Rules

ENGLISH (last update: 7.02.2024)

1.       Registration in the newsky system

1.1.     Registration on newsky is free and takes place on the following website: https://newsky.app

2.       Registration in PAFFSair Virtual Airlines

2.1.     PAFFSair Flight Academy (PFL) – here you will obtain the PAFFSair pilot license.

2.1.1.    To enroll in PAFFSair Flight Academy, you must have a general rating on your newsky profile not lower than 5.00 (this is the base rating for newly registered newsky users). Join the Academy and wait for the application to be accepted – usually within 24 hours.

2.1.2.    To join the main PAFFSair line, you must first obtain the PAFFSair pilot license in our PAFFSair Flight Academy under the “Awards” tab.

2.1.3.    The choice of license for a particular type of aircraft is up to the pilot.

2.1.4.    The license must be started within 14 days and completed within 60 days from the date of joining the Academy – otherwise, the pilot will be removed from the Academy.

2.1.5.    Each license stage must be completed with a rating not lower than 9.00.

2.1.6.    The license obtained for a specific type of aircraft entitles you to fly in the main line only and exclusively with that type of aircraft.

2.1.7.    After successfully completing the PAFFSair license and having a general rating on your newsky profile not lower than 9.00, you should apply to the main PAFFSair line.

2.1.8.    The airline’s management decides on the successful completion of the license.

2.1.9.    In case of incorrectly performed actions (e.g., an approach performed contrary to procedures) during one of the license stages, the airline’s management may request a repeat of the stage, even if the newsky assessment indicates that the flight was completed correctly.

2.1.10. The general rating on your newsky profile can be improved (e.g., after completing a license) by performing any flights in the PAFFSair Academy. More about PAFFSair Academy in point 11. of this regulation.

2.2.     Main PAFFSair line

2.2.1.    After meeting the conditions described in point 2.1.7., you should apply to the main PAFFSair line in newsky – acceptance usually occurs within 24 hours.

2.2.2.    A PAFFSair pilot should have a Discord account (the account is free) and join the server, used for communication between pilots and the airline management – you can join by clicking on (or copying to the web browser) the following link: https://discord.com/invite/aBGfRuqd73

3.       Scheduled flights in the main PAFFSair line

3.1.     PAFFSair operates mostly on scheduled routes (Schedule Flights).

3.2.     Each newly hired pilot has 14 days to complete the first scheduled flight. Otherwise, they will be suspended from the main PAFFSair line along with the withdrawal of the PAFFSair pilot license.

3.3.     A PAFFSair pilot should complete 4 scheduled flights in a full calendar month to maintain their vacation pool.

3.3.1.    The vacation pool is expressed in the number of flights and is granted to each pilot at 12 flights per full calendar year. Depending on the month of joining, it will be proportionally calculated. The vacation pool applies from the first full month after joining the main airline.

3.3.2.    The pilot will have the missing number of flights deducted from the vacation pool to achieve the necessary monthly vacation minimum specified in point 3.3. (Example: a pilot completed only one scheduled flight in a calendar month. Three flights will be deducted from their vacation pool.)

3.3.3.    The remaining flights in the vacation pool for a given calendar year do not carry over to the next year.

3.3.4.    A one-time vacation cannot exceed 3 flights. In other words, in order to maintain the status of a PAFFSair pilot, at least 1 scheduled flight must be completed in a calendar month.

3.3.5.    There is no obligation to report vacations – the PAFFSair system will calculate them automatically.

3.3.6.    A pilot who exceeds the allowed vacation pool described in point 3.3.1. will be suspended from the main line with the loss of all PAFFSair licenses.

3.4.     In case of not performing the required number of scheduled flights (1 scheduled flight) in one calendar month as specified in point 3.3.4., the pilot will be suspended from the main PAFFSair line with the withdrawal of all PAFFSair pilot licenses.

3.5.     The inability to perform one scheduled flight in a calendar month should be reported by the pilot to the airline management. The airline management will decide whether to consider such a request.

