> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.canadava.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Shared Cockpit Flights > Co-fly a vACA flight with a friend in a shared cockpit, book it in the Pilot Portal, and earn +200 bonus points per flight for both pilots. ![Network & Co-pilot section on the booking page](https://mintcdn.com/virtualaircanada/KVOKUIqBD2WcQwQb/images/essentials/shared-cockpit/shared-cockpit-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=KVOKUIqBD2WcQwQb\&q=85\&s=0ab3f12ebe29300f2c6b9f60d75bdd51) ## Fly Together, Earn More Some flights are better with two people up front. A shared cockpit flight puts you and a friend in the same aircraft, linked through a tool like YourControls or SmartCopilot, splitting the work the way a real crew does: one pilot flies, the other monitors and handles the radios. Every shared cockpit flight earns **+200 points for each pilot**, on top of your normal flight score. > [card] +200 Points > > Added to your score for every shared cockpit flight > [card] Both Pilots > > You and your co-pilot each get the bonus on your own PIREP > [card] Automatic > > Applied when your two PIREPs match up, with nothing to claim ## How the Bonus Works The bonus is not tied to a single booking. Each pilot books and flies their own copy of the flight, and when your PIREP (Pilot Report) is scored, vAMSYS looks for a matching PIREP from one of your friends. It counts as a shared cockpit flight when the other PIREP: * Belongs to an **accepted friend** who also flies for vACA * Has the **same departure and arrival airports** as yours * Has a **takeoff within 5 seconds** of yours * Has a **touchdown within 5 seconds** of yours Takeoff and touchdown times come from the events Pegasus ACARS records, not from the scheduled times on your booking. Both have to match. When they do, the +200 is written to **both** PIREPs. If your co-pilot's PIREP was already scored, it is updated automatically. > [!WARNING] > > Selecting a friend in the **Shared Cockpit Co-Pilot** dropdown does **not** earn the bonus on its own. It does not notify them or create a booking or PIREP for them. To earn the points, **both pilots must book the flight and fly it with Pegasus ACARS**. A few more things worth knowing: * **Once per flight.** The bonus is awarded once per PIREP, however many friends fly with you. * **Network does not matter.** The online network is not part of the check, so it works on VATSIM, IVAO, SayIntentions, or offline. * **Aircraft are not compared.** Only the airports and the takeoff and touchdown times are matched. Booking the same aircraft is still the right call (see below). You can see every active scoring rule under **Documents** → **Scores** in the Pilot Portal. > [card] [View Scoring Rules](https://vamsys.io/phoenix/documents/scores) > > Check the Shared Cockpit rule and every other way points are added or deducted. ## Add Your Co-Pilot as a Friend You can only fly a shared cockpit flight with a friend. Friendships live on your vAMSYS account, so once you are friends it works across every virtual airline you both fly for. **1. Send a friend request** Use either option: * **From their profile**: open your co-pilot's pilot profile in the Pilot Portal and click **Add Friend** * **By email**: go to the **Friends** page in your vAMSYS account and use **Invite Friend** with the email address on their account **2. Your co-pilot accepts** The request stays pending until your co-pilot approves it. Once they do, they show up in the **Shared Cockpit Co-Pilot** dropdown on the booking page. > [!NOTE] > > Friend requests are on by default. If yours is not getting through, ask your co-pilot to check **Allow Friend Requests** under **My vAMSYS Account** → **Global Preferences** → **Privacy**. If your co-pilot is missing from the dropdown, click **Missing Co-Pilot?