Automated ACARS!
As I pondered the possibilities of interfacing the It's Your Plane application with ACARS, I quickly realized that nearly all of the information required for the ACARS data link and log files was already buried inside the IYP system.   And, I further realized that much of the process could be controlled through voice-control.

BETA TESTERS NEEDED!
Since I make a sincere effort to be as responsive as possible to customer requests and suggestions, we now have a BETA version of the IYP ACARS!

BETA TESTERS NEEDED!
I need two or three serious BETA Testers who love flying jetliners "by-the-book", to get this functionality from BETA to RELEASE.   When I say, by-the-book, I mean those IYP users who religiously execute ALL of the checklists on each flight.   If you would like to participate in this endeavour, then please drop me a line by e-mail, or through the support forum. I'd really appreciate your help. Thanks a lot.    Robert

• What is an Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System?

• What are Virtual Airlines?

• How Does the IYP Automate ACARS?

• What is the It's Your Plane Virtual Aggregator?

OOOI   (Pronounced... Oh Oh Oh Eye)
One of the initial applications for ACARS was to automatically detect and report changes to the major flight phases (Out of the gate, Off the ground, On the ground and Into the Gate); "OOOI". These OOOI events are determined by algorithms in the ACARS MUs that use aircraft sensors (such as doors, parking brake and strut switch sensors) as inputs.   At the start of each flight phase, the ACARS MU transmits a digital message to the ground containing the flight phase, the time at which it occurred, and other related information such as fuel on board, origin and destination, etc.

Even though virtual airlines are not "real", flying for VAs is considered a "serious hobby" and appeals to a surprisingly wide array of enthusiasts. Some VAs even simulate "real-world" airline operations to the point where flight dispatching and virtual compensations are part of the their basic operations. The appeal varies... for those who are new to flight simulation, virtual airlines provide an environment to gain knowledge of the commercial corporate world of the airline industry. Even those who actually lack the "real-world" training to fly jetliners, nonetheless they find themselves engrossed in this exciting "real-life" operation.

FSACARS
Nearly all of the virtual airlines in existence today, use a fantastic ACARS data link system developed by Pedro Sousa and José Oliveira, called FSACARS.   FSACARS is a very mature software program that emulates real world ACARS in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and uses the information it collects to create detailed pilot reports to Virtual Airlines; both in the form of LOG files as well as REAL-TIME data.

If you are flying with a Virtual Airline, and the VA's information is in our database, then the top of the screen could look something like this:

I used Air Canadian in the example above, because I fly with them. It's a great VA... you should give them a try!   Go to:

http://www.AirCanadian.com

Ok... Let's carry on...

Captain, It's Your Plane... We're Ready To Go!
When you load a Flight Plan into the Microsoft FS9 or FSX simulator, the IYP application initializes the session. Then, immediately after Michelle says,

"Captain, It's Your Plane... We're Ready To Go!"

you (the Captain) can say,

"Bring up the ACARS window."

After reviewing the data that is automatically populated by the IYP application, you can either click on the Start ACARS Logging button, or simply say...

"Start ACARS Logging".

Once the flight has been completed, you can SAVE the ACARS data to your PC, by clicking on the Save ACARS Data button, or by simply saying...

"Save ACARS Data".

[Simulator Root]\IYPLogs\ACARS\

in the format "yyyymmddhhmmss.txt".

• Local Date and Time - The local time as set within the flight simulator... NOT your PC clock time.

• UTC Date and Time - The same time as above expressed in UTC time.

• Airline and Logo - This field is pulled from the IYP servers. If the aircraft's Registration and Aircraft Type (e.g. B737) matches that of a Virtual Airline, then the Airline Field and their Logo at the top left are loaded with that particular VA's data. Otherwise, the system loads:
  It's Your Plane - PRIVATE

  with the IYP Logo.

• IATA - This code represents the IATA virtual airline designators (sometimes called IATA reservation codes). If the aircraft's Registration and Aircraft Type matches that of a Virtual Airline, then the IATA is loaded with the VA's code, otherwise it is loaded with IYP.

• Registration - The registration and/or Tail Number of the aircraft being flown.

• Select Call - Selective Calling is a paging system that is used to automate distress alerts sent over terrestrial (i.e., non-satellite) VHF, MF and HF marine radio systems. This field is left blank.

• Call Sign - This field grabs the Flight Number from the simulator.

• Online - This field can be set to No, FPI, IVAO or VATSIM.
  NOTE: When using these systems, the IYP Push-To-Talk ("PTT") must be activated.

• Pilot # - If the aircraft's Registration and Aircraft Type match those of a Virtual Airline, then the Pilot # is loaded with their actual VA Pilot Number (stored in the IYP database), otherwise it is loaded with their IYP User Number.

• Dept ICAO - The Departure ICAO code is pulled from the Flight Plan.

• Dest ICAO - The Destination ICAO code is pulled from the Flight Plan.

• Alt ICAO - The Alternate Destination ICAO code is left blank.

• Altitude - The Cruising Altitude or Flight Level is pulled from the Flight Plan.

• Aircraft - The Aircraft designation is pulled from the IYP database.

• Comm - The Communications method is naturally set to the default of Voice, but can be changed to Text.

• PAX - If the flight being flown is a commercial passenger flight, then the Captain can enter the PAX (passenger count).

• Cargo - If the flight being flown is a cargo plane, then the total cargo weight (in pounds) can be entered.

• Route - The Route information is pulled from the Microsoft Flight Plan. If the IYP pilot uses a program like FSBuild to create their flight plan, then they can export it into the MS flight plan, or simply replace the Route information through the cut and paste method.

• Remarks - This is a free-form area for pilot comments.

• ACARS Log - The ACARS Log area is updated during flight.

• Start ACARS Logging - The pilot can either click the button or say, "Start ACARS Logging".

• Save ACARS Data - The pilot can either click the button or say, "Save ACARS Data". The ACARS Log information is stored in folder:
  [Simulator Root]\IYPLogs\ACARS\

  in the format "yyyymmddhhmmss.txt".

• Close ACARS Window - The ACARS window can be opened and closed by the pilot saying,
  "Bring up the ACARS window", and "Close the ACARS window"

  respectively.

Given that the VA's uploading parameters are properly set in the IYP data server (this requires the cooperation of the VA in question), then after reviewing your LOG data, you can simply say:

"Upload the ACARS Log file."

and the information is automatically sent to the VA's server.

If you fly with a Virtual Airline that is not supported by the It's Your Plane system, please drop them a line and ask them to contact us.   It will help them to increase their exposure.

It's a Win-Win scenario!

The difference between the IYP Flight-Tracker and those of specific Virtual Airlines, is the information displayed will be of ALL IYP USERS, irrespective of whether or not they are flying as part of a VA, and/or irrespective of the VA they are flying with. In other words, the IYP Virtual Aggregator will contemporaneously aggregate and display ALL ACTIVE FLIGHTS being conducted at any point in time.

Please visit It's Your Plane frequently and keep a look-out for the IYP Flight-Tracker, coming soon!