Challenge Aero

Short Manual

Virtual airlines Challenge Aero is a special subdivision of Virtual Airlines of Ukraine and emulates in VATSIM and IVAO environment charter and general aviation flights on different types of craft and copters. There is no any regular schedule in Challenge. Pilots, having proper permissions, may fly any available aircraft from any airport to any destination. No booking is required, but available.

We fly online only!

Required Software to fly with Challenge Aero:

Microsoft FS9 or FSX, Prepar3D or X-Plane
Registered version of FSUIPC (XPUIPC for X-Plane)
VATSIM network client (FSInn, vPilot or SquawkBox) or IVAO client (IvAp)
Flight Data Recorder Soyuz FDR

The basic source of data for system is VATSIM and IVAO network clients. The client utility (Soyuz FDR) is designed to transmit to the server detailed information about the flight.

The system simplifies a preflight preparation by providing the following services to the pilot:

Flight route calculation according to latest AIRAC
Fuel calculation for each flight for major aircraft types
Automatic booking of flight into VATSIM
Actual weather information (METAR, TAF) for departure and destination airports

Upon completion of flight, the pilot get detailed information about the flight on Google Maps.

By default, the site uses the following units: feet, pounds, nautical miles, knots.
All times are in UTC.

Callsign

When flying an airplane of Challenge Aero pilot shall use aircraft tail number as a call sing - without hyphen (for example, URVAB, URELY). Also you could use your personal callsign of Challenge (for example, CLO188). However in that case you should put aircraft tail number without hyphen in Remarks field of a Flight Plan using standard tag REG/URELY.

Using of any other type of callsign is not recommended.

Flying

A pilot of Challenge Aero could fly any available aircraft by any route without booking (despite booking is available). To do this the pilot has to use aircraft tail number as a callsign or put the tail number to Remarks field using standard tag REG/URELY.

The booking could be performed on the website. A pilot selects an available aircraft, choose departure and destination, specifies some flight parameters and confirms the booking. The flight is registered to EUROBOOK and Flight Plan could be registered to VATSIM.

To be able to register Flight Plan in VATSIM it is necessary to allow pop-up windows
for site https://clo.soyuz.aero/ in Internet Explorer

Rank of Private Pilot allows to fly light craft only. To get permissions to fly other types, the pilot has to obtain the rank of Commercial Pilot or Captain. To apply for higher rank and clearances the pilot could contact management via forum or Contact Us form.

The pilot could book the flight in 24 hours prior to departure. But VATSIM keeps Flight Plan two hours only and, because of this, Flight Plan could be registered in 2 hours prior to departure. The airplane and the flight stay booked during 30 minutes after planned departure. But if the flight is not started by this moment, the booking is canceled.

IVAO pilots file the Flight Plan in IvAp client.

To perform the flight it is necessary to start Flight Simulator and Soyuz FDR, login to VATSIM (via FSInn, vPilot or SqawkBox) or to IVAO (via IvAp) with proper callsign, check the Flight Plan (if it was registered in VATSIM) or create a new one. VATSIM renews its statistic every two minutes (IVAO every five minutes), so it could take a couple of minutes to confirm the flight in the system. It is recommended to make sure that the flight is accepted by the system before engine start, but it is possible by take-off.

If during the flight Internet connection is lost (or Soyuz FDR is off) for longer of 25-30 minutes, the flight is cancelled.

The flight is considered as completed, if the pilot entered the system before take-off, was airborne, covered 5 nm or more, and landed. The flight is finished when engines stopped after landing and speed reduced below 20 knots.

Only online VATSIM or IVAO flights are registered.

It is prohibited to change time rate during the flight. In this case the flight is ignored and will not be included to statistic.

