FlightLinq Virtual Airline Manager

How-To Guide

Master the core workflows in FlightLinq with step-by-step instructions for pilots and airline administrators. Each section mirrors the in-app navigation so you can jump straight to the task you need to complete.

Covers pilot and admin roles Ideal for onboarding and quick refreshers

FlightLinq at a Glance

Understand how data flows between pilots, aircraft, and administrators before you dive into task-specific steps.

FlightLinq is built around a continuous cycle: pilots book flights, track their progress, and file PIREPs; administrators review activity, update resources, and communicate changes. Every action you take feeds live dashboards, so staying consistent with these workflows keeps the entire airline in sync.

When pilots complete flights, their hours roll directly into airline analytics, informing decisions on fleet expansion, hub staffing, or event planning. Keep this loop in mind as you follow the step-by-step guides below—each task connects to the next.

Logging In

Access your personalized FlightLinq dashboard in three quick steps, and learn what to do if something does not go as planned.

  1. Visit app.flightlinq.com using a modern browser. The app is responsive, but Chrome, Edge, and Firefox receive our newest features first.
  2. Enter your registered email address and password. New pilots can request access from their airline admin, while airline owners are invited during onboarding.
  3. Select Sign In to enter your dashboard. If you see a notice that no airline has been assigned to your account, your invitation still needs approval—reach out to your admin to finish registration.
  4. If you forget your password, click Forgot Password on the sign-in page, enter the same email you registered with, and follow the reset link we send to your inbox.
Account security: Change your password from Profile → Account whenever you suspect shared access, and remind your pilots not to reuse passwords from other services.

For Pilots

Track your progress, connect with other pilots, and plan your next flights.

Checking Your Stats

  1. Open Airline Stats → My Stats from the left navigation. The page opens with a location card that shows where you are currently based and which hub you report to.
  2. Review the Personal Flight Record cards for totals, distance, average flight duration, landing performance, and favorites. These metrics update as soon as a PIREP is accepted.
  3. Scroll to Rank Progress to see the progress bar for your next promotion, the remaining hours and flights, and whether additional staff approval is required.
  4. Use the Stat Filters panel to drill down by aircraft type or specific route. Selecting an item reloads the statistics cards so you can compare how you perform on different equipment or city pairs.
  5. If something looks off, hit Retry at the top of the section; the page will refresh its data directly from the FlightLinq API.

Viewing the Pilot Roster

  1. Navigate to Airline Stats → Pilot Roster. The tabbed layout lets you flip between a searchable list, high-score leaderboards, and hub comparisons.
  2. Use the search bar and hub filter at the top of the list to narrow down pilots by name, callsign, or base. Adjust the time range selector to focus on recent activity.
  3. Click any pilot to open their roster modal and review quick stats, personal information, and full PIREP history without leaving the page.
  4. Need to understand hub health? Switch to the Hub Comparison view to see departures, hours, and active pilot counts side-by-side.

Booking a Flight

  1. Go to Flights → Available Routes and filter by hub, aircraft type, or distance if you need something specific. The catalogue already hides routes your rank is not eligible to fly.
  2. Select a route to open the reservation modal. Review the map preview, scheduled departure and arrival times, and any notes your ops team attached.
  3. Choose an aircraft from the list of compatible airframes. FlightLinq highlights aircraft that are out of position or restricted so you can pick one that is ready to depart.
  4. Confirm the reservation to lock it in. The aircraft status changes to Booked, ensuring nobody else can reserve it until your flight is complete or you release the booking.
  5. Need to change plans? Open Flights → My Flights to manage upcoming legs, cancel a reservation, or release an aircraft back into the fleet.
Tip: If no aircraft is listed, try a different route or use Create Free Flight to set your own departure and destination. Free flights still log hours and count toward rank progression when filed via a PIREP.

Pre-Flight & ACARS Setup

  1. Open Flights → My Flights and choose the leg you reserved. Select Pre-Flight Briefing to launch the three-step checklist.
  2. Complete the Flight Plan step by importing SimBrief data or confirming the manual plan details. Save changes so the step shows as complete.
  3. Work through the Weather step to review METAR data for departure and arrival airports. Refresh when needed and mark the step complete once briefed.
  4. In the Ready to Fly step, confirm the FlightLinq Bridge (desktop ACARS client) displays Connected. The validation panel updates live as the bridge streams simulator data.
  5. Resolve any items flagged in the validation checklist (location, engines, parking brake, aircraft match, or fuel). When all checks are green, click Start Live Flight to transition into Flight Tracking and begin recording.
Start conditions: Before Start Live Flight becomes available, ensure the bridge is connected and the following are true:
  • The FlightLinq Bridge desktop client shows Connected and is streaming simulator data.
  • You are parked at the scheduled departure airport, on the ground, with ground speed below 5 kts.
  • The parking brake is set and all engines report below 20% N1 (fully shut down).
  • The aircraft detected in the simulator matches the aircraft assigned on the flight plan (or an approved alias).
  • Total fuel on board meets or exceeds the amount required by the plan or SimBrief import.

