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How to do dynamic, non-scheduled routes


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Posted

We have a division that flies bizjet charters.  The idea was to provide our piolates with some variety.  It didn't make sense to create create separate routes so I concocted a unique flight number with an aircraft, departure and destination ICAO codes specified that were essential, irrelevant.

The pilot inserts a valid aircraft code and ICAO codes for a charter flight into FSACARS or FSPAX that do not have to be as specified for that flight number.  When I see that flight number I know what it is and can approve it if the codes are reasonable (no trans-ocean flights in a Cessna 172).  Since phpVMS to not check to see that the ICAO codes are valid for this flight number, the flight is accepted without my havint to add hundreds of routes.

  • Administrators
Posted

Yep, this would work.

In the next version, you can edit the PIREP so adjust the ticket costs, etc, so then this will be more flexible with the financials as well

You could also create a topic in the FAQ about non-schedule'd flights.

Thanks! Cheers!

Posted

Will do, but I realize there is one glitch.  Out of the box, phpVMS does not have a page to view available airports or aircraft, other than in the admin pages.  Guess I have to fire up Dreamweaver, again.

EDIT:  All I have to do is create a page with the drop down menus from the manual PIREP page.

Posted

So basically this means that the pilot is free to fly what they want and where they want?

I'm guessing you just make up a bogus Ticket price to cover the fuel cost & etc? THis is kind of what a bunch of potential pilots are asking for to as well. They like schedules, but some freedom from time to time is nice as well.

Great idea you have here.

  • Administrators
Posted

You can go back and adjust any prices, etc once the PIREP is filed as well, so initially you can setup a bogus price and all. But yep, they can fly whatever they want.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Hi all just set up a test schedule, and this works fine with 2 random airports from my list.  However, does it mean that each time someone wants to fly to a new airfield not in the list, I'd need to add it in, or can FSAcars/Xacars support the entry of an ICAO code not listed in the airports list?

Thanks

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

I use this method as well. I only added 1 flight to the database and added an aircraft to it. If you use ACARS, only the flight number really needs to match. I did one tonight from georgia to Rio and all I put in was the flight number and used my own aircraft to fly in and it went well.

Oh and I added the correct aircraft reg as well. Other then that, it's pretty much a free for all using this method. BUT if someone books that flight, it will not be available to the next person. You allways have the option of turning off remove flight from schedules when bid on in your config file.

  • Moderators
Posted

Oh and I added the correct aircraft reg as well. Other then that, it's pretty much a free for all using this method. BUT if someone books that flight, it will not be available to the next person. You allways have the option of turning off remove flight from schedules when bid on in your config file.

not completly true if u use xacars you can just type in the flight number it pulles it direct out of the database so youcan fly all the routes at all the time only they aren't shown in the scheddules dew to some coding.

gr joeri

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

So basically this means that the pilot is free to fly what they want and where they want?

Ok, here is my contribution to the community !

I modded the manual pirep a long time ago but charter flights were not interesting anyone else but me...  ;D

So here is the Manual PIREP modified (for beta 803 +)

There are three things important with this :

[*]Create fake routes for charter categories (eg. ABC1 for local flights, ABC2 for Europe, ...), so you can keep track of flight types.

[*]When validating the pirep, please take time to see if the airport has been added correctly in the global airport list.

[*]Never push the re-calculate distances in admin panel !!!

Hope this helps !

PS: Page has been check by Nabeel and I have been using it for 1 year +

pirep_new.zip

  • Like 1
Posted

Never mind, figured that part of it out.

When I went to do a test flight, I was unable to file a PIREP due to the destination airport not being in the database. I assume this is due to the fact that I am using the standard PIREP form.

when do I place the pirep_new document that Max posted?

  • Administrators
Posted

Any templates you edit should be put in your skin's folder, along side the header.tpl and footer.tpl files.

You're on 700, right? Max's template will work with the betas, haven't tested with betas yet. But the designation airport not being there, that's fixed for the next version.

  • Administrators
Posted

In the folder of the skin you're using.

If you're using a skin called "myskin" under /lib/skins, then place it in lib/skins/myskin, ANY templates you change should go there, or else in an update they will be overwritten and lost

Posted

re-set my browser cache today to find that I no longer have a PIREP form. I took the file from here out and it came back (standard basic form).

Assuming that it is not compatible with my version. 

not sure how we are going to log flights as we do not have a route schedule.

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Hi,

I installed Max's code for new pirep... It's working well, since I have now text fields instead of list in the PIREP.

But, I don't really understand how to do for the flight number... How can I create route for "Europe", "Local flight"... ?

Thanks a lot !

Regards,

Ugo.

Posted

I have had this setup for quite some time now and it is working. However, is it necessary to have a schedule BOTH ways for this to calculate accordingly? When I log a Free Flight on my site I only have a 1 way flight. There is no return schedule.

So what my issue is, is sometimes when I do a flight it gives pilot pay and charges for fuel accordingly. Sometimes when others try it out, the flight is filed accordingly but the pilot is not paid and fuel is not charged for. I am leaning more towards pilot error when using acars and Xacars. I have not had anyone every log a flight with FSPax on my site. I have tried it 2 times with FSFK and it works like it is supposed to.

I am kind of in the air ( no pun intended ) on this one  as far as financials go. To me they should not be paid for a free flight and the airline should not be charged fuel for a flight that is not scheduled to begin with but I hate to get rid of these kinds of flights because they want to do airline flights but yet not always wish to do a schedule. I have been struggling with this issue for a while now and am just curious how others handle it and are your financials working accordingly?

Thanks for reading this today.

Ray

  • Administrators
Posted

How some people do it is adjust the financials in the individual pirep after it's been filed, and before you accept it. Finances aren't counted until a pirep is accepted (this is def the case post 865/866).

xacars is a bit dodgy - try the newest version that he just released, it might be a bit more reliable

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Hi all,

just vwry new here, yesterday i installed phpvms and trying to learn how to use it...........i am a dummy in php, it took me over 5 hours to figure what to do....anyway

I read this post about the free (non-scheduled) flights, and as i plan my airline to work mostly in charters (pilots to decide when to fly, last minute, no schedules and aircraft registrations), i really need this option to work otherwise i am totally lost.

I did not understand how to make this........i inserted a route, with a specific id, "TVICHA" and used fspax. My pilot id in fspax is the TVI0001 as in phpvms, the flight "TVICHA", but when trying to export the flight from fspax, an error message says that departure or arrival airport is blank. In fact, in fspax the arrival airport is set, and the flight time too.

Any help?

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