General Settings

parameter	CLO	description
Reference period to flight number	90	During these days a pilot should perform the required number of flights
Minimal number of flights per period	1	Minimal numbers of flights required to fly during reference period to confirm a membership
Reference period to average rate	91	Numbers of days to count average pilot rating
Aircraft idle time out of hub	0	Maximum days of aircraft idle time out of hubs
Pilot should report low-rate flight	0	Pilot should report about flight if penalty is above specified value
Permit charters	Yes	If Yes, charters are permitted. The pilot could fly any available aircraft by any route.
Permit cargo charters	Yes	If Yes, CARGO charters are permitted. The pilot could fly any available cargo aircraft by any route.
Plane must fly from its current location	No	If Yes, the pilot could fly only airplanes located in departure airport. For example, the pilot cannot fly from UKCC using airplane located in UKBB.
Pilot must fly from his current location	No	If Yes, the pilot could fly only from his current location. For example, if the pilot is in UKBB, he cannot fly from UKCC.
Pilot can use any callsign	No	If Yes, the pilot could use any callsign. If No, the pilot should use flight number (for regular flights), or tail number (for private charters), or personal VA callsign.
Permit landing to other airport	Yes	In general, any flight should be finished in destination or alternate airfield. If the parameter sets as Yes, the pilot could land to any airfield, but perhaps with some penalty (according to parameter 'Penalty for not arrival at destination'). If the parameter sets as No, in case of landing to not destination or alternate the flight will be ignored by the VA system.
Permitt time rate changes	No	If No, in case if timerate was changed during the flight, it will be ignored by VA system.
Plane is locked for flight task	No	If there is flight mission for the aircraft, other flights are not permitted

Average payload (%)	90	Average load of aircraft. Required to generate recommended aircraft loading.
Optional cargo loading	0	0 - No additional cargo, luggage only; 1 - Always maximum payload; 2 - Random
Crew member weight, lbs	170	Average weight (in pounds) of crew and cabin crew members
Passenger weight, lbs	190	Average weight (in pounds) of passenger with carry-on baggage
Luggage weight, lbs	40	Average weight (in pounds) of checked luggage

Book flight to VATBOOK	Yes	If Yes, booked flight is registered in EUROBOOK.
Register flight to VATSIM	Yes	If Yes, Flight Plan could be registered to VATSIM.

Minimum vertical speed for perfect landing	80	The minimum vertical speed of touchdown, when landing is still treated as perfect
Maximum vertical speed for perfect landing	240	The maximum vertical speed of touchdown, when landing is still treated as perfect
Maximum vertical speed for normal landing	360	The maximum vertical speed of touchdown, when landing is still treated as normal. If above the landing is hard.
Vertical speed of severe hard landing	700	If vertical speed of touchdown is above, the landing is severe hard: gear damage is possible

Bonus for accurate loading	0	Possible bonus if aircraft loading is equal to recommended within 10%.
Bonus for long range flight	0	Possible bonus for long range flight. The longer flight, the bigger bonus.
Bonus for perfect landing	0	Possible bonus for landing with vertical speed within 80-240 ft/min.
Bonus for bad weather takeoff	0	Possible bonus for take-off in bad wather conditions.
Bonus for bad weather landing	0	Possible bonus for landing in bad wather conditions.
Bonus for return back to hub	0	Possible bonus for return airliner to hub
Bonus for flight task	0	Possible bonus for the execution of the flight task

Penalty for crash	99	Crash is detected by signal 'CRASH' from FSUIPC, or in case of hit the ground with vertical speed over 1600 fpm.
Penalty for stall	10	Stall is detected by FSUIPC signal.
Penalty for overspeed	2	Overspeed is detected by FSUIPC signal.
Penalty for overspeed flaps extending	2	Exceeding flaps extending speed limit.
Penalty for overspeed gear operating	2	Exceeding gear operating speed limit.
Penalty for unsafe terrain clearance	2	Descending below 500 ft with gear up and flaps retracted.
Penalty for hard landing	5	Touchdown vertical speed is over 340 ft/min.
Penalty for landing accident	20	Touchdown vertical speed is over 700 ft/min.
Penalty for exceeded landing weight	2	Landing weight exceeds limit.
Penalty for not arrival at destination	0	Possible penalty if the plane landed to airfield, which is not destination or alternate.
Penalty for minor mistake	1	Possible penalty for non-critical pilot mistakes.
Penalty for aerial refueling	0	Possible penalty for "refueling" during the flight.

