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SPTransfer v1.8 for phpvVMS7 I know, the basic system allows pilots to change their HUB from the profile settings page. But if you want a little bit more variety and interaction with your pilots and finances and want to disable the freedom of changing HUBs every time, than this module is for you. This module provides an admin page where you can work on all requests including settings for the price per request and block time between multiple requests. >>> View on GitHub <<< Do you have any suggestions or need help? Please use the GitHub issue tracker or this topic

I am excited to announce the release of my custom phpVMSv7 theme! I created this theme because I know that not everyone has the budget for an expensive custom design, and I want to support the community by providing a high-quality, modern, lightweight and efficient, accessible alternative. SPTheme is fully customizable and designed with privacy in mind, as it contains no external content and is 100% GDPR-compliant. It features a built-in admin module, allowing for easy management, and includes both dark and light mode for a flexible user experience. To enhance functionality, SPTheme offers live network statistics and a "Who is Online" display, ensuring users always stay informed. Additionally, a registration exam mode allows for extra verification of new pilots. For added convenience, the package includes 42+ placeholder images, making it easy to set up a visually appealing site. With multi-language support and over 226 translatable additional phrases, the theme is ready to be used worldwide. And that’s not all—there are even more features and enhancements included to provide a seamless experience. I hope SPTheme helps virtual airlines achieve a professional and modern look without high costs. More details are available at https://shop.sass-projects.dev. Check also the live demo for additional information and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