4.       Aircraft in the main PAFFSair line

4.1.     The list of PAFFSair aircrafts along with their operation type can be checked on the “Fleet” tab in newsky.

4.2.     Each aircraft in the “Name” field before the registration number has information about its operation type.

4.2.1.    Operation types for a given aircraft are expressed by the corresponding entry in parentheses before the registration number and are as follows:

4.2.1.1.   ICAO airport – Example: (EPWA) SP-FNX

4.2.1.2.   CARGO – Example: (CARGO) SP-MDQ

4.2.1.3.   FREE – Example: (FREE) SP-MDN

4.2.2.    Aircraft marked with ICAO airport codes (HUBs)

4.2.2.1.   An aircraft with the ICAO airport code (HUB) assigned in the “Name” field is only assigned to scheduled flights to and from the designated HUB. However, there is an exception to this rule, described below in the next subparagraph.

4.2.2.2.   The only permissible form of Free Flight for an aircraft assigned to a particular HUB is the so-called Reposition Flight.

4.2.2.2.1. Reposition Flight is a flight from one airport to another in Free Flight mode (outside the schedule) but to the airport from which the given HUB operates.

4.2.2.3.   After completing a Reposition Flight, the pilot is obligated to return from that airport to the base within three days, and such a flight can also be performed by another pilot assigned to the base (communication between pilots can take place, for example, on the Discord server Cpt. Paffs / PAFFSair, on channels dedicated to this purpose – the link to the Discord server is in point 2.2.2.).

4.2.2.4.   If the aircraft does not return to the base within the specified period, the pilot performing the Reposition Flight will receive penalty points for that flight in the internal PAFFSair ranking.

4.2.3.    Aircraft marked as CARGO

4.2.3.1.   The same rules apply as described above for ICAO aircraft.

4.2.3.2.   The exception is the number of HUBs, as a pilot assigned to CARGO operations operates from two bases dedicated to scheduled Cargo flights.

4.2.4.    Aircraft marked as FREE

4.2.4.1.   These aircraft are used for Free Flight operations.

4.2.4.1.1. Free Flight is a flight to any airport outside the PAFFSair scheduled network.

4.2.4.1.2. The Free Flight departure starts from an airport where any aircraft with the FREE designation is located.

4.2.4.2.   Aircraft marked as FREE can also perform scheduled flights (but aircraft with ICAO airport assignments cannot perform Free Flight operations except as described in point 4.2.2.2.).

4.2.4.3.   The number of Free Flight operations is limited and depends on the pilot’s activity according to the following rule (the percentage of free flights is calculated from the number of scheduled flights):

4.2.4.3.1. 1st place in the PAFFSair ranking: max. 80% Free Flight operations in the next calendar month

4.2.4.3.2. Places 2-5 in the PAFFSair ranking: max. 50% Free Flight operations in the next calendar month

4.2.4.3.3. Last 3 places in the PAFFSair ranking (excluding suspended individuals): 0% Free Flight operations in the next calendar month

4.2.4.3.4. Other places in the PAFFSair ranking: max. 20% Free Flight operations in the next calendar month

4.2.4.3.5. In the case of a smaller number of pilots and the impossibility of dividing the ranking as described above (e.g., only 5 pilots in the airline), the arrangement more favorable to the pilot is treated as the final result (Example: there are only 5 pilots in the airline; the pilot in the fifth place is not treated as the last but as a pilot in places 2-5, and they will be assigned max. 50% Free Flight operations in the next calendar month).

4.2.4.4.   Unused free flights do not carry over to the next month.

4.2.4.5.   Exceeding the allowable number of free flights will result in penalty points being charged in the internal PAFFSair ranking.

4.3.     All types of flights should be performed by an aircraft for which a PAFFSair license has been granted, in accordance with point 2.1.6. of this regulation.

4.4.     Using an incorrect aircraft or operating without the appropriate license will result in penalty points being charged in the internal PAFFSair ranking.

