Skip to main content

4. Flight Operations

📄️ 4.2 Fleet Restrictions

Fleet types flown on flights are restricted by type ratings that you hold/obtain either by initial assignment or by promotion through the promotions/transfer requirement table listed above. Flights flown in aircraft that you are not type rated for, or do not exist in the structure, will be rejected as per the minimum requirements below. So as to not restrict the searchability of our timetable, you are able to see flights for the entire fleet regardless of your rank and type ratings held. It is up to each pilot to ensure they only fly flights in aircraft that they are rated for to avoid their flight being rejected.

📄️ 4.3 Flight Breaks

vAAirlines crew members are permitted to take flight breaks when flying offline. Flight breaks should not exceed 10 minutes on flights less than an hour, 20 minutes on flights less than an hour and a half, 30 minutes on flights less than two and a half hours, and 45 minutes on flights less than four hours. For flights over four hours, a break of 75 minutes is approved. Pausing a flight does not count as a break and may be done for extensive periods of time provided that the crew member is not on any Virtual Air Traffic network. If flying online on a Virtual Air Traffic network, flight breaks are to be conducted in accordance with that network’s policy and should be requested from the controlling agency if applicable.

📄️ 4.5 PIREPs - ACARS

vAAirlines utilizes a version of vmsACARS (nicknamed "JetNet") adapted to work seamlessly with our cms. If we decide to utilize TFDi's smartCARS 3 software in the future it will be referred to as "smartCARS", "SC3", or "smartCARS 3" to while the current ACARS will remain "JetNet". Links to download the clients as well as links to instructions on their operations may be found in the downloads section of the pilot portal. If you have problems with the system, please contact your Chief Pilot with the issue so it can be directed to the proper source and corrected as soon as possible. Unfortunately, direct troubleshooting may be limited due to the nature of both programs being created by third parties, but all efforts will be made to get you an answer or raise the issue directly with the developer. Manual PIREPs are not accepted unless a valid VATSIM or Volanta link is posted in the comments section of the manual PIREP. The manual PIREP option is meant to be used as a backup in case the ACARS program becomes unresponsive during flight. Manual PIREPs will not be accepted without a valid VATSIM or Volanta link and should be used as a secondary emergency option only.

📄️ 4.6 Flight Frequency/Minimum Requirements

We recognize that crew members have outside obligations in the real world and may also have obligations to fly for other virtual organizations. We require that crew members fly one flight in the first 14 days of employment. After the initial flight requirement has been met, we no longer hold any further flight requirement and only require that pilots log in to the website at least once every 60 days. If the 60-day login requirement is not met, the system will automatically mark you as inactive and lock your account out as well as remove you from the public pilot roster. To be reinstated as active, please contact the VP of Human Resources by email with your name and pilot ID to be reactivated. Pilots inactive for more than 365 days may be removed from the system entirely unless on an approved LOA. If you are unable to meet the flight frequency requirements as outlined in this document, please contact the VP of Human Resources with your LOA – Leave of Absence request stating the reason for the LOA as well as the timeframe for return to active status. Pilots who have not met the 14-day initial flight requirement are not eligible for LOA. Flights are required to meet the following minimum requirements:

📄️ 4.7 Charter Flights

Occasionally vAAirlines will be hired to do select charter flights for sports teams, relief efforts, troop movement, or other items. When these arise, they will be added to the system and can be found by searching for "Charters" as the flight type in the flight search. A note of the charter flights will be posted in our Discord under "Charter Announcements" along with the duration of the charter flight being available in the system. Charter flights, unless otherwise noted in the announcement, are not type rating/CAT free and must be flown in accordance with section 4.6 of the SOPPHB.

📄️ 4.9 Fleet Substitutions

vAAirlines flights are to be completed in the aircraft listed on the schedule and may not be substituted. Fleet substitutions of the same aircraft family but different variant are not allowed regardless of similarity or real world operation (for example, an A319 flight must be flown in an A319 and may not be flown in an A320 or A321. Likewise, a 777-200 flight may not be completed in a 777-300 or 787-8). This also extends to different engine models of the same aircraft family (for example, the A321 may not be flown for an A321neo flight). Aircraft not in the fleet will not be accepted. The exception to this is only with written approval from the Senior Executive Staff on a rare and case-by-case basis.

📄️ 4.10 Double Flight Tracking (Double PIREPing)

vAAirlines flights may not be flown for another organization including, but not limited to, other virtual airlines, virtual organizations, or training departments without prior written authorization from your Type Rating Group Chief Pilot. The exception to this is that you may always utilize your own flight tracking software for personal use only such as Volanta or similar which would be used to maintain a personal flight logbook but not upload to a website or server which has been created as a type of virtual airline or organization.

📄️ 4.11 Shared Flight Deck Operations

vAAirlines recognizes that teamwork and proper Crew Resource Management (CRM) is vital to creating a safe and effective flight deck environment as well as overall flight operation. vAAirlines has no limits on utilizing any 3rd party application created to simulate another crew member being on the flight deck with you including utilizing features or programs that allow you to fly with another vAAirlines pilot who is rated to also fly that aircraft while both receiving credit for the flight by using the JetNet ACARS flight tracking software. The exception to this rule regarding both AI as well as an Additional Crew Member (ACM) is when the flight being conducted is for a practical examination/checkride flown for vAAirlines unless otherwise stated in the checkride instruction email.

📄️ 4.12 Historic Fleet

vAAirlines is proud to honor the true legacy of American Airlines and the fleet types that were the workhorses of the route network leading up to where we are today. We currently offer a historic fleet ranging all of the way back to the very first aircraft and flight schedules which include many classic aircraft. We have also included the airlines that were merged into American Airlines with their approximate fleets at the time of merging. These aircraft can be found in section 4.1 above and are still to be flown in accordance with any rank restrictions as well as SOPPHB restrictions for flights flown. This means that a pilot may not operate any of the historic fleet located in any group unless they have earned the associated type rating. Even after promotion to a higher group, a pilot may continue to utilize any type rating earned from a lower group for flights. Historic flights are now designated normally on the website but associated with their respective airlines (American Airlines historic flights are listed as AAH and have the old logo but should still be flown as AAL on VATSIM). Historic flights flown now do count towards promotion total flight counts.

📄️ 4.13 Diversions

Our new system does allow for diversions to be handled by automatically moving assets to the airport that you diverted to and automatically creating a flight for you to continue on to the original destination. Diversions are accepted for weather, mechanical, or other unforeseen circumstances that may arise when using realistic settings with your aircraft or flight simulator. Diversions may not be made for pilot errors or to create a city pair/charter flight intentionally and should be sparesley used. If a trend occurs of a pilot utilizing the diversion feature to create their own schedules will have subsequent flight PIREPs rejected.