As you may have noticed, phpVMS v7 comes with built in SimBrief API integration and aircraft can be configured in some different ways to achieve better planning results. Below you can find some key instructions and settings with their effects. Main Requirement is a valid SimBrief API key, to get one kindly check SimBrief documents (website/support forum) and complete your application, when you have your key ready, just insert it in settings. While waiting for your API key you can define your Subfleets and Aircraft as below; Subfleet Definitions; Here only important field is "SimBrief Type", when it is defined it will be used for all aircraft under this subfleet. And it simply overwrites the Aircraft ICAO code during planning. If your pilots are using only one simulator (like X-Plane) and only one aircraft addon for this subfleet (like Zibo), then you can simply add your Zibo B737-800X SimBrief Airframe ID here at this field. Aircraft Definitions; This is the most important part, as it allows fine tuned planning compared to a generic subfleet airframe definition. As you can see, we do have the same "SimBrief Type" field here too. This affects only the aircraft, and has priority over the subfleet definition. So if you have a really specific SimBrief Airframe for a particular aircraft and want it to be the default, then you can enter the id here. (Also it is possible to use this field as a replacement ICAO code. Imagine you are using an Airbus CEO but want this aircraft to use Airbus NEO standards at SimBrief, so you define A321 as the ICAO code, but use A21N as the SimBrief Type.) FIN, SELCAL and HEX CODE (ICAO 24-bit, transponder identification code) are optional and have no direct effect on the flight plan you will generate but the weights below are important. When defined, these weights are passed to SimBrief for flight planning purposes, so better define them according to the aircraft you are trying to simulate within phpVMS. You can see that the DOW is empty (0) in the example, this is not a mistake but done on purpose. You will see it later. Using SimBrief Airframes (sb airframes) ; phpVMS is able to get and store all publicly available SimBrief Airframes / SimBrief Layouts during install and update them weekly (with cron), also it is possible for admins to manually trigger an update whenever they wish to. Also it is possible to add your own / custom airframes to the system easily. As like SimBrief itself, airframe definitions are "ICAO Code" based, once you define and save your custom airframe at SimBrief, you can simply copy the airframe ID and add it to phpVMS by giving it a nice looking unique name and the aircraft ICAO type code you wish to use. Also, if you do not want to use the built in SimBrief airframes and have only your custom airframes listed, then you need to enable the respective setting from Admin > Settings. This logic also applies to passenger and baggage weights being used for planning. Imagine you have an airframe definition (either created by you, or a public one provided by SimBrief), using 100 kg for passengers and 20 kg for their bags. But you do not want to use those weights because you have some custom weights for scheduled/non-scheduled flights, even better you control your baggage weights per airport with some custom code etc. Then you need to enable the respective setting to pass in your weights to SimBrief. How does it work, how is the priority logic defined ? Why the DOW is empty in the example ? Subfleet SimBrief Type = Empty Aircraft SimBrief Type = Empty Aircraft ICAO Code = A321 Aircraft DOW = Empty Aircraft MLW = Empty SimBrief Provided Airframes = Fenix A321 IAE, Fenix A321 CFM, ToLiss A321, Your Custom A321 As you know, each addon aircraft have their own basic empty weights and mostly they are hard coded (for SimBrief it is the DOW - Dry Operating Weight / OEW - Operating Empty Weight). So we leave it empty, to be able to use the DOW from SimBrief Airframe definitions. When planning, the dropdown will show you 5 items, the list is above and there will be a "SimBrief Default" entry (which is the basic definitions of SB). If you select Fenix A321 IAE, then its DOW will be used, along with its performance definitions (like fuel factor, engine thrust rating and others), equipment etc. But the weights you defined will be sent to SimBrief to overwrite those values. If you do not select one, it is ok too as the defaults provided by SimBrief along with the data you are sending (like weights and other stuff) will be used. But if you are after precise flight planning, then it is better to either have your main types defined at SimBrief and a matching airframe should be selected. Subfleet SB Type > Aircraft SB Type > Selected Airframe > Aircraft specific details (like weights, SELCAL, HEX, FIN, VA specific custom RMK field) With this order and logic you can have base airframes for your fleet, like PMDG B738, Zibo B738, LevelUp B738 (same example can be extended to Fenix, ToLiss, Aerosoft, Flight Factor group) and then define aircraft specific changes at phpVMS because in a fleet some aircraft have different MZFW or MLW's but they do share the generic specifications. Like a B738 can have 79013, 77000 or 75000 KG MTOW depending on the certification, instead of defining different airframes at SimBrief, you can simply pass that info during planning. Recent changes at SimBrief allow pilots to have precise performance calculations, specific limitations and if certified some nice ETOPS abilities, to be able to use them with phpVMS, defining airframes at SimBrief and using their ID's during planning will be the best option (considering some items still not available at api access, this method will eliminate those cases too). Climb / Cruise / Descent Profiles and Layout Options All these are also obtained from SimBrief and tied to Aircraft ICAO type codes, so when you select an A321 from your fleet to generate a flight plan, you will see the profiles SimBrief offer for that type in general. Additionally the layout is automatically selected if an airline match is found, if not SimBrief Default (LIDO) is used. What about General Aviation and Really Custom Airframe Support GA is supported by SimBrief up to a point, so we do have the same, even though the examples above are based on airliners, logic remains same for GA aircraft too. And you can still define your custom (non-existing airframe at SimBrief) as per their documentation, have a profile for it and use it at phpVMS. Considering that nothing offered by SimBrief, your custom airframe will be the only option at the dropdown. Hope this help, safe flights.

Note: If you own all packages then please note the update order! SPTheme -> DBPack -> DSPack 11.MARCH.25 (v1.2.2 / 1.2.2 / v1.3.1) Some minor fixes for the award-widget, userrole and pireps table (v1.2.2 SPTheme) Changed blades for Hub/Airline Transfer v1.8 module (v1.2.2 SPTheme) Changed menu links for Hub/Airline Transfer v1.8 module (v1.3.1 DSPack) Changed menu links for Hub/Airline Transfer v1.8 module (v1.2.2 DBPack)

Thanks, everything worked smoothly after deletion 🙂

SPTransfer v1.3 for phpvVMS7 Thanks to ProAviaAZ, for the suggestions. Added an option for different charge types Added a widget for showing pending requests

