New Pilot Orientation Welcome to New Pilot Orientation! Your success in our Airline is based solely upon how well you grasp and understand the features and functionality of our customized, proprietary Flight Data System and how well you're able to use it and an ACARS data exchange application. If you can master the sections that follow, you'll be ready to take to the virtual skies confidently in your new career and have fun doing so! Welcome Before you proceed with this part of your Orientation, you must complete reading through the The Crew Operations Website module. It'll make what follows much less frustrating and more easily understandable and enjoyable. Link:  The Crew Operations Website Once again, welcome to Walker Air Transport ! We’re very pleased to have you with us. It’s our intent to get you into the air as soon as possible. Experience, though, has taught us that following a formal process to bring new Pilots onboard is best for everyone. That being said, let’s get going… Our Pilots are expected to know how to fly before they arrive. For that reason, we don't have nor do we offer a Flight Training Program – formal flight training is well beyond the scope of what we do here. Instead, advancing our belief the more one knows about something, the more fun they’re likely to have doing it, we’ve worked very hard to create a safe and fun environment where continual learning is strongly encouraged and practiced. And what might that include? For us, it’s about creating and having experiences to develop new piloting skills – or enhance existing ones – and practicing them often to improve proficiency. It’s also about enjoying the time spent flying to its fullest. That means using automation to its maximum potential and using it to make flying with us as user-friendly... painless... frustration free... and painless as possible. Our Flight Operations Process is streamlined and fully-automated so our Pilots can focus on what’s truly important to them – flying! For a first-timer, though, all of this might seem intimidating at first, so the Onboarding | Orientation Process we’ve detailed in the following pages will help you get acquainted with: how we do things here; and, how you can be a success – and have fun – as a Walker Air Transport Pilot. Well, enough talking... It's time for us to go exploring! Downloading & Installing ACARS In order for our customized, proprietary Flight Data System to function properly, it must be connected to your Sim so the data your flight generates can be transmitted to it. That transmission of data is facilitated by ACARS software. The term ACARS is intended to cover all Fight Tracking Software. Windows | PC MacOS (X-Plane Only) smartCARS 3 click here to download and view instructions FlightTrackerXP click here to download and view instructions Depending on your computer's Operating System and the Sim you use, one of these Flight Tracking Software programs must be installed in order for you to fly with us. Flying Your First Flight We've covered all of the supportive areas. Now, it's time to bid your first flight and actually fly it. Log In To The Crew Ops Website Go to https://walkerair.us/ .   Click Crew Login in the Navigation Bar . After doing so, the login box will appear. Enter your Email address and Password in the spaces provided.   If you wish to have the website remember you, click the box beside Remember Me .   Click the Log In button.   Determine Your Flight Profile Once logged in to the Crew Ops website, you need to determine what kind of a flight you want to make. Cargo To plan and fly a Cargo Flight , click the link below and follow the instructions. LINK:   Cargo Flights Charter To plan and fly a Charter Flight , click the link below and follow the instructions. LINK:  Charter Flights Scheduled To plan and fly a Scheduled Flight , click the link below and follow the instructions. LINK:   Scheduled Flights Tour To plan and fly a Tour Flight , click the link below and follow the instructions. LINK:  Tour Flights   Determine Your Flight Route While it's not required, most of our Pilots find it valuable and enjoyable to formally plan their Flight Route . simBrief is a very popular flight planning tool. SkyVector is another popular alternative. There are, however, others – and they can be found using an Internet search. simBrief SkyVector To plan your flight using simBrief , click the link and follow the instructions. LINK:   simBrief The Flight Plan simBrief generates is merely a suggestion. There's no requirement you actually fly it. To plan your flight using SkyVector , click the link and follow the instructions. LINK:   https://skyvector.com/   Start Your Flight Simulator – Pre-Flight Start your Flight Simulator . Load the aircraft you intend to fly at the departure airport in your Bid/Flight Plan. Verify your aircraft is 'wearing' a Walker Air Transport livery before you start ACARS . If you fail to use a Walker Air Transport livery and operate your flight using our ACARS-based Flight Data System, your flight will be rejected and, if this becomes a pattern, you risk being terminated.   Start ACARS Open ACARS. Make this a habit . If you fail to start ACARS before you pushback and begin your flight, none of its data can be transferred to our Flight Data System – and that means you will not receive credit for the flight. To start ACARS , click here and follow the instructions specific to your computer's Operating System and supported Flight Simulator.   Online Air Traffic Control If you're using live Air Traffic Control for your flight – IVAO , PilotEdge or VATSIM – log in to their system and follow their instructions and/or prompts. Fly Your Flight Once you've reached this point, your aircraft is on the ramp at your departure airport – and your Pre-Flight is underway. Complete your checks – and with your engine(s) running, you're ready for pushback. Enjoy! NOTE:   Once your aircraft moves, the Pre-Flight segment of your flight is complete.   Reviewing Your PIREP The data produced by your simulator during your flight was transmitted to our Flight Data System (FDS) by ACARS. After receiving and processing it, our FDS was able to generate the reports and displays found in your Logbook . To review the PIREP for the flight you just completed, click here and follow the instructions it contains. And just a reminder... Manual PIREPS are not allowed. Completing Your Flight After landing, taxi to your parking spot and stop. Once you do that, your flight officially ends. Take a moment to review your ACARS Flight Log before filing it. Details about doing that can be found here . File your Flight Log . After doing so, a PIREP for your flight will be automatically completed and saved to your Logbook . It'll be categorized as being Approved , Rejected or Diverted based on the criteria noted below. If you did not land at your planned Arrival Airport, your flight will be categorized as being Diverted . Approved Rejected Diverted The criteria for an Approved flight are: You completed a flight from your planned departure airport to your planned arrival airport; The Company’s Landing Rate Standard – a landing rate equal to or softer than -800 was achieved .  All Points, Flight Hours and Pay are awarded.   The PIREP is posted to your Logbook as being Completed | Approved . The criteria for a Rejected flight are: The Company’s Landing Rate Standard – a landing rate was harder than -800fpm Your flight time was 00.00 hours (premature landing); and/or, You used more fuel than you left the airport with (in-flight refueling); and/or, You did not fly with a Walker Air Transport livery (except if part of the Patreon program). No Points, Flight Hours or Pay are awarded.   The PIREP is posted to the your Logbook as being Completed | Rejected . The criteria for a Diverted flight are: You completed a flight from your planned departure airport to an unplanned arrival airport; The Company’s Landing Rate Standard – a landing rate equal to or softer than -800fpm was achieved . All Points, Flight Hours and Pay are awarded.   If this occurs when flying a Tour leg, you will not be advanced to the next leg. The leg will have to be reflown.   The PIREP is posted to your Logbook as being Completed | Diverted . If you think your flight was categorized incorrectly or you'd like to ask a question about it, submit a Help Ticket . Conclusion Congratulations! You've now completed the first of what we hope will be many more flights with us. As with anything new and unfamiliar, the more you fly, the more comfortable you'll become with how we do things, so we strongly and enthusiastically encourage you to do that. We also encourage you to tell us what could've made the orientation experience better... easier... and/or more clear. Let us know by submitting a Help Ticket or messaging us at help@walker.us . You'll likely have questions along the way, too. Ask them by posting in the #general channel in our Discord – or – by messaging us at help@walker.us .