What is ACARS?
ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) is the automatic tracking system that reports your flight's position, altitude, speed and status in real-time.
How It Works
- You connect your flight simulator to vmsACARS (our tracking client)
- vmsACARS monitors your simulator and sends position updates every few seconds
- Key flight events are automatically logged: engine start, pushback, takeoff, landing, engine shutdown
- Your flight appears on the Live Map where other pilots and visitors can watch
Tracked Events
The following events are automatically captured and shown in your flight timeline:
| Event | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Blocks Off | Parking brake released — your official departure time |
| Taxi Out | Aircraft moving on the ground towards the runway |
| Takeoff | Aircraft becomes airborne (weight off wheels) |
| Landing | Aircraft touches down (weight on wheels) |
| Taxi In | Aircraft moving from runway to parking position |
| Blocks On | Parking brake set — your official arrival time |
Live Map
Visit the Live Map page to see all currently active flights. Click on any aircraft to see its route, speed, altitude and flight details. If the flight has a SimBrief briefing, you can click the briefing icon to view the full dispatch package.