Hey, first I want to mention that this is not a personal commercial promotional post. My goal is simply to encourage people to explore and use phpVMS 7. It's a powerful platform with great customization options for virtual airline management. Yes, I have a lot of experience but nothing is impossible. Creating themes and designs for phpVMS version 7 with Laravel offers great flexibility without needing WordPress for custom homepages. Since phpVMS is built on Laravel, you can leverage modern tools to craft unique, responsive designs directly within the platform. Themes are built using Blade, Laravel's templating engine, which allows for easy separation of logic and presentation. This makes it simple to create reusable layouts, such as headers and footers. Additionally, you can integrate CSS frameworks like Bootstrap or Tailwind to ensure the design is mobile-friendly and visually appealing. For dynamic features, JavaScript libraries such as jQuery or Vue.js can be added, enhancing interactivity. Laravel also supports efficient asset management with tools like Webpack or Laravel Mix, optimizing CSS and JavaScript files for performance. Overall, phpVMS 7 allows for full customization of both the homepage and the entire user interface, eliminating the need for external systems like WordPress. The flexibility of Laravel ensures that you can create engaging and functional themes directly within phpVMS. As I am a long-time user of phpvms version 5 I know how similar virtual airlines are designed, so I want to show just a few different examples, of how different your work can be end.

Check item no 3 in that guide, it may help or provide enough clues Good luck

Airac 2406 Data only, just import it into your db like normal

Award Importer v1.0 for phpvms_v7 If you want to import your awards and granted awards from phpvms_v5 to phpvms_v7, this will help you get everything done quickly as this process is not originally implemented. This script is intended to run after you have imported your data with the phpvms:importer and should not be used if your airline is already in production and running. >>> View on GitHub <<< What is part of the import? All awards including name, description, image URL, model parameter, active/inactive and time of creation All awards that pilots have already received including user ID, award ID and the day granted. Important The v5 and v7 database tables have to be in the same database All previous awards and granted awards will be deleted, to match user IDs You've to check your awards after the import, Award Class and Parameters are not possible to compare to v5 If you are using a different table prefix, you have to change it according to yours How to use Upload the "award_import_full.php" to your /public folder Open your browser and go to www.domain.com/award_import_full.php Do you have any suggestions or need help? Please use the GitHub issue tracker or this topic

Hello Everyone, I am very pleased to announce that my latest contributions to the phpVMS ecosystem are now available on the Cardinal Horizon GitHub. First, CHTrips! CHTrips is a module that can be a few things packed into one package. It's the first module I would say would be considered a "framework" module. For End Users, Trips is a robust free flight system that allows for tracking of progress on a sequence of flights. Users can quickly create a sequence of flights in your system (that are hidden) that are related to one another. For Developers, (Coming Soon) Trips's robust database schema, events, and services, will provide a framework to allow developers to rapidly build Tours, Events, or Missions systems! Using CHTrips alongside your own module ensures that phpVMS performance isn't lost by multiple plugins conflicting with PIREP events, or other sections of the system. CHTrips can be found here: https://github.com/cardinalhorizon/CHTrips Second, CHPirepSS! CHPirepSS is a very simple module, with a very simple feature: Allow for PIREPs to be converted from ACARS to Manual. Has your community ever encountered an issue where ACARS crashes in a unrecoverable state, and you instruct your pilot to file a Manual PIREP? Well, why not simply convert the PIREP that's already in the database and has telemetry data, into a manually filed one? No more duplicate PIREPs because of software being software! CHPirepSS contains a very simple widget meant to be placed in your manual pirep creation screen. Imaged below is a example: CHPirepSS can be found here: https://github.com/cardinalhorizon/CHPirepSS For both of my modules, I am very interested in your feedback. If you wish to do so, please feel free to open an Issue on either repository. Thank you for your support!

