U P S V I R T U A L A I R L I N E S

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

This handbook states the rules and operations of UPS Virtual. Please read this

handbook in its entirety to make sure you understand all of our operational policies.

Produced by

UPS Virtual Administration

Official Rules, Regulations & Operating Procedures

PILOT HANDBOOK

UPDATED: JUNE 2025

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

I n t r o d u c t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C E O W e l c o m e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

S t a f f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

P i l o t C o n d u c t . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

O u r O p e r a t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

O u r H u b s . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

O u r A i r c r a f t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

O u r R a n k s . . . . . . . .

N e w P i l o t I n s t r u c t i o n s . . . . . . . .

C a l l s i g n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A c t i v i t y & T i m e O u t P e r i o d s . . . .

W a y s T o F l y & M o r e . . . . . . . . . .

G A F X U P S V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C a r e e r M o d e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I F A T C G u i d e l i n e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Y o u r A T L A S P i l o t P o r t a l . . . . . . . . . . .

F i l i n g A P I R E P . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

P i l o t A w a r d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C o r p o r a t e F l i g h t P r o g r a m . . . . . . . . .

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 - 1 0

1 1

1 2

1 3

1 4 - 1 5

1 6 - 2 1

2 2

2 3

2 4 - 2 5

2 6 - 2 7

2 8

2 9 - 3 3

3 4 - 3 6

WELCOME

TO THE FAMILY

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

UPS Virtual is dedicated to providing an unmatchable level of realism

within normal Infinite Flight Live proceedings, as well as offering a fun,

competitive environment for the users of Infinite Flight to communicate,

learn, and grow in every aspect of the community.

ABOUT UPS VIRTUAL

UPS Virtual is an IFVARB approved virtual airline that prides

itself on realism, professionalism and a family feel within our

organization. Founded in 2018, we offer a unique way of flying

in where we let our pilots choose their adventure. With our

mainline and codeshare routes, pilots have well over 2,500+

available flights to choose from.

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Disclaimer: UPS Virtual is a virtual airline exclusively for the mobile flight simulator Infinite Flight.

We have no connection or affiliation with UPS Airlines. All UPS Airlines logos and icons referenced

or displayed throughout the use of our VA remain the property of UPS Airlines.

3

HEY THERE!

Congratulations on your acceptance into UPS

Virtual! We're a close knit group of pilots that

enjoy flying cargo around the globe and pride

ourselves on being the long haul virtual airline

for Infinite Flight. Our hope is that you find a

permanent home with us here and that you

come to see us as one big family. Thanks for

joining our prestigious VA!

Stay Brown!

- Karl [President & CEO]

A WORD FROM

OUR CEO

4

While UPS Virtual relies on each member of our staff to run efficiently and smoothly,

the VA is managed by our Senior Leadership Team. Our Senior Leadership Team is

responsible for making the decisions in the best interest of the VA and for

maintaining our strict standards and VA family feel, while also carrying out

important daily, weekly and monthly duties.

Our wonderful and carefully selected Manager Team compliments our VA and also

assists the Leadership Team. Many of our most important duties are carried out by

the members of our Manager Team.

For an up to date roster of current Leadership and Staff members, please

head to the #callsign-request in our Discord server.

UPS VIRTUAL STAFF

5

PILOT CONDUCT

Professionalism

It is expected that all participants in the UPS Virtual Airline conduct themselves in a professional manner

at all times within the Infinite Flight Community and Infinite Flight Live. During flights, pilots must follow

all practical guidelines written in the United States Federal Aviation Regulations, and must conduct their

flights safely no matter what situation may arise. By being accepted into the Virtual Airline, pilots are

trusted with preserving the sharp image of our airline’s high standards, extreme quality, and

professionalism.

