How vTAC Training Works
This guide walks you through the entire training process — from reading your first ground lesson to earning your certification. Follow these steps and you'll know exactly what to do at every stage.
The Training Process at a Glance
Ground Lessons
VATSIM
Flight
Your Flight
Certification
VATSIM Required for All Flight Training
Every training flight must be conducted live on the VATSIM network — offline flights do not count. This applies to both solo flights and instructor-led flights. VATSIM provides the ATC environment and generates the flight record used to verify your sortie.
New to VATSIM? Read the VATSIM Beginner Guide →
Aircraft & Unit Requirements
Standard Aircraft
T-38C Talon
All vAETC UPT training sorties are flown in the T-38C. Use a T-38C add-on or equivalent jet trainer in MSFS.
Standard Unit
80th FTW
Sheppard AFB (KSPS). All vAETC training sorties are flown under the 80th Flying Training Wing callsign and operating area.
Requesting Alternate Accommodations
If you need to fly a different aircraft or from a different base (e.g., a MAJCOM-specific aircraft or airfield), you must submit a request to vAETC before the flight. Unapproved deviations from the T-38C / 80th FTW standard cannot be credited for training purposes.
Filing Your Flight Plan on VATSIM
Before every training flight you must file a VATSIM flight plan. There are two ways to do this:
Option 1 — Pre-File via Pre-Mission (Recommended)
The easiest and most accurate method. The Pre-Mission section generates a complete VATSIM flight plan for you, pre-filled with your unit, aircraft type, and route — including the required vTAC remarks.
- Go to Pre-Mission → File
- Select your unit and planned route
- Click Pre-File to VATSIM — the system submits your flight plan automatically
- Connect to VATSIM as normal — your plan will already be on file
Option 2 — Manual Flight Plan (via Pilot Client)
If you file your flight plan directly in your VATSIM pilot client (vPilot, xPilot, etc.), you must manually add the following text to the Remarks field of your flight plan:
This identifies your flight as a vTAC training sortie on the VATSIM network. Without it, ATC and records systems may not associate your flight with vTAC operations. Place it anywhere in the remarks — it does not have to be at the start.
Study the Ground Lessons
Recommended — do this before your first flight
Each training module has a set of ground lessons — written study materials covering the theory, regulations, and procedures you'll need in the air. These are self-study: read at your own pace, whenever you want.
Ground lessons are recommended but not mandatory. You can go straight to flying, but pilots who study first consistently perform better and need fewer re-flights.
Where to find ground lessons
Open any module page (e.g. UPT Block 1 → VFR Foundations) and click the lessons listed under GROUND. Each lesson page has the reading material and a summary of what you should know before flying.
Fly Your Lessons on VATSIM
Mandatory — all flight training must be live on VATSIM
Once you've studied the material, it's time to fly. Connect to VATSIM, load up your aircraft, and fly the lesson scenario as described on the lesson page.
VATSIM Connection is Mandatory
You must be connected to the VATSIM network for the entire flight. Flights flown offline cannot be logged for training credit. Make sure your VATSIM connection is active before you push back.
Stacking Lessons
You don't need a separate flight for every lesson. Lessons can be stacked — fly multiple lessons in a single sortie and log them all at once.
Example: Stacking B1101 + B1102 + B1103 in one flight
- Take off from KSPS and practice basic aircraft control (B1101)
- Navigate directly to a waypoint via GPS (B1102)
- Enter the pattern at a civilian airfield and make radio calls (B1103)
- Land — one flight, three lessons completed
When logging, select all three lessons in the form. You'll get credit for all of them from a single submission.
Solo vs. Instructor-Led Flights
Some lessons can be flown solo — just you on VATSIM, no instructor needed. Others require an Instructor Pilot (IP) in a second aircraft observing and guiding you.
Solo-Eligible Lessons
- • UPT Block 1 — all VFR flights (B1xxx)
- • UPT Block 2 — all IFR flights (B2xxx)
- • MQT cross-country (M1101)
- • MQT airdrop (M1102)
- • MQT proficiency review (M1500)
IP Required
- • UPT Block 3 — all formation sorties
- • MQT air refueling (M1103)
- • IFF — all fighter sorties
- • IP Course — all evaluation sorties
- • Commander's Course
Check the module page for each lesson — it will clearly show a SOLO OK or IP REQUIRED badge.
Log Your Flight
Do this after every training flight — required for gradesheet credit
After landing, head to the Post-Mission form and submit a flight log. This is what tells the system (and your IP) that you flew a lesson. Without a log, the flight doesn't exist for training purposes.
Open Post-Mission Form →How to Fill Out the Form
I Flight Identification
- Callsign: Your vTAC callsign (e.g. EAGLE)
- Aircraft: The aircraft you flew in the sim (T38C, C-17, etc.)