@DisposableHeroupdated the code and generated a sample json with the fares based on the default profiles https://github.com/aerocaribbeanva/phpvms-utilities/tree/main/phpvms7-fares I was able to use https://www.simbrief.com/api/inputs.airframes.json

As far as I know SimBrief does not have seat configuration definition and it can differ from airline to airline, and again as far as I know you do not need an API key to fetch the default profiles. I do define my fares according to the airline I simulate, I do not care what the addon provides at that stage because they do try to provide a single layout which can suit most of their users. Imagine it like Fenix providing a 220 seat A321, but the airline I do simulate has 20+180 for example, thus 200 seats max. Also opposite can be faced, the airline you try to simulate can have a special config of 230 pax (all economy on an A321, terrible config but there are companies using that), but the addon can give you 219 only. Thus reading something from SimBrief and then converting it to v7 fares is something I would never do (even if I can, I would not go that way), I do define my fares according to the real airline, then advise my pilots to match the Traffic Load or ZFW (if the addon is not providing enough seats or cargo space). Good luck with the script

I don't think that I understood the main aim here, will try to provide some answers though 1. If you want to dynamically check the simbrief profile, thus the selected addon aircraft and read its capacity then apply it back to phpVMS (for automatic random payload generation), sorry this is not possible. 2. If you have subfleets defined for each ICAO type (which as you said are tied to some simbrief airframes) then you can (and have to) adjust their fare capacities manually once (as described in other guides). Sorry but this is admin work, needs to be done. As the addons differ in capacities, it will not be logical to develop something to read simbrief profiles and then write them to phpVMS fares (to reduce admin work). Imagine a code reading iFly profile and adjusting the fares according to its seat config and then same code will read a Bredok profile which is totally different from iFly, same will happen while reading PMDG profiles and then reading a Zibo profile etc. Even if someone tries to spend some time to develop something for this, it will be practically useless and create more problems Hope this helps

No, those are all just warnings and may get removed in further versions of php/laravel.

Here you go: http://shop.sass-projects.dev/custom.zip (remember to clear your browser cache as these files are mostly stored there.

Hi @William Looks like you added "SES_ENDPOINT" only to services https://github.com/phpvms/phpvms/blob/main/config/services.php#L26-L30 Technically the "MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS" and "MAIL_FROM_NAME" are already defined and can be controlled from .env itself, no need to modify mail.php for them, as it will revert back to defaults during an update. We can add that additional AWS SES Enpoint to phpVMS itself, so future updates will have it and you will not worry about updates Safe flights

Great news, enjoy your new install

In above solutions, SimBrief will not send the auto generated load back to phpVMS, it only creates the flight plan. You will rely on pilot input (to get the numbers back) This is important.

Hi, If you want to use SimBrief's internal random load generation logic then you need to either disable capacities in your fares (so phpvms can not generate any load) or you can disable pax, baggage and cargo amount transfer in SB form (so phpVMS will be able to generate but not send anything to SB) In any case there will be a mismatch between SB and phpVMS. Also there may be logical problems, mismatches in your phpVMS financial data. You may need to check SimBrief API documentation to better understand what to disable and how it behaves, also you may need to alter simbrief_form.blade.php if you want to select the second option. Good luck

Thanks @DisposableHerohopefully everything works out. Thanks for all the work you have done.

Great news... KB was nice, at least it tried to work up to a point

Yeah, if you are providing custom liveries which you have full control and sure that they are ok then you will have less problems By the way, I am adding some checks to Disposable Basic for this purpose, be aware that X-Plane will be excluded from those checks as it does not report back the livery name like MS/P3D etc. And to allow multi airline setups, people doing sub-charter flights for another supported airline I will be checking both the flight's and aircraft's airline, if one matches then it will not be rejected. Imagine like you are simulating both DLH and KLM at the same phpvms v7 setup and a KLM aircraft is allowed to operate DLH flights, then it is perfectly normal for the flight's and aircraft operator's airline icao code will be different. So in this scenario, a livery containing DLH or KLM will not be auto rejected, but if someone flies with a livery containing FDX for example, it will. Safe flights

Dear @Toyuko, First of all, I wish success to your virtual airline, hope you can find talented staff members to fulfill your wishes and success. I just want to kindly remind you that, your crew center is clearly violating license terms of my addons (Disposable Basic and Disposable Special). They are both installed and active but there are no attribution links visible on your website, which is clearly stated on the license with some usage examples provided in the readme. So, you have two options; 1. Either remove my addons from your crew center (which is based on phpVMS v7) 2. Or fulfill license requirements and provide attribution links in footer (like you do for the rest) If the frontend is developed by any third party company/individual, inform them immediately about the issue and request their support as they may be responsible for the install/management. Good luck

Thanks This sorted the issue What a great feeling.