** above it for a reminder of the same steps and a shortcut to send friend requests. ## Booking a Shared Cockpit Flight The steps below use the Pilot Portal. The Pilot Hub desktop app shows the same screens. **1. Pick the flight together** Agree with your co-pilot on the flight you are going to fly. You both need the **same departure and arrival airports**. In the sidebar, expand **Flight Centre** and find the flight through **Book Flight Map**, **Flights From** your current airport, or **My Rosters**. Select it to open the booking page. > [!TIP] > > If your co-pilot is based somewhere else, they can [Jumpseat](https://docs.canadava.com/essentials/jumpseat.md) to your departure airport before booking. **2. Review the booking details** Work through the sections on the booking page as you normally would: * **Aircraft & Callsign**: the aircraft registration and callsign for the flight * **Schedule & Route**: departure time, flight level, and cost index * **Payload**: passengers and freight * **SimBrief Settings**: OFP options if you plan with [SimBrief](https://docs.canadava.com/essentials/simbrief-integration.md) **3. Select your co-pilot** ![Network & Co-pilot section with the Shared Cockpit Co-Pilot dropdown](https://mintcdn.com/virtualaircanada/KVOKUIqBD2WcQwQb/images/essentials/shared-cockpit/shared-cockpit-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=KVOKUIqBD2WcQwQb\&q=85\&s=0ab3f12ebe29300f2c6b9f60d75bdd51) Expand **Network & Co-pilot**: 1. Choose the **Network** you are flying on 2. Under **Shared Cockpit Co-Pilot**, change **None** to your friend This adds your co-pilot to the booking so the crew is on record. > [!NOTE] > > The dropdown only lists accepted friends who have a vACA pilot account. If you added a friend while the page was open, reload it. **4. Create the booking** Click **Create Booking**. Use **Preview OFP** first if you want to check the flight plan. **5. Your co-pilot books the same flight** Selecting a co-pilot does not notify them, so let them know you have booked. You can send them the link to your booking page so they can see the details. Your co-pilot then books the **same departure and arrival** from their own account, following the same steps. They can select you as their co-pilot too. > [!WARNING] > > Book the **same aircraft type**. Pegasus records the aircraft you actually fly, so if your co-pilot books a different type their PIREP gets flagged for review. See [Substitute Aircraft](https://docs.canadava.com/aircraft/accepted-aircraft.md#substitute-aircraft) for how mismatches are handled. ## Flying the Flight **1. Link your simulators** Start a shared cockpit session so both simulators fly the same aircraft. **YourControls** is the usual choice for MSFS and **SmartCopilot** for X-Plane. The [Shared Cockpit guide](https://docs.canadava.com/vatsim/advanced/shared-cockpit.md) covers setup for both. **2. Both pilots start Pegasus ACARS** Each pilot opens their own booking in Pegasus ACARS and starts tracking as usual. Keep the simulators linked through takeoff and touchdown so both clients record those moments within 5 seconds of each other. **3. Connect to the network** On VATSIM, only one aircraft should be visible. One pilot connects with the flight callsign (for example **ACA123**), and the other connects in observer mode with a letter suffix (for example **ACA123A**). Agree beforehand on who talks to ATC. The [Shared Cockpit guide](https://docs.canadava.com/vatsim/advanced/shared-cockpit.md) walks through it. **4. Both pilots file a PIREP** After the flight, each pilot files their own PIREP from Pegasus. The +200 is added to both once they are scored. Shared Cockpit Ready / ## Troubleshooting > [accordion] My friend is not in the Shared Cockpit Co-Pilot dropdown > > Either the friend request has not been accepted yet, or your friend does not have a vACA pilot account. If you added them while the booking page was open, reload the page. > [accordion] We flew together but did not get the +200 > > Check that both of you filed a PIREP, that both flights had the same departure and arrival airports, and that you are accepted friends. Then check the timing: if the simulators desynced or one of you reconnected around takeoff or landing, the events may have been recorded more than 5 seconds apart. > > If everything lines up and the points are still missing, contact support with links to both PIREPs. > [accordion] My co-pilot cannot see my booking > > Selecting a co-pilot does not send a notification. Send them the link to your booking page directly. > [accordion] Do we earn more if more friends fly with us? > > No. The bonus is awarded once per PIREP, however many friends fly the same flight. ## Need Help? If you have questions about shared cockpit flights or a missing bonus: > [card] [Discord Community](https://links.canadava.com/kgNgqfb) > > Get answers to your questions in our active Discord community > [card] [Email Support](mailto:support@canadava.com) > > Contact our support team for personalized assistance This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.