Getting Started with vAMSYS

Whether you are new to Virtual Airlines or a veteran starting fresh — welcome to vAMSYS. Setting up a Virtual Airline takes time, and that is a good thing. vAMSYS is a powerful platform with many options, so you can configure your airline exactly how you want it. This guide will walk you through the process step by step. Follow the instructions in order, take your time, and do not skip steps.

vAMSYS has been helping Virtual Airline owners get started for close to 10 years. We have guided thousands of VAs through this process, so trust it — do not rush.

Key Concepts

You will encounter these terms throughout vAMSYS and this documentation:

• Orwell — your administration backend. This is where you configure your airline, manage pilots, and handle day-to-day operations. You will spend most of your setup time here.

• Phoenix — the pilot-facing portal. This is what your members see when they log in — dashboards, flight booking, PIREPs, and community features.

• Pegasus — the ACARS flight tracker. Pilots download Pegasus to track their flights and submit PIREPs automatically.

• Hangar — file storage for your Virtual Airline. Upload documents, images, and other files for your pilots to access.

• PIREP — a Pilot Report. The flight log submitted after each flight, recording time, fuel, landing rate, and route. Your scoring rules evaluate PIREPs to determine how many points each flight earns.

Your VA Identifier

Every Virtual Airline gets a unique identifier — for example, VTA3187. You will find it on the Orwell dashboard and in the top-right corner of every Orwell page. You need this identifier every time you contact vAMSYS support or post a question — memorise it or at least remember where to find it.

There can be many Virtual Airlines with similar names on vAMSYS, so saying "my VA is called Test Airlines" is not enough to identify your airline. The identifier is what matters.

Trial Period

Your Virtual Airline starts with a 14-day free trial. You can start your subscription after 4 full days have elapsed — this evaluation period gives you time to set up your VA and decide if vAMSYS is right for your needs.

During the trial, some functionality is restricted. These limitations do not affect your setup work and are lifted once you subscribe:

• Pilot registration — public login and registration pages are disabled. Use Pilot Invites to bring in your team during the trial.

• API access — you can read the API documentation, but cannot create tokens to use it.

• Pilot Sharing Agreements — unavailable during the trial.

• Discord bot — disabled until your subscription is active.

Setup Roadmap

We have organised the setup process into six days. You do not need to follow the daily timing literally — work at your own pace — but do follow the order. Each day builds on the previous one.

• Day 1 — Settings & Identity: Staff permissions, callsign parameters, general settings, pilot registration, branding, and inviting your team. This is the foundation everything else builds on.

• Day 2 — Infrastructure: Airports, hubs, fleet types, and individual aircraft. The building blocks of your route network.

• Day 3 — Rewards & Scoring: Ranks, badges, scoring groups, scoring rules, and AutoReject rules. Define what good flying means for your VA.

• Day 4 — Routes & Content: Route defaults, routes, routings, booking settings, custom pages, and dashboard design. Build what pilots interact with.

• Day 5 — Engagement & Communication: Activities, activity requirements, alerts, NOTAMs, and activity emails. Set up tools to keep your pilots informed and engaged.

• Day 6 — Test Flight & Launch: Complete a test flight, verify everything works as expected, and start your subscription to open your VA to the public.

When you are ready, head to the New VA Setup Checklist to begin.

Related

• New VA Setup Checklist — step-by-step setup guide

• Billing — subscription management