Flight Data Recorder

Soyuz FDR (Flight Data Recorder) is designed to work in Soyuz Alliance system to transmit to the website detailed information about the flight. The basic source of flight data is VATSIM and IVAO statistics. Soyuz FDR client registered detailed flight information and send it to a server. Only online flights in VATSIM or IVAO networks are allowed.

Flight booking, information about current flights, statistics and other information are available on this site.

It is recommended to install the program to separated folder, because it creates a lot of files. Under Windows 7 (8) do not install the program to Program Files or Windows folders, because by default they are "read only" and Soyuz FDR will not be able to create working files.

Registered FSUIPC (XPUIPC for X-Plane) and .Net 3.5 (or higher) are required.

Follow simple rules:

Soyuz FDR has to be started before engine start or at least before take off
Do not take off until the flight is not accepted! It is recommended to make sure that the flight is accepted by the system before engine start
If Flight Simulator was crashed, you have to stop Soyuz FDR and delete current flight in Profile
If you change aircraft type, you should restart Soyuz FDR

Flight will be registered by the system if:

Pilot's callsign in VATSIM or IVAO is the same as booked.
Pilot's callsign is corresponded to flight number (or flight number included to Flight Plan Remarks in special format RTE=PS101).
Booking should be active. Booking is still active in 30 minutes after planned departure time. If by this moment flight is not registered by the system, booking will be deleted.
Flight Plan should be registered in the network (VATSIM or IVAO). It could take up to 5 minutes to get Flight Plan from the network to the system.
The airplane should be on a ground in departure airport.
Flight Plan should correspond to booking:
- Airplane type (ICAO code)
- Tail number (included to Flight Plan Remarks in standard format REG/ABCDE)
- Departure airport (ICAO code)
- Destination airport (ICAO code)

To fly without booking:

Flight Plan should be registered in VATSIM or IVAO.
Flight Plan should correspond to:
- Pilot's callsign is equal to tail number (without dashes) or tail number included to Flight Plan Remarks in standard format REG/ABCDE
- Airplane with this tail number is at Challenge
- Airplane type (ICAO code) from Flight Plan is corresponded to type of airplane with that tail number at Challenge
- Airplane is not booked by another pilot
- The airplane is on a ground in departure airport.

The program starts in background mode, status of flight is shown in system tray:

	1. Waiting mode. Connection to FSUIPC is established, waiting for Flight Plan from the network (VATSIM or IVAO).
	2. Online. The flight is registered in VA system, Flight Plan is corresponding to booked parameters.
	3. Online. The flight is refused by VA system, because Flight Plan is not corresponding to booked parameters.
	4. There is no connection to FSUIPC. Perhaps, FS is not running.
	5. There is no connection to site. Perhaps, wrong login or password.

Main window could be opened by double-click on system tray icon or via context menu Options (right-click on system tray icon).

You have to set your Login (e-mail) and Password (the same as for Soyuz Alliance account).

Optionally, you could set checkbox Sound to turn on sound signals and Warnings to receive flight alerts.

All settings are saved to ini-file.

In online mode main window shows aircraft type and tail number, flight number, departure and destination airports. After landing, vertical speed of touchdown is shown.

Debug mode could be used to get more information about programm errors in case of need. Debug messages are shown in main window.

Main window indicators shows system status. The first light shows connection to site, the second shows connection to simulator (via FSUIPC), the third shows connection to the network (VATSIM or IVAO):

	no FS+HTML connect	No connection both to FSUIPC and site
	no FS connect	No connection to FSUIPC. Perhaps, FS is not running
	no HTML connect	No connection to the site. Perhaps, wrong login or password
	NOT REGISTERED	The flight is refused by Soyuz system
	OFFLINE	Network connection to the network (VATSIM or IVAO) is lost
	online	Flight is registered by Soyuz system

e-mail:			VATSIM id:
first name:			IVAO vid:
last name:			home airport:

Short Manual

Callsign

Flying

Ranks and clearances

Private Pilot Commercial Pilot Captain

Flight Data Analysis