Pilot Onboarding

A step-by-step walkthrough for joining an airline on VAOMS and flying your first PIREP.

1. Create your account

Sign up and verify your email. Your account is shared across every airline on VAOMS — you only register once, even if you fly for more than one virtual airline.

2. Connect VATSIM or IVAO

From your account settings, connect your VATSIM or IVAO ID. This links your online-network identity to your VAOMS profile and is used to verify flights on the network.

3. Join an airline

Airlines are joined either from a public airline listing or via a direct invite link from the airline (/airlines/{airline}/join). Once you join, the airline becomes your active airline — you can belong to more than one airline and switch between them from the airline selector.

4. Tour your pilot dashboard

Once you have an active airline, everything pilot-facing lives under /flightops:

• Dashboard — your hours, PIREP count, current rank, and airline news/notices.
• Timetable — browse the airline's published routes and book a flight.
• My Booking — your current active booking and dispatch status.
• Live Map — see who else is flying for the airline right now.
• VAOMS Connect — download our ACARS client, which tracks your flight and files your PIREP automatically.
• Submit PIREP — file your flight report manually after landing, if you're not using VAOMS Connect.

5. Book a flight

Open the Timetable, pick a departure and arrival, and book the route you want to fly. You can only hold one active booking at a time — submit or cancel your current booking before starting a new one.

6. Dispatch and fly

From My Booking, dispatch your flight (choose your network — VATSIM, IVAO, or offline — and your planned departure time) before you go wheels-up in your simulator.

7. Submit your PIREP

If you flew with VAOMS Connect running, your PIREP is filed automatically the moment you arrive — most flights are approved instantly against your airline's automated rules. Otherwise, go to Submit PIREP and log your off-blocks, departure, landing, and on-blocks times, along with flight distance and fuel used. Either way, once approved it counts toward your hours, rank progression, and any SkyMiles-style rewards your airline runs.

8. Track your progress

Your Logbook and Flight History (coming soon) will show your full flight record. In the meantime, your dashboard shows your total hours, flight count, and rank at a glance.

Something not working?

Use the floating help button in the bottom-right corner of your pilot dashboard — it lets you report a bug, send general feedback, or jump into our Discord for support.

Related guides

• Airline Onboarding — if you're setting up an airline rather than joining one.
• Flight Operations — a deeper look at the booking-to-PIREP loop.
• VAOMS Connect (ACARS) — set up automatic flight tracking and PIREP filing.