5.       HUBs (base airports) in PAFFSair Airlines

5.1.     HUBs are otherwise the bases of PAFFSair, i.e., airports where PAFFSair has technical support for aircraft and lower costs for connection maintenance.

5.2.     All scheduled flights (Schedule Flights) take place to and from the bases.

5.3.     The list of HUBs is available on the PAFFSair Discord server and on the website: https://www.paffsair.pl/en/operations/hubs

5.4.     In PAFFSair, there is a schedule for assigning pilots to a specific base.

5.4.1.    Bases are assigned to each pilot by the airline management.

5.4.2.    The schedule is flexible; the minimum period of assignment to a specific base is 1 full calendar week, and the maximum is full 4 calendar weeks unless the pilot reports otherwise (e.g., wants to stay in a given base for a period longer than 4 weeks; in that case, such a request will also be considered).

5.4.3.    The pilot has the option to request a change of their assigned base – requests are made on the airline’s Discord server or via a message on newsky.

5.4.4.    The pilot performs a connection to and from their assigned base according to the rules of performing scheduled flights described in point 3. of this regulation.

5.4.5.    The pilot is not required to start or end their duty at a hub airport. For example: a duty may end after a scheduled flight from the base to the destination airport; similarly, it may begin with a scheduled flight to their new base. A duty may also begin or end with a free flight (while considering the limitations on free flights described in section 4.2.4.3.) or begin or end with a flight in CHARTER mode.

5.4.6.    Duties are assigned on calendar weeks (i.e., from Monday to Sunday), with the start of the calendar week transitioning from Sunday to Monday at 00:00 ZULU time (it should be noted that the start of the flight is the time of pushback or start taxiing).

5.5.     Penalty points will be charged in PAFFSair’s internal ranking for a scheduled flight that is performed contrary to the schedule.

6.       CHARTER Flights on newsky

6.1.     Charter flights are available on newsky during flight booking.

6.2.     Charter flights on newsky are not considered scheduled flights as defined in point 3. of this regulation. Additionally, they are not counted as free flights as defined in point 4.2.4.1.1. and do not reduce the allowable number of free flights described in point 4.2.4.3.

7.       Category C Airports

7.1.     Category C airports are those with an elevated risk due to the difficulty of approach and landing, surrounding terrain, atmospheric conditions, or other factors recognized as posing a risk of landing or takeoff failure.

7.2.     The list of Category C airports (Cat. C airports) is available on the PAFFSair Discord server.

7.3.     At Cat. C airports, only pilots with a Type Rating (TR) in newsky on their profile are permitted to land and/or take off or perform other aviation operations. Operations at Cat. C airports can only be performed on the specific type of aircraft for which the TR is active on the newsky profile. The definition of Type Rating is available on the pilot’s profile in newsky or on PAFFSair’s Discord server.

7.4.     The principle of conducting flights to Cat. C airports applies to all types of flights (Scheduled, Free, and Charter).

7.5.     Failure to comply with point 7.3. will result in penalty points being charged in PAFFSair’s internal ranking.

7.6.     A pilot who loses their TR after completing a connection to a Cat. C airport will NOT have penalty points charged.

7.7.     A pilot who lands at a Cat. C airport without a current TR or loses their TR after that flight should depart from that airport on their next flight – in this situation, penalty points will not be charged for taking off from the Cat. C airport.

8.       PAFFSair ranking

8.1.     The ranking is created based on the PAFFSair Indicator – an internal, proprietary method of comprehensive flight assessment. It takes into account indicators such as: number of flights, flight rating in the newsky system, and income calculated depending on the aircraft used and the duration of the flight. It should be noted that scheduled flights are the most profitable.

8.2.     The PAFFSair Indicator is calculated separately for each connection, and the result presented in the ranking is the sum for individual flights.

8.3.     The ranking is regularly presented on the PAFFSair Discord server and is only accessible to pilots of the main PAFFSair line.

