How to run your own group flights
During a VirtualFlight.Online group flight this evening, the subject of group flights came up, and myself, Peter and Joe found ourselves reminding everybody present that anybody at VirtualFlight.Online can create a group flight - and it’s not that difficult.
All you need to do is:
Create an “Event” in Discord
Create a forum topic in the “Events Forum” in Discord
Obviously the further in advance you create an event, the more chance you have of people showing up.
Here’s a bit more about each step - and remember - this all appears (in more detail) in the Codex Group Flights page:
Pre-requisites
The only pre-requisite for creating events is your Discord account must have multi-factor-authentication enabled. To setup multi-factor-authentication:
Click on the cog next to your username at the bottom left of Discord
On the “My Account” page (the first page you see), follow the guidance in the authentication section to setup your phone for authentication - you will need an authenticator app on your mobile phone (e.g. Apple or Google Authenticator).
Creating Events in Discord
Events are built into Discord, but they don’t let you provide much information - so it’s best to create an event, AND a forum topic. That’s why we have an events forum.
Creating the event:
Run Discord
Click “n Events” in the left margin (n is the total number of planned events)
Click “Create Event” at the top of the form that pops up, then:
Choose “Voice Channel”, and the “events-chat” voice channel
Fill in the title, start date, time, and description of your event
Upload a cover image (search for a suitable picture online)
The event details will be shown to you - confirm by clicking “Create Event”
Creating an Event topic in the Events Forum channel
The events-forum allows each event to be a separate topic - filled with information about the event, and a place for people to ask questions in the run-up to the event.
Here’s how to create an event topic:
Go to the “events-forum” channel in Discord
Click “New Post” at the top right
Fill the details out as you wish, and upload any files into the topic that might be useful. See below for an example description you might use for your flight (obviously change to suit).
You will notice most events pre-fix the topic title with YYYY-MM-DD (the date of the event). This helps readers find the correct event topic for a given event.
Quite commonly people will also upload the flight plan for the event (in LittleNavMap, or PLN format) to save everybody some work when joining in.
Example Event Topic Body Text
Here’s some example text for an event topic that covers all the bases - feel free to copy and modify as required (not that the double asterisks mean “bold” to discord):
On Sunday 28th August 2022 at 1900 UTC, we will host a group flight exploring the Los Nevados mountains in Columbia - departing from Satiago Vila, and finishing at El Eden.
**Flight Plan**
There is no flightplan to download - just the notes below. Feel free to use navigation solutions at your disposal to make a plan, follow the notes, or follow the pack!
- SKGI Santiago Vila - departure
- SKIB Perales - touch and go
- SKGK Pajonales Airport - touch and go
- SKQU Mariquita - full stop - 5 minute break
- SKMZ La Nubia - touch and go
- SKPE Matecana - touch and go
- SKGO Santa Ana - touch and go
- SKAR El Eden - destination
Approx. 169nm
**Suggested Aircraft**
Any aircraft capable of 120 knots or more in cruise to complete the flight in a timely manner (we try to keep flights under 2 hours).
**Voice Communications**
To talk to fellow pilots during the flight, visit the VirtualFlight.Online discord server:
https://bit.ly/virtualflightonlinediscordserver
If you've never used Discord before, find out more here:
https://codex.virtualflight.online/community/discord
**Multiplayer Network**
If you want to see other aircraft within Microsoft Flight Simulator, make sure the following are configured:
1. You must have Multiplayer data switched on
2. You must select "All Players" in flight conditions
3. Choose the "SOUTH EAST ASIA" mutiplayer server
If you would like to see other aircraft within LittleNavMap while en-route, check out the Transmitter app - available for free from:
https://virtualflight.online/transmitter
**Rules / Guidelines**
- If joining the Discord server for voice communications during the flight, conversation must remain family friendly, respectful, and not stray into any subjects that might offend such as adult jokes, politics, religion, racism, or hate-speech.
- Try to stay with the group! If the group is becoming stretched, loop back and join the rear of the group.
- Try to stay online until everybody has landed at the final airfield.