Pilot Suspension and Ethical Behavior

Pilots who present false information regarding flight experience or other important statistics may face

suspension or termination from the Virtual Airline. Pilots who disobey important rules established in the

Handbook may face similar consequences. Those who face temporary suspension will retain their ability to

communicate among other UPS Virtual Airline pilots on Discord, but will not receive credit for flights

within a set time period, and may face other consequences. Pilots who are terminated from the Virtual

Airline may be allowed to reapply at a later date with predetermined guidelines, however, reacceptance is

never guaranteed.

6

OUR OPERATIONS

UPS Virtual was first launched on February 8th, 2018 and continues to consistently be one of the more active and fun to

fly for virtual airlines’ in the infinite sky’s. Today we feature UPS Airlines' real world route system, a custom and easy to use

crew center that continues to get updated with new features, a vast amount of codeshares and mainline routes, and a

well organized communication hub for pilots. Since we first launched, we have become one of the most respected and

prestigious virtual airlines available on the Infinite Flight Community.

At UPS Virtual we put the quality of our members’ experience first and offer a professional environment in which pilots

can learn, improve on, and master their flying skills. We emphasize great comradery between our professional and

experienced pilots and aim for everyone that joins our virtual airline to feel as they are part of our special family. We pride

ourselves on our high levels of realism, professionalism, and our overall reputation. At UPS Virtual we understand the

importance of making flying fun, easy, and rewarding for our pilots. From the onset, all UPS aircraft and routes are

available to you as soon as you join our VA. You choose your own adventure and journey with absolute freedom within

our simple operating procedures. Our goal is to motivate you to fly while becoming a part of our UPS Virtual family. As

you have seen since March 2020, cargo runs the world and who says we can’t have fun moving it?

Many of our pilots have established careers in the real-world field of aviation, and staff members and pilots alike are

continually active on the Infinite Flight Live servers, our Discord server, and are always willing to help their fellow pilots

and community members. From playful chit chat in our off topic channel to asking for help in our dedicated support

channel, once you join, you will quickly realize we’re all members of a great big UPS family.

7

OUR OPERATING HUBS

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Kentucky, USA (KSDF)

Miami International Airport, Florida, USA (KMIA)

Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport, Texas, USA (KDFW)

Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania, USA (KPHL)

Chicago Rockford International Airport, Illinois, USA (KRFD)

Ontario International Airport, California, USA (KONT)

Columbia Metropolitan Airport, South Carolina, USA (KCAE)

Anchorage International Airport, Alaska, USA (PANC)

Boeing Field, Seattle, USA (KBFI)

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, Canada (CYHM)

Sydney Airport, Australia (YSSY)

Cologne Bonn Airport, Germany (EDDK)

East Midlands Airport, England (EGNX)

Hong Kong International Airport, China (VHHH)

Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China (ZSPD)

Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, China (ZGSZ)

Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia (WMKK)

8

PRO TIP: VHHX can be substituted for VHHH on any

flight found in our crew center.

Please note that pilots are not tied to a specific hub when

flying for UPS Virtual. This list can be used for general

knowledge when creating a route using our Free To Fly

Program (FFP). More information on that can be found on

page 18 of the handbook.

