Aircraft
Overview
Aircraft are the individual registrations (tail numbers) at the bottom of the fleet hierarchy. Each aircraft belongs to a subfleet and represents a specific airframe that pilots can fly.
Airline → Fleet → Subfleet → Aircraft
Backoffice path: backoffice/aircraft/subfleets/{subfleet_id}/aircraft
Available to roles: System Administrator, Administrator
Aircraft List
The aircraft list is accessed from a subfleet detail page and displays all aircraft belonging to that subfleet.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Registration | The unique registration / tail number (e.g., "N737WN") |
| Name | Optional display name for the aircraft |
| Subfleet | The subfleet this aircraft belongs to |
| Status | Active, inactive, or grounded |
| Base | The aircraft's base airport |
| Hours | Total accumulated flight hours |
| Cycles | Total accumulated flight cycles (takeoff + landing pairs) |
The list is paginated at 15 items per page and supports both sorting and searching.
Creating and Editing an Aircraft
Required Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Registration | The aircraft's registration / tail number. Must be unique across the entire platform |
| Subfleet | The subfleet this aircraft belongs to |
Optional Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A friendly display name for the aircraft (e.g., "Spirit of Seattle") |
| Base Airport | The aircraft's home base. Overrides the subfleet and fleet base airport settings |
| Active | Toggle to enable or disable the aircraft for operations |
| Picture | An image of the aircraft for display purposes |
| Notes | Free-text notes about the aircraft |
Performance Settings
Each aircraft can have individual performance parameters that override fleet-level defaults.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Climb Rate | Rate of climb in feet per minute (fpm) |
| Descent Rate | Rate of descent in feet per minute (fpm) |
| Cruise Speed | The standard cruise speed for this aircraft |
| Cost Index | The cost index value used for flight planning optimization |
Technical Details
Technical fields store identifiers and integration data for the aircraft.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| FIN | Fleet/Fuselage Identification Number |
| SELCAL | Selective Calling code for HF radio communications |
| Hexcode | The ICAO 24-bit transponder address in hexadecimal |
| SimBrief Airframe ID | The numeric aircraft ID from SimBrief's database. Used with "Fetch Profile" to download performance data |
| SimBrief Airframe Data | Fetched performance data (weights, fuel limits, pax capacity) that overrides SimBrief defaults during dispatch |
| acdata | Additional aircraft data reference |
Tracking and Accumulation
Aircraft automatically accumulate operational statistics from approved flights.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Flight Seconds | Cumulative airborne time across all approved flights, stored in seconds |
| Total Cycles | Cumulative number of completed flight cycles (one takeoff and landing equals one cycle) |
These values are updated each time a flight is approved and are displayed as hours and cycles in the aircraft list. They also feed into the maintenance check system to determine when scheduled maintenance is due.
Grounding
An aircraft can be grounded to prevent it from being used in operations. Grounding can occur manually or automatically (for example, when a maintenance check becomes overdue).
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Is Grounded | Toggle that marks the aircraft as grounded |
| Grounding Reason | A text field explaining why the aircraft is grounded |
| Grounding Timestamp | The date and time when the aircraft was grounded |
While grounded, the aircraft cannot be assigned to flights or used for bookings. Grounding must be resolved (either manually or through the maintenance system) before the aircraft returns to service.
Stand Tracking
Each aircraft tracks its current parking stand at its current airport. Stands are automatically assigned when a flight is completed and the aircraft arrives at its destination. The assignment uses a tiered algorithm that matches the aircraft's fleet, subfleet, and airline against the stand restrictions configured on the airport's stands.
The current stand is displayed:
- On the Fleet page, next to the aircraft's current airport ICAO code
- In the aircraft detail modal, as a dedicated "Current Stand" row
- In the aircraft edit page, as a selectable dropdown showing occupancy counts
Administrators can manually assign or change an aircraft's stand from the edit page. The stand selector only shows stands configured at the aircraft's current airport. When the aircraft's airport changes, the stand is automatically cleared.
When an aircraft is repositioned (via the Aircraft Repositioning tool or deadhead), administrators can optionally assign a stand at the destination airport.
Activity Log
The aircraft edit page includes a paginated activity log that records every change to the aircraft's attributes (registration, base airport, grounding status, subfleet assignment, etc.) with timestamps and the staff member who made the change. This provides a full audit trail for each airframe.
Base Airport Resolution
When the system needs to determine an aircraft's base airport, it follows this resolution chain:
- Aircraft — if the aircraft has a base airport set, use that
- Subfleet — if the aircraft's subfleet has a base airport set, use that
- Fleet — if the parent fleet has a base airport set, use that
- Random Airline Hub — if none of the above are set, a random hub airport from the airline is selected