Logging a Flight

Flight Simulations - flight preparation settings

Consider the following settings inside the respective flight simulations to apply the pre-given parameters of ACVacars.

The following steps must be executed before starting an ACV flight:

Visit ACV-website and log in with your account
ACV-website, go to Pilot-Center/Add a bid
Select available/wished flight bid
Start-up ACVacars
ACVacars, load flight bid
Start-up flight simulator
Open menu to compose a new (free)flight inside flight simulator
Select ACV-aircraft inside flight simulator (set similar to loaded flight bid)
- Select correct aircraft type with correct registration number (e.g. N312LH), else, select any ACV aircraft type with sufficient range.
Select departure airport inside flight simulator (set similar to loaded flight bid)
Select departure UTC time inside flight simulator (set similar to loaded flight bid)
(optional) select starting position (cargo parking, gate, etc.) inside flight simulator (set similar to loaded flight bid)
Flight simulator, start (free)flight
ACVacars, press button [Start Log]

First, you have to reserve a new bid on the webVA. Login on the webVA and click “Add a Bid” on top of the website.
Scroll down to the desired available flight. Choose a free bid on webVA by clicking “Add this Bid”.
This cannot be done inside ACVacars.
After reserving a new bid on your webVA, you are able to load the reserved bid into your ACVacars.
Return to ACVacars.
Press button [Choose Flight-Bid] and select the wished bid. If added as last bid, you can press button [Get latest Flight-Bid] for selecting the relevant bid directly.

After loading the bid into ACVacars, its main parts “Aircraft” and “Flight” show the most important parameter of the selected bid (e.g. aircraft type, waypoints, needed fuelload, etc.).
To start a flight, the following bid parameters are of special interest:
- Aircraft type
- Departure airport
- Relevant gate, cargo position or parking at departure airport
- Time at departure airport (in UTC)
- Fuelload and payload

Start up your flight simulator (e.g. Prepar3D). After, manually adjust the following parameters inside your flight simulator:
- Choose the respective ACV aircraft type (e.g. “ACV L-1011-200F”) with matching registration number (e.g. “N312LH”).
- Select the correct departure airport and the correct starting position (e.g. “Cargo Parking Gate W42” at airport KMIA). If the by ACVacars mentioned starting position is not available at the airport, please choose a starting position which is as close as possible and of the same type (e.g. gate, cargo, parking).
- Set the correct departure time in UTC (“UTC” means world-wide time). As date set your current "real-world" date (day, month and year).

(as example taken the PMDG 737-800BCF)

If using a PMDG add-on with ACVacars, you have to consider the following:

Activate PMDG broadcast for the FSUIPC interface communication (else, not all relevant PMDG parameter can be read by FSUIPC)
For more information, see ACV forum post: https://www.arrowcargovirtual.com/acvforum/index.php?topic=124.0

Inside P3D after PMDG-addon has been loaded up and you are in the virtual cockpit view:

FMS, set Fuel to 100%
FMS, set Payload to 100%
Set all light-switches to OFF
Set Parking Brakes to ON
Activate external power + activate electricity of cockpit/avionics (if B-737)
Open Main Door [Shift-E]

Inside P3D after PMDG-addon has been loaded up and you are in the virtual cockpit view:

FMS, set Fuel to 0% or 1/3 (33.3%)
FMS, set Payload to 0%
Set all light-switches to OFF
Set Parking Brakes to ON
Activate external power + activate electricity of cockpit/avionics (if B-737)
Open Main Door [Shift-E or other command]

Load flight bid
Start logging flight bid
Change/Load fuelload and payload only with the PMDG FMS, neither by ACVacars load-manager nor by any FSim load-manager