OUR MAINLINE FLEET

Boeing 748

UPS Livery

Open to any rank

Boeing 744

Generic Livery

Open to any rank

MD-11F

UPS Livery

Open to any rank

Airbus A330F

UPS Livery

Open to any rank

Boeing 752

Infinite Flight Livery

Open to any rank

Boeing 763

Generic Livery

Open to any rank

9

TEMPORARILY RETIRED

MAINLINE PARTNERS & VINTAGE FLEET

MD-11F

Centurion Cargo Livery

Open to any rank

DC-10F

Purolator Livery

Exclusively for Supply Chain Solution Ops

Dash 8

Generic Livery

Open to any rank

C208 Caravan

Airnet Systems Livery

Open to any rank

DC-10F

Emery Worldwide Livery

Exclusively for Supply Chain Solution Ops

10

Trainee

Achieved upon acceptance into UPS Virtual

First Officer

Achieved with 76 hours of flight for UPS Virtual

Senior First Officer Achieved with 151 hours of flight for UPS Virtual

Junior Captain Achieved with 251 hours of flight for UPS Virtual

Captain Achieved with 351 hours of flight for UPS Virtual

Senior Captain Achieved with 500+ hours of flight for UPS Virtual

Second Officer

Achieved with 36 hours of flight for UPS Virtual

RANK REQUIREMENTS

PILOT RANKS

11

MULTIPLIER

None

1.2x

1.3x

1.4x

1.5x

Your rank unlocks our codeshare routes and specific rank multipliers for qualifying pilots on all flights.

Should the flight have a higher multiplier available (group flights, events, etc.) it is up to the pilot to choose

which multiplier he/she wishes to use.

Commander Achieved with 750+ hours of flight for UPS Virtual

1.5x

New hires must perform certain duties before they can receive credit for flights under the

operation of the UPS Virtual. Upon receiving notice of acceptance, new pilots will be invited to the

UPS Virtual Discord server. The Discord invitation will be sent to the IFC account that the applicant

listed in his/her initial application. Once enrolled in our Discord server, new hires must visit the

#create-a-ticket channel and open a support ticket. A staff member will set you up with your

callsign and assist in joining our crew center account so you can begin flying.

New hires are encouraged to spark conversation and get to know other UPS Virtual Pilots. Any

questions can be asked by using the #create-a-ticket channel within Discord.

New pilots have three days after their crew center account is

activated to log their first flight or they will be removed from the VA.

If removed, they will have a cool down period before being rehired.

NEW PILOT INSTRUCTIONS

12

CALLSIGNS

Callsigns are an important identifier for aircraft within a Virtual Airline. All callsigns must be approved

by a staff member before use. Each callsign will be unique and the use of your UPS callsign must

follow a few specific guidelines:

1. In order to receive credit for your flight operated under the UPS Virtual Airline, you must use an

approved callsign throughout the duration of that flight.

2. Please select an available callsign by visiting the “Members” section of the crew center. It must

include the three letters, “UPS” followed by 2 to 3 numbers and UP.

3. The use of the term “Heavy” in your callsign is only permissible while piloting aircraft over

300,000lbs. The term “Super” is to only be used when flying the A380. These terms do not need to be

approved, but must be used only when applicable.

4. Need a callsign change? Please #create-a-ticket to request it. Callsigns must be kept for at least

two weeks.

5. All UPSV callsigns must end in UP while flying. Example: UPS 123UP. When flying codeshares, pilots

can change the prefix to that of the codeshare airline but must keep “UP” as the suffix.

6. When flying for UPSV we recommend that your IFC VA/VO affiliation is set to

UPSV.

13

ACTIVITY REQUIREMENTS

To ensure our team remains active in the community, UPS Virtual has implemented some easily

achievable activity level requirements. Activity requirements will be heavily enforced Monday of each

week. It is the pilot’s responsibility to maintain currency within UPS Virtual or risk losing membership.

All pilots must complete at least one flight every 30 days under the operation of the UPS Virtual to

remain a member of the team. Inactivity for a time period of greater than 30 days will result in

dismissal from the VA. Pilots in good standing with UPS Virtual, not in activity check and with a

minimum rank of First Officer may request a LOA from their pilot portal for review. LOA’s are

accepted on a case by case basis and are ultimately left to the discretion of UPS Virtual Senior

Leadership.

Pilots who are removed due to the inability to meet activity requirements are subject to timeout

periods before they can be re-hired. Please see the following page for more information. Timeout

periods begin once you attempt to rejoin the VA. Any pilot who departs the VA and wishes to rejoin

will do so at the rank of Second Officer. Activity requirements are waived for any pilot with the rank

of Commander for the period of one (1) year.

Readmitted pilots must file a flight; minimum of 1 hour, within 3 days or they will be put back on activity notice.

