Our Pilot References hub provides a variety of reference information for new pilots and experienced members. Whether you are looking up the correct type designator for your aircraft type or learning how to plan your first online flight realistically, you'll find a wealth of information on the pages listed below. As a reminder, our Terms of Use state that informational content provided on this pages is not to be used for real-world operations, nor was it written or reviewed by any person licenced to provide flight instruction.

Airline Codes
A list of common airlines and the corresponding codes and call signs is available on the Airline Codes page. As discussed in our new member reading material, call signs must be entered when connecting to the network. This page will help you determine which code to use.

Equipment Suffixes
Equipment suffixes provide controllers with important information about your navigation capabilities and are filed as part of your aircraft type. The Equipment Suffixes page provides more information about suffixes and an interactive tool to help you select the correct one.

Flight Planning
Safe, fun, realistic flying begins with appropriate flight planning. The Flight Planning page provides an overview of flight planning, the tools virtual pilots need to conduct realistic flights online, and finding charts. The page takes pilots though seven steps of successful flight planning and provides a variety of tips for operating the most realistic, accurate virtual flights.

Letter to Airmen
Our Letter to Airmen (LTA) provides important information for member and non-member pilots flying in Boston ARTCC airspace (ZBW). The document covers scenery downloads, important reminders, and operational procedures to be aware of when flying into and out of our airports, especially KBOS.

Preferred Routes
 BVA provides ATC preferred routes for many of our events and for common citypairs in our home airspace. Use the Route Finder on our Preferred Routes page to search for routes and download .PLN files for download into the aircraft's GPS.

Radio Communications
The Radio Communications page helps introduce the basics of how pilots and controllers interact over the radios. This page helps new members understand how to properly and efficiently communicate during VFR and IFR flights in both controlled and uncontrolled environments. This page is a must-read for members who have limited experience in a realistic online environment like ours.

Type Abbreviations
Abbreviations are used to designate different aircraft types. A list of common abbreviations is available on the Aircraft Type Abbreviations page and a link to the full FAA database is also included.
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