Please kindly check the docs (theme readme, at same location, github), requirements about a va/admin owned fontawesome kit is documented there. Once you start using your own kit, pages/links/icons will start working. Good luck

For my own VA I have created a simple plugin which adds to phpVMS a Tour/Charter system for airline managers to group flights into tours. Each tour consists of several legs/flights which can be bid on and completed separately. The plugin keeps track of the pilot's progress and automatically issues an award (if one was added to the tour), once all PIREPs from the tour legs were accepted. IfaTours makes as much use of core functionality as possible, using the default awards and flights from phpVMS. If you don't like it you can safely remove the plugin and move on, IfaTours won't modify the code or database tables from the core phpVMS system. Image upload feature is included in the tour creation. I'm a lazy ass and hate it when I have to use a separate tool to upload files to a server (e.g. teaser images for my tours...) https://github.com/FnordLord/IfaTours Reason why: I appreciate the great efforts from guys like Disposable who probably (haven't had a chance to try it) has an excellent tour system in his massive plugin collection, but I wanted something simpler (plus I was curious about the innards of phpVMS), so there it is. Feel free to add it to the addons directory if it qualifies.

Since the OP hasn't posted an update to this in almost 6 years and hasn't visited the forum in over 4 years, I'd consider the projected dead and abandoned. Even if it was completed 4-6years ago, chances are it wouldn't be compatible with the latest dev release of phpVMS v7.

Ok, Now disable (dash out) the dump by adding two dashes before it followed by a space as below. // dd($point, $attrs); Map should be working now

I have resolved this issue with the help Disposable Hero and colleagues in the Discord Channel. It resolution is stated in the fix links, be sure to check carefully. In the permissions link above, Ian from Navigraph refers to the Usercfg.opt and to ensure the last entry in the file shows the path to you Community Folder. I had checked this, but not closely enough as it was pointing to the Localcache not to the Community Folder. Once changed, everything worked! If this issue suddenly occurs to you, I strongly recommend this is your first port of call to resolve. Regards, Keith

Some servers do DROP data (especially http post data) when doing that forced redirection, thus it can cause more/deep problems. Soft redirection still allows http being used. Therefore it is strongly advised to inform people, force them to do their vmsAcars (or any flight tracking software) profile settings right, check their favorites etc. and always use https://.... in their records. Good luck to all

If someone want export the phpvms7 flights to volanta, can be done exporting database data to csv with the next sql script. NOTE: If you have flights currently in volanta and are the same of phpvms7 this isn't overwrite, so you will have duplicate flights in Volanta (Volanta + phpvms7 flights) SELECT dpt_airport_id AS Origin, arr_airport_id AS Destination, block_off_time AS DepartureTime, pireps.flight_time AS Duration, airlines.name AS Airline, flight_number AS FlightNumber, aircraft.icao AS AircraftType, registration AS AircraftRegistration, route AS Route, block_on_time AS ArrivalTime, distance AS Distance, fuel_used AS Fuel FROM `pireps`, `aircraft`, `airlines` WHERE aircraft.id = pireps.aircraft_id AND airlines.id = pireps.airline_id AND user_id=1 ORDER BY block_on_time DESC;

sorry I always come up with stupid questions, you're a life saver though, thank you Disposable Hero, it's fixed now

My pleasure, good luck with the update.

Gentlemen, thank you very much, it worked, I believe that clearing the cache as instructed resolved the problem! Thank you so !

No, I am not sure what you want to do with DispoBasic but you still need to use the phpvms v7 admin to do management stuff. My modules are not replacing core features, they add new features, outputs and pages only.