14

1 S T R E M O V A L 2 N D R E M O V A L 3 R D R E M O V A L 4 T H R E M O V A L

5 T H R E M O V A L

Pizza

Restaurants

14 Day Timeout

30 Day Timeout

45 Day Timeout

60 Day Timeout

15

TIME OUT PERIODS

Pilots who are

repeatedly removed

due to the inability

to meet activity

requirements are

not guaranteed

readmission at a

later date should

they reapply.

Readmission will be

a decision left to the

Leadership Team.

WAYS TO FLY - THE BASICS

16

Flying at UPS Virtual is more laid back than at other VA’s. We do not have any restrictions on

aircraft or flight distances/times and instead use your rank to restrict which codeshare routes are

available to you. We do not feature hubs that tie pilots to a certain region or operating airport. As

soon as you are accepted, you unlock all of our mainline routes which you can find below.

UPS Airlines routes (flights begin with “5X”)

Maersk Air Cargo (flights begin with “DJ”)

Ameriflight (flights begin with “A8”)

Alpine Air Express (flights begin with “5A”)

Centurion Historical (flights begin with “WE”)

THE USE OF AP+

New for 25.1 was the introduction of AP+ to the simulator. Pilots are free to use this feature as

needed. Please note that the use of AP+ to run two simultaneous flights for the VA is only allowed

for group flights or events. This is strictly monitored by our team and internal activity bots. Any

UPSV pilot who is caught using AP+ outside of the parameters that are allowed by UPS Virtual is

subject to removal.

WAYS TO FLY - CLASSIC STYLE

Our state of the art crew center features

the full UPS Airlines real world route

schedule and gets updated periodically.

These flights can be found in the "Route

Database" section of your crew center.

To find a flight, log into the crew center

with your UPS Virtual credentials and

select the "Routes" menu option. Once in

the route database page you may search

for a flight via 5 ways.

1. Departure ICAO

2. Arrival ICAO

3. Flight number

4. Aircraft

5. Flight time

17

Preselected routes are fun but find yourself wanting to create your own adventure? Enter our Free To Fly

Program (FFP). One of the main concepts behind the creation of UPS Virtual is to offer freedom to the

pilots of the airline, allowing them to fly to any destination as long as they stay within the airline’s

permitted airports. In an effort to create this freedom, pilots have the ability to create their own flights so

long as they stay within our operating procedures using our Free to Fly Program (FFP). All FFP flights are

to be flown exclusively with our UPS mainline fleet.

Examples of approved & not

approved CFP flights

(HUB) PANC - KATL (DEST)

(DEST) KFAR - KSDF (HUB)

(HUB) KMIA - YSSY (HUB)

(DEST) KFLL - KDEN (DEST)

(DEST) EDDF - LOWI (DEST)

WAYS TO FLY - FREE TO FLY PROGRAM (FFP)

18

Guidelines: On any FFP flight, the departure, arrival, or both must be one of

the airline’s hubs. Additionally, the secondary airport must be a hub or destination.

Lastly, the flight must be logged with UPS999 as the flight number in the PIREP.

There are no rules regarding pilot bases, so pilots are not limited to the use of one

hub. These airports and hubs are based on the real-world airlines destinations and

change as they do in real life. A current list of approved hubs and destinations can be

viewed by typing ops in the #bot-commands channel.

Q&A

Q: What are codeshares?

A: Codeshares are agreements for an exchange of preselected routes

that the other VA can offer to their pilots.

Q: How do I file a PIREP after flying one of these routes?

A: PIREP’s are filed the same way you would file any other PIREP.

Q: Can I use any aircraft?

A: You must use the aircraft listed for each codeshare route.

Q: Can anyone fly these?

A: No, codeshares are restricted by rank so you will not qualify for

some until your acquire enough flight hours.

PROTIP: Our codeshares list is vast. For a complete list of codeshares

and the ranks required, please type codeshares in the #pilot-

resources Discord channel.

