered in the ACARS page).

Recording your first tour flight

Here's a handy check-list to walk you through recording your first tour flight with the Airline.

Starting your flight

1. Install ACARS following the instructions on the ACARS page. Do not launch it.

2. Visit the Tours page within the airline website, and choose a tour - perhaps the United Kingdom Tour.

3. Choose a leg of the tour to fly (they don't have to be flown in order), and click the "i" (information) icon next to the leg. Take note of the departure or origin airfield ICAO code.

4. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator, and start a flight with either the Cessna 152, 172, or Robin DR400 in a parking area at the departure airfield.

5. When the simulator is ready (with your aircraft awaiting you on the ground), return to the website and click the "Load in VMS Acars" button. ACARS will launch automatically, and go to the Flight page, with everything except the aircraft filled out.

6. Choose an Aircraft from the drop-down list, and populate it's payload details.

7. Click the Start Flight button at the bottom of the page.

You're ready to go! Minimize the ACARS client, start the aircraft up, taxi out to the runway and complete your flight.

Finishing your flight

1. Land, taxi in, park your aircraft, and shut it down

2. Return to the ACARS client, and click the Finish Flight button on the Flight page

3. Review the Summary page in the ACARS client to see how you did

4. Visit the PIREPs page within the website to see your report

While flying around, feel free to explore the various pages within the ACARS client - and perhaps investigate sending a flight to ACARS from the airline website for your next flight - via a tour leg, perhaps (it's all covered in the ACARS page).

Choosing different kinds of flights

You can arrange flights in a number of different ways:

• Free Flights with ACARS - If you want to perform a "free flight", you can fill details directly into the ACARS client application while your aircraft is sitting on the ground at the departure airport - this will include your chosen airline, flight number (please use numbers under 1000 for free flight numbers) departure airfield, destination airfield, and aircraft type. You can ignore the leg and code number.

• Free Flights with Simbrief - If you want to perform a "free flight" but also have a Simbrief operational flight plan, you'll need to fill out the Free Flight form within the airline - which then provides the opportunity to send the full flight details to ACARS (make sure ACARS isn't running).

• Tours - visit the Tours page within the airline, choose a suitable tour, and click the information icon next to a leg of the tour. From there you can send the leg directly to ACARS (make sure ACARS isn't running), or generate a Simbrief flight plan first. Most tours are not limited by airline or aircraft type.

• Scheduled Flights - visit the Flights page within the airline, and search for a flight that interests you. After pulling up information on the flight, you can send the details either directly to ACARS (make sure ACARS isn't running), or generate a Simbrief flight plan first.

It's worth noting that any pre-determined flight can be flown without sending to ACARS, by filling the appropriate data into ACARS while at the departure airport. Fill in the accurate airline, flight number, leg, code, and flight type, and the recorded flight will be matched against the plan - this means tour legs can be filed without "sending to ACARS" (although we would advise sending them - it's easier).

Starting flights

Flights can be started in ACARS while at the departure airfield with the power off.

• Make sure "Flight" page in ACARS shows the correct flight information

• Make sure the aircraft is powered down to avoid any rules being immediately broken

• Click the "Start Flight" button on the Flight page in ACARS

• Start your aircraft following normal procedures, and get on with your flight

After starting the flight in ACARS, it monitors what you're doing and provides a helpful messages in a log on the Map page.

Ending flights

When you have landed and parked the aircraft, ending the flight in ACARS then allows you to submit it - it will be filed and show on the website immediately.

• Shut your aircraft down following normal procedures.

• Click the "End Flight" button on the Flight page in ACARS

• Click the "Submit" button that then appears

• Visit the airline to see your filed flight on the Flight Reports page within the airline

Note that the log recorded by ACARS is available to look at after the flight.

What if your flight goes wrong?

If disaster strikes, you can file a "Manual PIREP" (Pilot Report).

Visit the link below to file manually within the airline:

• Create a Manual PIREP

Awards

As you file more hours, rise through the ranks, and complete tours, you win awards that are listed on your profile.

You can find out the awards available at the link below:

• Visit the Awards Page

Where to get support

The best place to ask for help is the #airline-support forum on Discord

• Install Discord (if you don't already have it)

• Join the VirtualFlight.Online Discord Server

• Visit the #airline-support channel and start a new topic (or even better, search existing topics and see if your problem has already been answered!)

Go back to the Airline