SIM Air Force: How To Correctly File a PIREP
In order for your flights, whether off line or on line, to be valid and accounted for all the information on the PIREP has to be filled out accurately. Please follow the guidelines below:
1)Date: The date MUST be filled out for every PIREP. Be sure to use the icon next to the date field if you are unsure of the correct date format. Be sure to file your PIREP keeping ZULU time in mind. The current date and time is always available above the links menu. If your flight is flown between two dates, use the date that the flight started. For example, if you start a flight at 2300Z on Jan 15th and end the flight on 0200Z on Jan 16th, the date for your PIREP will be stated as Jan 15th.
2)Type of Mission: Choose the description that best fits the reason for your flight. Unfortunately, every possible reason is not listed (because that would be a long list) but use your best judgment as to what is a best fit. Academy pilots should only select “ACADEMY” until they have moved onto their first Contact Flight which would then fall under the category “SUPT”. Each phase of training has it's own category such as BAQ and MQT. Use the appropriate category for each PIREP or otherwise it will be rejected!
3)Departure & Arrival: Both fields are required for each PIREP. If your flight is, for example, a local VFR pattern at Vance AFB you would enter “KEND” into the departure and “KEND” into the arrival fields. Do not leave either field blank.
4)Fuel on startup & shutdown: Both fields are required for each PIREP. This number is always measured in pounds using only numbers (no commas or decimals). Please note that the amount request is in pounds, not gallons. Be sure to calculate the amount of fuel usage for each required item correctly. This can usually easily be found by selecting the “FUEL & PAYLOAD” option in FS. If you started with 100% fuel from the beginning, your “MAX GROSS ALLOWABLE FUEL” would be your startup amount and “FUEL” would be the current amount you have. Be sure to have “Display fuel quantity as weight” selected. At the end of each amount should read the word “Pounds”.
5)Wheels Up & Down Time: Both items are required in UTC format (4 digit Zulu time). If needed, use the website clock as a reference when calculating your time. Wheels up time is defined as the time when you leave the runway. If you are using FSINN and filed a flight plan, it will automatically calculate it for you. After your flight, just reopen the flight plan tab in FSINN and “Departure time actual” will display your wheels up time. Wheels down time is defined as the time in which your wheels landed on the runway for a full stop. NOTE: The only exception would be if you were with an instructor at the time, in which you can count the time you and your instructor started your lesson as your “Wheels Up” time and the time you ended the lesson as your “Wheels Down” time. Otherwise, time spent calculating flight plans or other miscellaneous activities does not count towards your flight time.
6)Total Flight Time: Always required. You may use up to two decimal places for the fraction of each hour your selected. Always round up to the nearest fraction when possible. For example, if you have flown 2 hours and 30 minutes your total flight time is 2.5 hours. If you've flown 0 hours and 37 minutes, (37/60) you would have flown .62 hours.
7)PAX: This is the amount of passengers on-board your aircraft EXCLUDING your flight crew (pilot, co-pilot, engineer, etc). Typically, this number will be “0” unless carrying passengers.
8)Cargo Load: This will never apply to fighter aircraft. If flying a fighter, always input “0” into this field. This amount is always measured in pounds using only numbers (no commas or decimals). If this is single flight, add your cargo. If this is a multiple leg flight, only add the cargo on your final flight.
9)Fuel Transfer: This will only apply if you received or delivered fuel for an in-flight refueling. This number is always measured in pounds using only numbers (no commas or decimals). If not applicable, always input “0” into both fields. Only pilots flying air refueling aircraft will ever input anything into the delivery field.
10)Flight Plan: Always required. The best way to input your flight plan is using the same information you used to file your flight plan including any changes you may have had in flight. Be sure to include any MOA areas you encountered. If your flight was a VFR flight, be sure to include brief information regarding the purpose of flight such as “LOCAL TOUCH & GO RIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN”. If you have filed and IFR flight, inputting “KEND-KEND” is not acceptable and will be rejected.
11)Airframe Used: Be sure to ALWAYS select the appropriate airframe you used during your flight. Each aircraft that we fly in our organization is listed so there should be no reason to incorrectly mark this item. NOTE: F-15 pilots be sure to signify if your using the F-15E Strike Eagle by selecting it in the list. Do not use the standard F-15 list item. Pilots track to use the CV-22 or HH-60 need to input “HH-60” into their PIREP while filing for SUPT training using the UH-1.
12)Comments: Please indicate Callsign used along with your assigned wing and assigned squadron. This will help out when you change aircraft, fly multiple aircraft, or have changed assignments. NOTE: Training pilots must ALWAYS input which flight(s) that their PIREP covers in their training.
EX: KLAN51/F15C/199FS/154WG/Contact Flight 1 of 2
Acceptable remarks: 1. Name of operation and exercise you are flying in or type of flying.
2. Load out or cargo that you are carrying.
3. Discrepancies or any problems encountered during all phases of flight.
4. Area of operation (ex. W-156 or Dare County Bomb Range) that you are flying in as well as associated unit you are flying with or against.
5. Flight(s) of training that the PIREP will cover in reference to the pilot's curriculm.
Unacceptable remarks:1. Intelligence Reports or any correspondence from MAJCOM or AIR STAFF.
Other unnecessary remarks that are more appropriate to put in a FORUM after action report.
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