Submitting a Flight Report (PIREPs)

  1. Once you shutdown and set the parking brake, the in-app flight tracker opens a Completion Checklist. Confirm each requirement (engines off, valid data, minimum flight time) shows a green check.
  2. Review the flight metrics on the checklist. When everything looks good, choose Submit Flight to file the PIREP with the data recorded by the tracker.
  3. Open Flights → My Flights to see the newly submitted leg. Completed flights display their current PIREP status so you know whether they are pending review or already approved.
  4. Select any completed flight to open the detailed modal. Use the Stats tab to confirm fuel, landing rate, and score, and the Map & Timeline tab to review the recorded route and events.
  5. If a PIREP is rejected, the rejection reason appears alongside the flight. Address the issue—often by clarifying details with your admin—and submit the leg again if you have corrected the data.
End conditions: The checklist requires every item to pass before Submit Flight is enabled:
  • Aircraft on the ground with ground speed below 5 kts and altitude under 50 ft AGL.
  • Parking brake set and all engines below 20% N1.
  • Located at an airport (ACARS validates the departure or arrival field during shutdown).
  • Flight time of at least 5 minutes with sufficient telemetry captured by the bridge.
Automation insight: Airlines can enable auto-approval for flights that meet minimum quality thresholds. Even with automation turned on, quickly checking the stats tabs lets you catch errors before a reviewer does.

Flying in Events

  1. Select Events from the left navigation to browse tours, group flights, and seasonal challenges curated by your airline.
  2. Open an event to read the overview, eligibility requirements, and schedule. Many events include briefings or resource links—download them before departure.
  3. Click Register to add the event to your dashboard. FlightLinq tracks your remaining legs so you know what to fly next.
  4. Fly each leg just like a regular route, then submit the PIREP through the normal completion checklist. The event tracker updates automatically when the leg is accepted.
  5. Need to pause mid-tour? Your progress is saved after every approved leg, so you can return later as long as the event end date has not passed.

Tracking Flights in Real-Time

  1. Open the Live Map to monitor every active flight. Positions update automatically from the in-app flight tracker.
  2. Click any callsign to display flight level, airspeed, and the filed route. Use this to double-check spacing during busy events.
  3. Apply the map filters to isolate specific pilots, aircraft types, or hubs so dispatch can focus on the operations that matter most.

Linking Discord Notifications

  1. Open Settings → Community & Social and locate the Discord Account panel. Click Connect Discord to generate a one-time verification code.
  2. Keep the FlightLinq page open, then jump into Discord. DM the FlightLinq bot or use the server’s /verify command with your code (for example, /verify ABC123).
  3. Return to FlightLinq. The status flips to Connected once the bot confirms the code. If the code expires (five-minute window), generate a new one and try again.
  4. Toggle Discord Notifications on to receive direct messages for flight approvals, roster changes, event reminders, and application updates.
  5. Need to stop notifications later? Use Disconnect to unlink the account or turn off the notifications toggle without removing the link.
Personal server roles: Linking your Discord account authorizes FlightLinq to DM you, but it does not grant server access. Make sure you still have the correct roles inside your airline’s Discord server for channel visibility.

For Airline Administrators

Monitor performance, manage operations, and shape your virtual airline.

Reviewing Flight Activity

  1. Open Airline Admin → Operations → Flight Statistics. The overview cards show totals for flights, pilots, hours, landing rates, and approval percentage.
  2. Use the Time Range selector to switch between 7, 30, or 90 days (or the full year) and compare how your airline is trending.
  3. Sort the Top Pilots table by flights, hours, landing rate, or score to spotlight outstanding performers or identify who needs coaching.
  4. Review the charts for daily activity, flight status distribution, and landing rate buckets. Spikes or gaps here usually point to schedule issues, weather events, or staffing changes.

Managing Violations

  1. Go to Airline Admin → Operations → Violations. FlightLinq automatically flags compliance issues based on the operational rules you set.
  2. Filter the table by violation type, status, or pilot ID to focus on the cases that need attention first.
  3. Review each entry to see the detection date, affected period, and supporting metrics (flights and hours). This context helps you decide whether coaching or leniency is appropriate.
  4. Choose Resolve when the pilot has satisfied the requirement, or Waive when you are granting an exception. The table updates immediately so your staff stays aligned.

Managing Your Fleet

  1. Navigate to Airline Admin → Fleet. Start with the stats cards to see total aircraft, availability, fleet hours, and cycles.
  2. Use the hub dropdown and status filter to narrow the table to the aircraft you need to manage.
  3. Click an aircraft registration to open the edit modal. From there you can adjust the assigned hub, update its status, or review recent usage before saving changes.
  4. To add new aircraft:
    1. Select Add Aircraft to open the purchase flow.
    2. Pick a model from the Aircraft Store. Review the manufacturer, model, and range details to ensure it fits your network.
    3. Assign the aircraft to a hub so it appears in the pilot route search and free-flight dialogs.