Congratulations for your first module 👏

Updated to v1.2 with a lot of changes and added conditions for variable database entries. I've also importer available for news, custom user fields and sceneries if you have those addons running.

Thank you! I did try a forum search but wasn't finding anything. I'll do some reading on this. Thanks again. Mike

@Alexan If you can supply the info in the above post, we may be able to assist you.

Config maps? https://docs.phpvms.net/acars/configmaps What version of phpVMS and vmsACARS are you using?

Hello and good Sunday, yesterday and today i try again and the problem is gone. I update to the newest dev Version and open the Cosole on my browser and edit my htacces. And now is all okay i guess. Thank you for help.

Technically there is/was no need to edit the widget itself, the event "route code" is defined at module admin area and it works both for API endpoint and Event Widget. No need to edit/alter line 16 of the widget controller as it simply reads the above definition.

Understood. Just to be clear, I like PHPVMS and gives me what I need. (I checked other tools too, that do the same a year ago, but I decided to continue with v7 after v2 and v5) I just wanted to make the startingpage a bit better and easier to maintain by other staffmembers. But I can live with it by maintaining the frontpage myself, as it is not being changed that much. Thanks for the advice.

The env.php file has been replaced by the .env file. All the email settings are in there. Return the config.php file to its default state. In addition to the link kindly provided by @DisposableHero , your hosting panel should provide an Email Accounts area with valuable info. If your hosting provides cPanel, have a look at this article to set up SMTP https://cpanel.net/blog/tips-and-tricks/setting-up-and-troubleshooting-smtp-in-cpanel/ I would suggest updating any phpVMS v7 sites you help with to the latest dev build, available in the #v7-releases channel of the phpVMS discord.

Did you install phpVMS v7 beta 5 or the latest dev build from the discord releases channel? Did you clear the cache after changing any files and before setting the theme to other than default?

Translate as expected, nothing more... Check other folders (like de, fr, it, es-es) and replicate what is done there for your language That simple it is. Good luck and God speed

Technically, what the main question owner wants does not need a private token or a private api access ... Those checks can be done simply with the public access (public whazzup data). You can fetch the data (with minimum 15 second interval for both networks), do your checks however you wish and then either store the data in a database table or delete it. If your acars software is sending live data to your phpvms, then you can do your checks live and mark the flight online/offline as you wish. If it is sending all the pirep info after the flight then you need to store the live whazzup data with (prefably utc) time codes (like one copy for every 5 mins and keep the last 24 hours) and then check them according to the pirep (prefably utc) times to see if the pilot was online or not during the flight. Anyway, these are technical details ... I already did it for phpvms v7 with public api access, so it can be done for v5 too. Hope you can find your solution for v5.x series.

In administration, you must have the option marked: BIDS Allow multiple bids Whether or not someone can bid on multiple flights. I understand that this option was to be able to reserve a multiple bids pilot. But this option makes multiple riders book one bids.

