Virtual Air Canada Airline Pilot ASOPs

4.1 Flight Planning & Dispatch

Operational Flight Plan (OFP)

Generated via Simbrief or company tool
Must be reviewed and accepted by both PIC and virtual dispatcher
Contains all necessary route, aircraft, and performance information

Fuel Policy

Compliant with CARs 705.33, our fuel policy includes:

Fuel Component	Calculation Method
Taxi Fuel	200 kg (jet narrow‑body) / 300 kg (wide‑body)
Trip Fuel	As calculated + 5% contingency
Alternate Fuel	Fuel required to fly from destination to alternate airport
Final Reserve	30 minutes holding at 1,500 ft above alternate aerodrome elevation
Extra Fuel	PIC’s discretion based on weather, slots, anticipated holding, etc.

Performance Calculation

Use manufacturer tools or TopCat for performance calculations
Include engine-out departure procedure (EODP) in planning
Consider obstacles greater than 125 ft AGL within 3 nm of departure path

NOTAM & Weather Package

Review must include:

SIGMETs for relevant airspace
Volcanic ash advisories if applicable
NAT track message for oceanic operations
Special airport procedures

Flight Release Process

Dispatcher prepares OFP and performance data
PIC reviews all documentation
Both PIC and dispatcher sign off via ACARS or company portal
Once released, any changes must be communicated and agreed upon

4.2 Roles, Flows & Standard Calls

PF/PM Allocation

Sector	Pilot Flying (PF)	Pilot Monitoring (PM)
Odd flight‑number	Captain	First Officer
Even flight‑number	First Officer	Captain

For long-haul flights, roles should swap at top of descent for optimal crew alertness.

Standard Callouts

Take-Off (A320 Example)

Event	PF	PM
Thrust set	”Set take‑off thrust"	"Thrust set”
80 kt	—	“80 knots”
V1	— (silence)	“V1”
VR	—	“Rotate”
Positive rate	—	“Positive rate”
Gear command	”Gear up"	"Gear up”

Note: Boeing call-outs are identical except PF responds “Check” at 80 kt.

Approach

Event	PF	PM
1,000 ft (IMC)	—	“1,000 feet”
500 ft (VMC)	—	“500 feet”
Approach Stabilized	”Stable"	"Stable”
Approach Not Stabilized	”Go Around"	"Go Around, Flaps ___“
Minimums	”Continue/Land” or “Go Around"	"Minimums”

Flow Concept

All cockpit activities follow the Trigger → Flow → Checklist sequence:

Trigger: Event that initiates a sequence (e.g., “After Start”)
Flow: Each pilot completes their assigned flow from memory
Checklist: Formal verification through challenge-response

Examples of flows include:

Preflight Flow
After Start Flow
Before Takeoff Flow
Cruise Flow
Approach Flow

4.3 Normal Ground Operations

Push-back & Engine Start

Verify beacon ON, all doors closed, and tug connected
Confirm brake pressure >2,000 psi before releasing parking brake
Follow proper engine start sequence:
- Airbus Aircrafts: Engine 1 then Engine 2, at max motoring N2 > 20%, oil press > 0.01 MPa
- Boeing Aircrafts: Engine 2 then Engine 1, starter cut-out at 50% N2
PM monitors hydraulic pressure, electrical parameters, and EGT rise
After both engines running, complete After Start Flow and Checklist

Taxi Operations

Speed Limits

Straight taxi: ≤ 25 kt
Turns: ≤ 10 kt
Crossing active runway: ≤ 15 kt

Low Visibility Procedures

Below RVR 1,200 ft: follow green centerline lights
Maintain spacing of 150 m from aircraft ahead
Use progressive taxi instructions if needed

Contaminated Surfaces

Single-engine taxi is prohibited on ice or snow
Reduce taxi speed appropriately for conditions
Avoid sharp turns or heavy braking

Runway Line-Up Technique

Align nose wheel precisely on centerline
Ensure rudder pedals are neutral
Verify compass/heading indicator is within plus/minus 5 degrees of runway heading
Wait 30 seconds for IRS settling if a turn greater than 8° was made
Confirm final checks complete before takeoff clearance acceptance

4.4 Normal Flight Phases

Take-Off Profiles

Profile	Reduction Altitude	Acceleration Altitude	Use
NADP 1	800 ft AFE	3,000 ft AFE	Noise-sensitive areas (e.g., YYZ rwy 23)
NADP 2	1,000 ft AFE	1,000 ft AFE	Performance-limited, runway obstacle clearance

