GETTING STARTED

Flying with mesabACARS

Your complete guide to filing flights and tracking them on our virtual airline network.

What is mesabACARS?

mesabACARS is our custom aircraft communications and reporting system that automatically tracks your flights as you fly on the VATSIM network. Whether you're flying in MSFS 2024, MSFS 2020, or X-Plane, our system detects your callsign when you connect and monitors your progress in real-time.

Once your flight completes, it's automatically logged to your pilot record, and you can view the full history and details on your pilot profile and our live map.

Quick Facts
  • No plugins required
  • Works with all flight simulators
  • Automatic flight logging
  • Real-time tracking

How to Use mesabACARS

1

Select a Flight from Your Schedule

Choose your next flight from your schedule. You can auto-generate a line from your dashboard or reserve a flight from the timetable.

You can view available flights on the timetable. Each flight lists the departure and arrival airports, scheduled time, aircraft type, and flight number.

2

File Your Flight Plan on VATSIM

Before connecting, open your VATSIM client (vPilot or xPilot) and file a flight plan using a NWA or MES callsign for your flight. The departure and arrival airports in your flight plan must match the next scheduled flight in your schedule.

3

Connect to VATSIM — Tracking Begins Here

Connect to the VATSIM network using the same NWA or MES callsign you filed your flight plan with. This is the moment mesabACARS begins tracking your flight. Our system sees your callsign come online and starts recording your flight from that point forward.

4

Load Your Aircraft and Fly

Open your flight simulator, load the appropriate aircraft at your departure airport, and fly your flight. mesabACARS is continuously recording your position, speed, and altitude as you progress.

You can watch your flight in real-time on our live flight map. Once you land at your arrival airport, wait a few moments for your flight to be processed, then disconnect from VATSIM to complete the flight.

5

View Your Completed Flight

Visit your pilot dashboard to see your completed flight logged in the system. You can view detailed flight information including:

  • Total flight time
  • Distance traveled
  • Departure and arrival airports
  • Aircraft type and registration
  • Flight date and time

Live Flight Tracking

Our live flight map displays all active flights in real-time. You can:

  • See all pilots currently flying
  • Watch flight progress with live position updates
  • View aircraft type and flight information
  • Check estimated arrival times
  • Track historical flight routes

Your Pilot Profile

Your pilot dashboard shows your complete flight history. You can:

  • Review all your completed flights
  • View total flight hours and statistics
  • See airports you've visited
  • Check your ranking within the airline
  • Export your flight logs

Important Notes

Troubleshooting

My flight isn't showing up

Check the following:

  • You filed your flight plan before logging into VATSIM
  • Your callsign matched the next scheduled flight in your schedule
  • The DEP and ARR airports in your flight plan matched your scheduled flight
  • You used the correct callsign prefix (NWA or MES)
  • You were connected to VATSIM
  • You landed and the flight was completed before disconnecting
I see incorrect flight data

Possible causes:

  • Flight times are in UTC (Zulu) time
  • Aircraft type is determined by your flight sim
  • Duration is calculated from connection to disconnection
  • Distance is the great circle distance

Ready to Start Flying?

Choose a flight from our timetable and begin your journey with NWVPA.

View Timetable Live Flight Map