The short version
Every flight starts at 10/10 and loses points for mistakes. Each category has a cap, so one bad moment never ruins a whole flight. A clean flight scoring 5 or more is accepted automatically. The ACARS only records facts; the website judges them, so these rules can improve without you updating anything.
Checks that decide on their own
Rejected (the flight does not count):
- no take-off and landing in the log;
- slew mode (free repositioning) used in flight;
- a jump in position no aircraft could fly (more than 2 nm at once);
- time acceleration for more than 60 seconds in total;
- fuel added while airborne;
- a crash reported by the simulator;
- a departure more than 5 nm from the booked airport.
Checked by staff (the report waits for a decision):
- a diversion to another airport, or a stop away from any airport;
- a different aircraft type from the one booked;
- no ACARS data for more than 10 minutes in flight;
- a landing harder than 1000 fpm;
- a block time under 60% or over 160% of the scheduled one.
For your information only: pauses (never counted in your hours) and aircraft that do not tell their ICAO type.
Points off, by category
| Category | Rule | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Landing (max −3) | Firm landing: over 400 fpm at touchdown | −1 |
| Hard landing: over 600 fpm at touchdown | −2 | |
| Very hard landing: over 800 fpm at touchdown | −3 | |
| Over 1.7 G at touchdown | −0.5 | |
| Bounce: several touchdowns within 20 seconds | −0.5 | |
| Flying (max −3) | Overspeed warning (each time) | −1 |
| Stall warning (each time) | −1 | |
| Over 250 kt below 10,000 ft for more than 20 seconds (10 kt tolerance) | −1 | |
| Bank over 35° | −0.5 | |
| Pitch over 25° nose up or 15° nose down | −0.5 | |
| Gear or flaps extended above their speed limit | −0.5 | |
| Procedures (max −2) | Landing lights off below 10,000 ft in flight for more than 60 seconds | −0.5 |
| Beacon off with engines running for more than 30 seconds | −0.5 | |
| Navigation lights off with engines running for more than 30 seconds | −0.5 | |
| Taxi over 30 kt for more than 10 seconds (take-off and landing rolls excluded) | −0.5 | |
| Fuel and planning (max −2) | No SimBrief flight plan imported into the booking (how to) | −0.5 |
| Landed with less fuel than the final reserve of your flight plan | −1 |
The decision
A rejection decides first; then anything for staff to check; otherwise the score decides: 5 or more is accepted, less is rejected. Your hours count the block time minus the time paused.
Disagree? File a claim
Within 7 days, open the report in your logbook and contest the decision or a penalty (a simulator bug, an ATC instruction, a real-world procedure…). Staff can cancel penalties: the score is then recalculated.