8.4.     A pilot who ends the calendar month with a negative PAFFSair Indicator must achieve a positive result in the next calendar month, with a value at least opposite to the achieved result from the previous month. (Example: in one calendar month, a PAFFSair Indicator of -8.35 is achieved; then, in the next month, a result of at least +8.35 must be achieved).

8.4.1.    If the condition described in point 8.4. is not met, the pilot will be suspended from PAFFSair’s line along with the loss of all acquired licenses.

9.       Suspension in PAFFSair and penalty points

9.1.     Any type of non-compliance with this regulation is subject to suspension from PAFFSair’s line and loss of the PAFFSair licenses held. The final decision regarding the suspension of a pilot rests with the airline’s management.

9.2.     Suspension from PAFFSair’s main line results in the loss of all pilot licenses held.

9.3.     The following individual offenses will result in penalty points being charged in PAFFSair’s internal ranking:

9.3.1.    Failure to return to base within 3 days after completing a Reposition Flight: -3 points

9.3.2.    Exceeding the allowable number of Free Flight flights: -5 points for each exceeded free flight

9.3.3.    Conducting a connection with an aircraft incorrectly assigned to the flight operation:   -3 points

9.3.4.    Conducting a connection with an aircraft without the required PAFFSair license:            -10 points

9.3.5.    Performing a scheduled flight contrary to the pilots schedule: -5 points

9.3.6.    Flight operations at Cat. C airports without a Type Rating: -3 points

9.3.7.    A flight that, according to the airline management (e.g., for total damage amounting to -1 million virtual dollars in penalty), needs to be manually removed, will be penalized with a deduction of -10 points from the PAFFSair ranking.

9.4.     A pilot whose average newsky rating according to the PAFFSair ranking falls below 7.0 after a full calendar month will be removed from the line along with the loss of all licenses. An average rating below 8.5 for two consecutive months or 3 times within a calendar year will also result in removal from the line along with the loss of all licenses.

10.   Return to the main PAFFSair line

10.1. Returning to the main line is possible under the same conditions as for new pilots, in accordance with point 2. of the regulations.

10.2. A pilot seeking a return to the main PAFFSair line must re-pass the license for the selected aircraft type, i.e., complete all licensing flights in the PAFFSair Academy, even if they already have a specific PAFFSair license on their newsky profile.

11.   Callsign and aircraft liveries

11.1. PAFFSair has the following callsigns:

11.1.1. Passenger flights – ICAO code: PFF (Callsign: PAFFSair) / IATA code: P7

11.1.2. Cargo flights – ICAO code: PFG (Callsign: PAFFSair Cargo) / IATA code: P7

11.2. All types of PAFFSair flights on the Vatsim network should be made using one of the callsigns described in point 11.1. and with a PAFFSair livery.

11.3. During Vatsim flights, the Remarks field must contain the following annotation: C/S PAFFSair / paffsair.pl (or C/S PAFFSair Cargo / paffsair.pl).

11.4. Scheduled flights, performed outside the Vatsim network, must be conducted in a PAFFSair livery.

11.5. Non-scheduled flights (e.g., free flight, charter) outside the Vatsim network may be operated with any livery.

11.6. PAFFSair liveries are available on a shared drive. The link is accessible on the website: https://www.paffsair.pl/en/operations/fleet

12.   Flights in the PAFFSair Academy

12.1. PAFFSair Academy (PAFFSair Flight Academy) is also an auxiliary line for main PAFFSair pilots.

12.2. The academy is used to improve piloting skills, such as with new aircraft types.

12.3. In the PAFFSair Academy, a pilot from the main PAFFSair line can start a license for another aircraft type.

12.4. In the academy, pilots can perform any connections with any aircraft, with the exception of license flights, which have strictly defined routes.

12.5. When flying in the Academy on the Vatsim network, you should use the callsigns described in section 11.1. and use a PAFFSair livery.

12.6. When flying in the Academy outside the Vatsim network, you can use any livery. However, it is recommended to use PAFFSair liveries whenever possible.