Creating & Editing Routes

  1. Open Airline Admin → Routes. Use the search field and active/inactive filter to find the city pair or flight number you need.
  2. Click a route ID (for example, FL0001) to edit block times, notes, eligible aircraft, or activation status.
  3. To add a new route:
    1. Choose Add Route. Provide the flight number, departure and arrival airports, and valid aircraft types.
    2. Enter flight leg details such as schedules, block time, and cruise information so pilots receive an accurate briefing.
    3. Select Save to publish the route. New routes appear immediately in the pilot booking list.
Network planning: Use the Import Routes wizard to upload schedule changes in bulk, then run Bulk Assign Aircraft to make sure each new leg has approved equipment.

Managing Hubs

  1. Go to Airline Admin → Hub Management. Each card displays the airport, assigned pilots, and stationed aircraft.
  2. Choose Add Hub to onboard a new base. Search by ICAO or IATA code, confirm the correct airport, and save.
  3. Set a Primary Hub from the actions menu when you want a different location to represent your airline’s headquarters.
  4. Need to retire a hub? Reassign its aircraft and pilots first—FlightLinq blocks deletion until the base is clear to prevent accidental data loss.

Running Airline Events

  1. Head to Airline Admin → Events to manage tours, fly-ins, and competitions. The search box and status filter help you track what is active, upcoming, or completed.
  2. Select Create Event to launch the wizard. Define the event name, description, leg structure, and registration window.
  3. Specify eligibility requirements such as minimum rank or hub, and add briefing details so participants know the expectations.
  4. Save the event to publish it immediately. You can reopen the wizard later to edit legs, dates, or copy the template for future use.

Handling Pilot Applications

  1. Open Airline Admin → Applications to monitor new join requests. Use the status filter and search box to surface the candidates you need to review.
  2. Select an application to inspect the candidate’s answers, auto-review indicators, and preferred hub. Hub managers only see applicants for the bases they oversee.
  3. Approve or reject individual applicants with one click. FlightLinq automatically assigns the preferred hub when approval goes through, keeping your roster accurate.
  4. Need to action multiple candidates? Select them from the list and use the bulk approve or reject buttons to process the queue faster.
Application Settings: Under Applications → Settings you can enable free join or experience verification, add custom questions, and set auto-approval rules to streamline onboarding.

Communicating with Pilots

  1. Visit Airline Admin → Communication to centralize every message you send to pilots.
  2. Use Announcements for public updates visible to the whole airline. Pin important posts so they stay at the top of the pilot dashboard.
  3. Configure Automated Emails for rank changes, reminders, and other triggers. Automation ensures pilots receive consistent messaging without staff intervention.
  4. Send Custom Emails to specific pilot groups when tailored messaging is needed. Filter by rank, hub, or inactivity status to target the right audience.
  5. Connect your Discord server to echo announcements automatically, and optionally restrict cross-posting to staff-only channels.

Customizing Airline Settings

  1. Open Airline Admin → Settings. Configuration changes save instantly—review each tab carefully before toggling production features.
  2. Review the available tabs and adjust as needed:
    • Airline: Update your airline name, codes, website, and logo. Brand assets appear on pilot dashboards, emails, and event pages.
    • Ranks: Define hour and flight requirements for each rank. Preview the impact of changes in the sidebar to ensure you are not stranding existing pilots mid-progress.
    • PIREPs: Configure automatic approval or rejection logic. Set landing rate tolerances, fuel deviation limits, and mandatory comment rules for specific events.
    • Operational: Configure the realism rules that ACARS enforces in flight:
      • Pilot & Aircraft Positioning: Require pilots to start from their last known airport and ensure assigned aircraft originate from the planned departure field, or allow repositioning for a relaxed experience.
      • Aircraft Matching: Choose relaxed, standard, or strict matching so ACARS can validate the simulator airframe (including approved aliases) before a flight starts.
      • Booking Windows & Quotas: Set how long reservations remain active, define inactivity deadlines, and establish monthly flight/hour minimums that feed directly into violation tracking.
      • Free Flight & Compliance: Enable ad-hoc routes, control first-flight deadlines for new hires, and define grace periods for pilots who fall behind on quotas.
    • Pilot ID Assignment: Choose manual or automatic ID generation. Auto IDs can include airline prefixes, while manual IDs support legacy numbering systems.
    • Discord Integration: Connect the bot so FlightLinq can post into your Discord server:
      • Enable the integration, then use the generated invite link while logged into Discord with Manage Server permission to add the bot.
      • Copy channel IDs (Developer Mode → right-click channel → Copy ID) for public announcements, hub chatter, and staff alerts, and paste them into the channel mapping fields.
      • Send a test notification to verify delivery before informing your pilots. If it fails, confirm the bot has permission to post in each mapped channel.
      • Encourage pilots to link their personal Discord accounts (see “Linking Discord Notifications”) so private DMs supplement the server posts.
  3. Save changes to apply them instantly across the airline. For major policy shifts, draft an announcement before updating to give pilots a heads-up.
Pro move: Lenient rules keep the experience beginner-friendly, while stricter requirements create a more professional simulation. Adjust settings as your community grows and communicate changes—operational toggles immediately affect ACARS start/stop conditions and the violation engine.

Quick Tips

Essential reminders to keep your operations running smoothly.