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Flight Booking System

Virtual Air Canada offers a comprehensive flight booking system that simulates real-world airline operations. This guide will walk you through the process of finding, booking, and completing flights.

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Finding Available Flights

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Jumpseat System

By default, pilots are assigned to one of the Air Canada hub airports as their home base. However, you may want to start flights from other airports based on your preferences or to build specific routes. The Jumpseat system allows you to reposition to any airport in the network without having to fly there first.

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Booking Process

Follow these steps to book a flight in the Pilot Hub application:

1

Navigate to Flight Booking

Open Pilot Hub and select the “Flight Booking” tab from the main navigation menu.

2

Select departure airport

Choose your departure airport:

  • Select from a list of VACA hubs
  • Choose your current aircraft location
  • Search for a specific airport code

Starting from a VACA hub gives you more route options compared to non-hub airports.

3

Choose destination and route

After selecting your departure, you’ll see available destinations:

  1. Browse destinations categorized by region
  2. View route details including distance and estimated flight time
  3. Check aircraft types available for the route
  4. Select your preferred routing (direct or with connections)
4

Select aircraft

Choose an aircraft for your flight:

  1. View available aircraft for your selected route
  2. Check aircraft specifications and requirements
  3. Verify that the aircraft is appropriate for your pilot rank

Ensure you have the correct aircraft model in your flight simulator before booking. Using an incorrect aircraft during the flight may result in the flight not being validated.

5

Schedule and confirm

Set your flight details:

  1. Choose a departure date and time
  2. Review the flight summary (route, aircraft, estimated duration)
  3. Add optional flight notes
  4. Click “Confirm Booking” to finalize

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Flight Preparation

After booking your flight, prepare for departure:

  1. Load Flight in ACARS: Open Pegasus ACARS and load your booked flight from the “My Flights” section

  2. Flight Planning:

    • Download your flight plan (available in Pilot Hub and ACARS)
    • Review route, SIDs, STARs, and approach procedures
    • Check weather conditions at departure and arrival airports
    • Calculate fuel requirements based on distance and weather

  3. Aircraft Setup:

    • Launch your flight simulator
    • Select the correct aircraft model
    • Position at the departure airport
    • Set up your aircraft according to procedures

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Flying Your Route

Flight Rules

  • Follow real-world procedures for taxi, takeoff, and landing
  • Maintain realistic speeds and altitudes
  • Adhere to ATC instructions (if using online networks)
  • Complete all phases of flight in Pegasus ACARS

Time Acceleration

  • Time acceleration is permitted up to 2x during cruise phase only
  • Must disable acceleration for climb, descent, approach, and landing
  • ACARS will detect and log inappropriate time acceleration usage

Approach and Landing

  • Follow published approach procedures
  • Landing rating is calculated based on touchdown rate, centerline alignment, and proper flap usage
  • Taxi to assigned gate to complete the flight

Disconnections

  • If you lose connection, reconnect ACARS as soon as possible
  • Flights with disconnections less than 15 minutes will be processed normally
  • Longer disconnections may require manual review

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Flight Completion

After landing and arriving at your gate:

  1. Shut down your aircraft according to procedures
  2. Complete the flight in Pegasus ACARS by clicking “End Flight”
  3. Add any comments or notes about the flight
  4. Submit your flight report
  5. Your flight will be validated and added to your logbook automatically

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Charter and Special Flights

In addition to scheduled service routes, VACA offers:

  • Charter Flights: Custom routes for special events
  • Group Flights: Organized community events with multiple pilots
  • Cargo Operations: Dedicated freight routes
  • Humanitarian Flights: Special operations to underserved destinations

These special flights are announced in the Pilot Hub Events section and on the VACA community Discord.

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Need Help?

If you encounter issues with flight booking or operations:

  • Check the Troubleshooting Guide for common problems
  • Ask in the #flight-support channel on our Discord server
  • Contact a Pilot Mentor for personalized assistance
  • Submit a support ticket through Pilot Hub