- Mission Type: Select TNG for training flights
- Date / Unit: The UTC date of the flight and your assigned unit
II Flight Times
- Departure / Arrival ICAO: The airport codes you flew from and to (e.g. KSPS)
- Takeoff / Landing Time: Enter in Zulu (UTC) or switch to Local using the toggle
- Total flight time calculates automatically
III Flight Type — select "As Student"
For training flights, select As Student. This reveals the training details section below.
IV Training Details — most important section
-
Instructor Pilot:
- • If you flew with an IP, select their callsign from the dropdown
- • If you flew solo, select SOLO (Self-Directed)
- Lessons Completed: Select every lesson you flew on this sortie. Hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) to select multiple lessons at once.
Solo Flights: StatSim Link Required
When you select SOLO as your instructor, a new field appears in the Remarks section (Block 15a) asking for a StatSim or VATSIM Stats flight link. This is required — it verifies your flight actually happened on VATSIM.
To find your link: go to StatSim.net, search for your VATSIM CID, find the flight, and copy the URL from your browser. Paste it into Block 15a.
Remaining Sections
- Route (Block 14): Enter your departure, waypoints, and arrival (e.g. KSPS DREEM4 KACT)
- Remarks (Block 15): Optional — add any notes about the flight, what went well, what to work on
- Pilot Email (Block 16): Auto-filled from your login
- VATSIM CID (Block 17): Optional but recommended — links your log to your VATSIM record
- Certification checkbox: Check this to confirm your information is accurate, then hit Submit Report
What happens after you submit
For solo flights, the lessons you selected are automatically marked as completed (ungraded) on your gradesheet. Your IP will see a notification and can then review your StatSim link and assign a grade. For IP-led flights, your instructor logs their own form which marks your gradesheet.
Your IP Reviews the Flight
Required before any certification is awarded
After you submit your flight log, your Instructor Pilot (IP) will receive a notification on the Training Gradesheet page. They'll review your flight — for solo sorties, this means checking your StatSim link to verify the flight, your route, timing, and whether objectives were met.
Certs Require IP Sign-Off
Even for solo-eligible lessons, an instructor must review and grade your submission before it counts toward a certification. The gradesheet tracks each lesson individually — once all lessons in a block are graded as satisfactory, your IP will recommend you for the certification badge.
Your IP may:
- ✓ Grade it satisfactory — lesson complete, moves you toward the cert
- ⚠ Add notes — feedback on what to work on, no re-fly required
- ✗ Request a re-fly — if objectives weren't met, you'll fly it again and re-submit
You can check the status of your lessons anytime on the Training Gradesheet page. Cells with a hollow square (□) are submitted but awaiting a grade; cells with a letter (E/G/F/U) have been graded.
Earn Your Certification
Awarded once all lessons are complete and graded
Once every lesson in a block is graded satisfactory by your IP, you've completed the block. Your instructor will update your member record with the appropriate certification badge (V, I, FORM, DROP, AR, etc.), which then appears on the roster.
Certifications are prerequisites
Some blocks are prerequisites for others — you must complete Block 1 before Block 2, Block 2 before Block 3, and Blocks 1–3 before MQT or IFF. Your cert badges are what prove you've met those prerequisites.
Common Questions
Can I fly lessons in any order within a block?
Generally yes — lessons within a block are designed to build on each other, but you're not locked out of a lesson because a previous one isn't graded yet. Your IP may advise a specific order based on your progress.
What if I forget to log a flight right away?
Log it as soon as you can. You can enter the correct date and times from the flight, so a delay in submitting is fine. Your StatSim link will still show the flight history regardless of when you submit the form.
How many lessons can I stack in one flight?
There's no hard limit, but be realistic — each lesson has objectives that take time to accomplish properly. Three to four lessons per sortie is a reasonable maximum for most blocks. For longer cross-country missions (MQT), you may only fly one or two lessons per flight.
What if I don't have a VATSIM CID yet?
You need a VATSIM account to fly training flights. Register for free at vatsim.net. Once registered, you'll get a CID number — enter it in Block 17 of the post-mission form for the best tracking.
How do I find a StatSim link for my flight?
After your flight ends and you disconnect from VATSIM, go to StatSim.net/flights, search your VATSIM CID or callsign, find the recent flight, and copy the full URL from your browser. It usually looks like StatSim.net/flights/vatsim/...
How do I check my gradesheet?
Go to the Training page. You'll see a gradesheet table with every lesson as a column. Your submitted lessons show a □ (pending grade), and graded ones show a letter. If you have questions about a grade, click the cell to see your IP's notes.
Ready to get started?