I do get lots of personal messages/questions about this, "ok I installed v7 what next ?" Here you may find your answer, if not do not hesitate to ask (not personally but via forum so everyone can benefit from the answer) 0. Which version should I download and install ? Definitely NOT beta4 or beta5 ! Please download and install LATEST DEVELOPMENT ( in short terms dev or latest dev) build, it is much more stable compared to any beta builds and have many improvements. If you install beta4 and have some errors (you will have them for sure), the first reply to your support question will be "install latest dev". 1. How do I install v7 ? Please do check docs.phpvms.net , it is pretty well documented. And make sure you are meeting all the requirements, then apply the instructions there for uploading. 2. Where to install v7 ? This is up to you, considering that Laravel does not like being installed under folders it is still possible with some tricks to htaccess file. But I think best location is a new subdomain, it will cost you nothing (if you are not using a strange host) and will save you from further troubles for sure. yourdomain.com ops.yourdomain.com crew.yourdomain.com opscenter.yourdomain.com 3. What next ? Define at least two airports I do prefer defining my hubs first. Hubs are your main bases of operation. Do this manually , admin -> airports , add new airport . Write the ICAO code and click lookup, phpVMS v7 will get the correct data in correct format for you. Click save. No need to enter Ground Handling Costs or Fuel Prices at this moment, you can do that later (or can use default / fixed prices for all your airports) Define at least one Fare ( details can be found at other guides ) Define at least one Subfleet ( details can be found at other guides ) Define at least one Aircraft Define at least one Flight Optionally you may Assign your subfleet(s) to your flight(s) Go to settings, disable below checks during initial setup (you may alter them later according to your wishes) Disable Pireps : Restrict Aircraft to Ranks ( enabled by default ) Disable Pilots : Auto Accept New Pilot ( enabled by default ) Disable Pireps : Restrict Aircraft At Departure Disable Pilots : Flights from Current Disable Pilots : Restrict the flights to company While you are at settings, check below items are enabled/active , if not enable them Check General : Automatic airport lookup ( should be enabled by default ) Check Pilots : Hubs as home airport You are basically ready now ... Rest is admin work and needs time, having and managing a virtual airline is not an easy task. phpVMS v7 is only here to help you, it can not do things for you 4. How can I block bots being registered to my VA ? Well, you can not block them totally but using hCaptcha reduces their amount. And phpVMS v7 is ready for this, just check hCaptcha docs and obtain your site keys, then enter them to your phpVMS v7 settings. Also disabling Auto Accept New Pilot option is a good way to block them reaching content of your VA. 5. Where the hell are airports ? ( "Why I am forced to enter them, this software is crap !" etc.) PhpVMS v7 is capable of looking up airport details when requested, so calm down. There are more than 40k airports around the world and populating your database with them just slows things down. MySQL is capable of handling them, but it will make your phpVMS slower for sure. You can import airports, there is a feature for that BUT before importing make sure that file is containing valid data without any errors and is fully compatible with v7. Importing a file with incorrect data make things worse and let you have unexpected errors during usage. For example, importing airports directly from sources like OurAirports is not a solution. It does not provide time zones for airports, locations (cities) are not compatible with v7 location logic and have errors in it (i do checked some countries I know, found really strange errors and wrong ICAO codes being used for airports). Simply it is not a good source to start with. "What about i do get an export of some other v7 user's airports and insert them to mine ?" If you know that the other user's database is populated with correct data and you intend to use the same airports this may be a starting solution. Best way to add airports to v7 is importing flights (or some call them schedules or routes). With the `Automatic airport lookup` option enabled, missing airports from the flights you imported will be added to your database, and with correct/reliable information in the correct format. By using this method, you will get what you need and when you need. To import flights, just do an export of your current flight(s), you will have a proper csv file. Then you can edit it, "I am insisting on having lots of airports even when they are not needed, I do want to populate my database with useless entries. What should i do ?" You can use flight import trick to get there. Just add fake flights to all of the world airports in a csv file, then import it. After importing the flights you can safely delete them (not the airports but the flights). And to do a mass delete operation you need to use a database workbench tool like phpMyAdmin. 6. Which ACARS software should I use, which is the best one ? Currently, you have only one choice ... it is called vmsACARS and developed by the same person developing phpVMS v7. There are no demo versions for it, there are no other (free/paid) solutions either. So if you are not a developer yourself, you need vmsACARS. "What about kAcars, smartCARS v2, cACARS ?" etc. Nope, they are not compatible with v7, only smartCARS v3 can work with phpVMS v7 with some custom plugins. 7. Where are the skins or addons for v7 ? "I do want to spend some cash on them" You can find some at Downloads section of the forum, be sure that the addon (be it a skin or a widget or a module) is fully compatible with the version you installed. Do not try to install older version files to v7. This logic applies to both v7 addons developed for beta4 and addons developed or phpVMS v5/v2 etc. As far as I know, the only paid addon for v7 was a tour module, which is not working properly (and people bought it had problems, tried refunding their money back). And there is only one paid skin (as of the date this is written), you can find its topic at this forum too. ---------- We may add more questions and answers in time, for now above items should be enough for start I think. Happy installs and safe flights