Climb

Set CLIMB thrust at acceleration altitude
Retract flaps on schedule (F, S, Clean)
Crosscheck fuel burn against OFP every 10 minutes
- Acceptable deviation: ±300 kg for narrow-body, ±500 kg for wide-body
Follow standard climb speed schedule unless ATC requires different speeds

Cruise

Maintain optimum Mach number per Cost Index (CI) in OFP
RVSM requirements: maintain altimeter crosscheck difference less than or equal to 200 ft
TCAS should be set to TA/RA mode
Execute TCAS Resolution Advisories (RA) unless unsafe to do so
Complete hourly position reports for oceanic/remote airspace

Descent Planning

Top of Descent (TOD) calculation: TOD = (Altitude Δ × 3) + 10 nm buffer
Example: FL370 to 5,000 ft = (37,000 - 5,000)/1,000 × 3 + 10 = 106 nm

Speed Management

Early descent: Green dot + 50 kt
Below 10,000 ft: 250 kt maximum
Configure flaps progressively to maintain stable energy state
Plan to be fully configured by 1,000 ft AGL (IMC) or 500 ft AGL (VMC)

Approach Stabilization Gates

Gate	Height AGL	Required State
1,000 ft IMC	1,000 ft	Gear down, final flap, on profile, Approach speed +0/–5 kt, sink 500–1,000 fpm
500 ft VMC	500 ft	Minor deviations allowed, but must be correcting

UNSTABLE → GO-AROUND (mandatory call by any crew member)

Landing Technique

Autobrake settings:
- Dry runway, normal length: AUTO 2
- Wet runway or short field: AUTO 3 / MAX
Reduce reverse thrust to idle at 60 kt
Cancel reverse thrust completely by 40 kt
Turn on taxi light when crossing the hold-short line
Turn off strobe lights after clearing the runway

4.5 Oceanic & Extended Operations

ETOPS Requirements

Item	Requirement
ETOPS release	Dual-alternates within 60 min / 180 min (aircraft-type specific)
Position plotting	Verify waypoints on master plot every 10° longitude
SELCAL	Confirm code before entering NAT HLA
Strategic Lateral Offset (SLOP)	1–2 nm RIGHT of centerline unless ATC assigned

Oceanic Procedures

Pre-Oceanic Checklist to be completed 10 minutes prior to oceanic entry
HF radio check with appropriate oceanic control
Hourly position reports containing:
- Aircraft callsign
- Position (lat/long or named waypoint)
- Time over position
- Flight level
- Next waypoint and ETA
- Following waypoint
Maintain Mach number technique when assigned

Low-Visibility Operations (CAT II/III)

Minimum required equipment:
- Autopilot
- Autothrottle
- Dual FGCS channels
- Radio altimeters
CAT IIIa procedures allow operations down to 50 ft DH (fail-passive)
CAT IIIb procedures allow operations down to 15 ft (no rollout guidance in sim)
Follow LVP taxi charts with ILS Critical Areas clearly marked
Special callouts and procedures apply during CAT II/III approaches

Introduction

Checklists

Organization

Flight Operations

Ground Operations

Safety & Training

Monitoring & Compliance

Reference

​Flight‑Deck SOPs

​4.1 Flight Planning & Dispatch

​Operational Flight Plan (OFP)

​Fuel Policy

​Performance Calculation

​NOTAM & Weather Package

​Flight Release Process

​4.2 Roles, Flows & Standard Calls

​PF/PM Allocation

​Standard Callouts

​Take-Off (A320 Example)

​Approach

​Flow Concept

​4.3 Normal Ground Operations

​Push-back & Engine Start

​Taxi Operations

​Speed Limits

​Low Visibility Procedures

​Contaminated Surfaces

​Runway Line-Up Technique

​4.4 Normal Flight Phases

​Take-Off Profiles

​Climb

​Cruise

​Descent Planning

​Speed Management

​Approach Stabilization Gates

​Landing Technique

​4.5 Oceanic & Extended Operations

​ETOPS Requirements

​Oceanic Procedures

​Low-Visibility Operations (CAT II/III)

Next Section: Abnormal & Emergency Procedures

Flight‑Deck SOPs