Getting started

Getting started is the path for a new pilot: from creating an account to landing the first paid flight. Follow the steps in order; each one links to the page with the details.

New to the whole idea? Read What is Pilops first. It explains the game in five minutes.

Your first hour

1. Create your account at pilops.com. You need an e-mail, a nickname and your country. No credit card. → Creating your account
2. Pick your base airport. The onboarding gives you a free Cessna 172 Skyhawk and a free hangar at the airport you choose. The choice is permanent, so pick an airport you want to fly from, ideally one with a few jobs around it. → Onboarding
3. Install the Pilops Client on the Windows PC that runs Microsoft Flight Simulator. It is the small app that tracks your flights. → Installing the Pilops Client
4. Fly your first flight. Plan it on the website, fly it in the simulator with the client open, park and get paid. → Your first flight

That is enough to be a Pilops pilot. Everything else is about growing.

What to do next

Once the first flight is in your Flight history, the usual next steps are:

• Fly a few more jobs from your base to build up Pilops Coins and XP. Coins pay for bigger aircraft; XP raises your level and rank. → Levels and XP
• Fly every day if you can. Consecutive days build a Flight streak that adds a bonus to your deliveries.
• Get a second aircraft when the Cessna starts to feel small. You can buy with Coins or rent for 30 days. → Buying an aircraft, Renting an aircraft
• Look at other airports. Bigger airports have more and larger jobs. A hangar there lets you base an aircraft at it. → Airport size and demand, Hangars
• Join a company to fly for someone else's airline, share its fleet and earn a commission. Or found your own. → Companies

Things new pilots wish they knew

• The base airport cannot be changed. Hangars elsewhere can be bought later, but the first one stays where it is.
• Jobs are shared with every other pilot. If a job disappears from your plan, someone else booked it first.
• The flight starts in the client, not on the website. The Confirm step has no start button on purpose.
• Never use the MSFS replay, slew or teleport while a flight is being tracked. The client cancels the flight and nothing is paid.
• Fuel, cargo and passengers share the same weight budget. More cargo means less fuel.
• Landings are scored. A hard landing does not cancel the flight, but it costs you.

Help

• FAQ for the questions other pilots ask most.
• Glossary for the terms: P$, Pp$, stand, hub, AOG, ICAO.
• Discord to ask the community. Support to open a ticket with the team.

Pages in this section

• What is Pilops — the game in five minutes
• Creating your account — sign-up, nickname and e-mail verification
• Onboarding — the free aircraft, the free hangar and the base airport choice
• Installing the Pilops Client — the desktop app that tracks your flights
• Your first flight — the whole loop, step by step
• FAQ — frequent questions
• Glossary — terms used across Pilops