American Airlines Virtual

FSACARS has been released for use by AAVirtaual pilots to automatically submit FREPs and flight data. For you AAV veterans, this is similar to the AAV Online utility. FSACARS runs in the background during your flight, capturing data, and then submits your FREP to the AAV website. FSACARS also capture extensive flight statistics. Additional AAV website tools to view this data will be rolled out at a future date.

Download
1. Download FSACARS 4.0.11 and 4.0.15 from the satavirtual.org web site or from our AAV member file downloads area.
2. Download the AAVirtual FSACARS configuration files from the AAV member file downloads area aavfsacars.zip

Installation
1. Follow the instructions in the FSACARS readme file to install FSACARS 4.0.11
2. Replace the fsacars.exe and fsacars.oci version 4.0.11 files in your FSACARS program directory with the two new files in the FSACARS 4.0.15 .zip file
3. Copy the two .ini files (AAL.ini and fsacars.ini) in the aavfsacars.zip file to your FSACARS program directory, replacing the default files

Configuration
1. Edit the AAL.ini file to add your pilot number to the FIRST line that says "PilotNumber=" under the [FSacars] header, and to add your AAVirtual password to the line that says "passwd=". Do NOT use AA, AAV, or AAL in your pilot number.
Correct: PilotNumber=889
Wrong: PilotNumber=AAV889
NOTE: your password goes on the line that says "passwd=" NOT the line that says "password=".
NOTE: special characters (!@#$%^&*-+)in the password may cause an "Authentication error. Bad pilot number or password".

Do NOT modify these lines under [SendLog]:
Password=1
PilotNumber=1

Use FSACARS for your flight
1. Start Flight Simulator first and position your aircraft at the departure gate
2. You may start FSACARS anytime before or during your pre-flight, but be sure to start before pushback
3. Start FSACARS: fsacars.exe
4. The first screen is the "Choose Company" screen. AAL-American Airlines Virtual should show in the window
5. Push the "Choose Selected Company" button
6. The FSACARS "Flight Plan" window will be displayed followed a few seconds later by a pop-up window
7. When the pop-up window asks if you are at the departure airport press "Yes"
8. On the Flight Plan tab, most fields are self explanatory. For your FREP to be automatically submitted, the following fields are required:
- Departure Airport (4 letter ICAO airport code)
- Arrival Airport (4 letter ICAO airport code)
- Aircraft Type (Any text will be accepted, but if you use the 3 letter IATA code like the codes used in the timetable, the code will get translated into a verbose aircraft description in your FREP)
- Pilot Number (use only the numbers, do not use AA, AAV, or AAL)
- Callsign (Must match your FREP i.e. "AAL1234" or "CHART")
- If you are flying online, select VATSIM in the "Online" box
9. FSACARS will note the "Pushback" time when you release your parking brakes
10 FSACARS will note the "Shutdown" time when you set your parking brakes
11. When the call sign EGF is used, for on line flights, and FSACARS is used,do not use the EGF prefix as the FSACARS call sign, you must use the filed FREQ number in the call sign box

FSACARS FREP submission
1. When you are done with your flight, a pop-up box on the Flight Log tab will ask if you want to accept the flight. If you want it to be submitted to AAVirtual, click "Accept Flight".
2. Click the "Send Log" button to send in the FREP.

If you need to edit your FREP
There is a new "Edit a FREP" option in the AAVirtual.com website left side navigation bar. This tool will show you a list your FREPs that have been submitted, but have not yet been approved by your hub manager. If you click "edit" on one of your listed FREPs, it will bring up the "Submit FREP" form with all your data pre-populated. You may then edit any of the fields and submit the updated FREP.
1. FSACARS does NOT check if the flight is in your FREP. If your flight number is incorrect, you will need to edit the FREP.
2. FSACARS has no way to mark a flight as a GFI flight. If you want to check the GFI Flight box (and receive the 50% bonus hours) you will need to edit the FREP.

FSACARS problem solving
The first step is to look at this file in your FSACARS directory: sendlogreport.html
NOTE: Your FSACARS directory could be:
1. Your install directory
2. C:\Program Files (x86)\FSacars
3. C:\Users\your_user_name\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\FSacars
Check all 3.
The sendlogreport.html file will tell you what the problem is (bad username/password, too many bad logins, etc.).
If the error message doesn't get you there, let me know what it says and I'll keep helping you.

If you are experiencing "Database Corruption" or "Tampered Log" errors, go to your FSACARS directory(ies) and delete these files:
Any file with an airport code in the file name (i.e. KLAX)
fsacars.mdb
fsacarslog.*
AALxxxx.dat (where xxx is your pilot number)

[edit]added 12/28/2020
windows 10 causes FSACARS to sometimes put files in your FSACARS directory, and sometimes it puts them in this other directory:
C:\Users\your_user_name\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\FSacars
So, if your .ini file changes or corrupt file deletion attempts are not working, go look in this new directory and look for the files there.

[edit]added 8/10/09
If you are having problems
The first step is to look at this file in your FSACARS directory: sendlogreport.html
It will tell you what the problem is (bad username/password, too many bad logins, etc.).
If the error message doesn't get you there, let me know what it says and I'll keep helping you.

[edit] added 8/31/09
Clarified the Configuration section because in the aal.ini file there two password fields can be confused and there are two pilot number fields.

[edit] added 2/19/10
Noted that special characters in the password may cause an "Authentication error. Bad pilot number or password" error.

[edit] added 9/2/11
Noted that when EGF call sign is used, FSACARS call sign box must still match the pilot's FREQ, especially if the pilot used AA or AAV in the FREQ.

[edit] updated 1/30/21
FSACARS files are now available on the AAV member file download area.

Please report any bugs to Michael Blakely (me) so I can fix them. Screenshots always help me identify and fix bugs.

Is this only for FS9? I can't seem to get it to work for FSX. I start up FSX and go to my departure airport. I then start up FSACARS. It asks me if i'm at my departure airport. I click yes. Then it says " FS Crash. Would I like to resume?" I click yes, and then it cycles thru the crash text box again and again. If I click No. It then says " FSACARs will revert to send log/change options? am i missing something? It works find in FS9 for me.

Nevermind. I fixed it. Just googled FSx and FSACARs. Apparently all I had to do is update my FSCUIPC4 or greater. It now works.

Email your AAV.ini file to me, OR, cut and paste the contents of your AAV.ini file into a PM to me.

Do NOT put your AAV.ini file in this thread. It has your password and everyone could see it.

I have the data. I need a few days.

Someday for sure, it's just hard to know exactly when.

Carlos Gonzalez wrote:FSFlight Keeper

Tell me more...

I have FS Flight Keeper somewhere. It's not a bad addon to have.

FS Flight Keeper (FSFK) combines seven programs in one: A Logbook, a basic Aircraft Black Box, a Flight Weather planning tool, a Flight Information System (ACARS Device), a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS), a Cockpit Sound Environment enhancement and Air TV.

It's payware though. Not everyone would be willing to fork out $37-$43 for it. IMHO it's hard to justify the time and effort it takes to code it into the website if only a few pilots would benefit from it.

I was also looking at integrating FSPassengers. Is one more popular than the other with our pilots?

I don't think there would be more than a handful of people with FSFK. I think there are more that have FS Pax. I could be wrong though... been wrong before!

Eleuterio Sousa Ramos wrote:Hello folks
I'm having problems with fsacars, error send the log, many times, i did the instructions above, but nothing
any help»???

Eleuterio,

The first step is to look at this file in your FSACARS directory: sendlogreport.html
Let me know what it says and I'll help you.

Please also check there are no special characters in your password (!@#$%^&*_+)

the password on the fsacars ini file must match with the password to login the website???

Yes.

Daniel Zannin wrote:Hey guys, i just joined AAV.
I have to fill it manually or the program fill automatically? thankyou

Daniel, Yes you do have to do some paperwork here. Like in the real world it revolves around it. Fill in the departure, arrival, the aircraft type, the call sign is your AAV FREQ # that your flying, in the route just put in the ICAO of your departure, arrival airport. Make sure your parking brake is on, as that is what starts the FSACARS. Click on the start log and fly. When you arrive at your destination set your parking brake, and if you filled the .ini file out correctly the FSACARS will ask you if flight is correct and if it is you then go to the menu File tab and it will prompt send log. Do this only once! It will then say log sent. Make sure you save your log in the File tab in case it doesn't send correctly then you have a log of your times and such and can manually input a FREP on the web site.
Good Luck,
WLP

Hey Isaac! You just posted your password for everyone on the internet to see. I deleted your post to limit the damage. I suggest you change your password right away. Please email or PM your aav.ini file to me and I'll look at it.

Isaac,

The AAV FSACARS logs look good. I think the error you are seeing is on your local machine. The missing sendlogreport.html file also indicates this is a local machine problem. If you are on Windows 7, please run FSACARS as an admin and see if this works. If not, I suggest a re-install of FSACARS.