19

CODESHARE

AGREEMENTS Q&A

Even with over 250+ worldwide destinations

served, we realize there are areas of the world we

need help getting to. Enter our strategic list of

codeshare partners with various and respectable

VA’s. These codeshare partners are valuable to our

virtual airline as they give our pilots unique

destinations to fly to in addition to access to

aircraft not typically flown by UPS Airlines. Please

note that all codeshare flights are restricted

according to your pilot rank.

IMPORTANT: Pilots must wait until PIREP’s are approved and they

have been promoted in our crew center before conducting a flight at

the next rank. Pilots that do not wait will have the PIREP denied.

20

GROUP FLIGHTS & OVERNIGHT GROUP

FLIGHTS (OGF)

We pride ourselves on our overnight group flights that happen nearly every single night. It's not uncommon to

see a group of 7+ UPS Virtual pilots on a 15+ hour overnight flight - just one of the many ways to build comradery

with our tight knit family and rack up the hours. With that said, there are some guidelines to follow when

partaking or hosting group flights to make sure everyone enjoys themselves.

1.) When posting a group flight, please follow the template already displayed in the #group-flights channel. This

helps us in keeping posts organized and display only the necessary information.

2.) If you are posting or attending a group flight that consists of a codeshare your rank does not qualify you for,

there must be a staff member attending for you to be able to file a PIREP.

3.) Please make sure to fly professionally. Spacing during group flights is 10-15nm minimum during cruise and 5-

8nm during the approach. When departing, please begin your takeoff roll once the aircraft in front is 3-4nm away.

4.) Please respect the postee’s group flight. Do not request a change of aircraft or a different route, etc.

5.) We prefer to stay as a group. If the lead pilot alters the FPL due to winds, etc., please copy and follow what the

group is doing. Please do not fly faster or at a different altitude than the group.

6.) Lastly, all group flights posted by Staff are open to all ranks and contain a special flight time multiplier that

can be used by everyone which varies by attendance totals. These are listed on each group flight post.

Every week we release a brand new Routes of the Week Schedule which is put together using

IFATC’s featured airport list for that given week. The aim of this program is to allow pilots to easily

anticipate where IFATC coverage will be based daily. Each day will have 3-5 featured routes available

for your choosing pulled from our Crew Center.

Guidelines:

Pilots are free to fly the listed route on the appropriate day. If the route exists both ways in the CC,

the pilot can fly it both ways.

Each route can only be flown once.

PIREP's must be filed with the correct flight number. (ex: 5X1331)

If flying a codeshare, you can only apply the ROTW multiplier if you have unlocked that specific

codeshare.

Please use the "ROTW Program" 1.5x multiplier, if applicable.

Flights must be logged by midnight PST to receive the additional flight time bonus.

ROUTES OF THE WEEK (ROTW)

21

Unique to us is our strategic and exclusive cargo partnership with IF Global Air Forces in which we act

as their exclusive cargo partner for some of their military ops. Whatever cargo they need moved, we

come into play. Whether transport from US base to US base or a classified VIP transport into an active

hot zone that requires a fighter escort through restricted airspace, UPS Virtual pilots are tasked with

the ops. Military equipment, supplies, troops and more will be in our cargo holds and might need to

be moved at a moments notice. Natural disaster somewhere in the world? Expect a joint mission to

deliver aid to some of the hardest to reach areas around the globe.

GAF X UPSV

22

Guidelines:

Open to all ranks.

Ops are posted in our Discord server when they become available.

Flights are first come, first serve & limited in nature.

Pilots are eligible to use their rank multipliers.

Career mode puts our members in the pilot seat of a monthly set schedule of routes hand picked to take you around the

globe or different regions. Each leg must be done in order as seen on the schedule. At times you might find yourself flying

in the same region and other months you will be flying across the globe. This program is available to all ranks of UPS

Virtual and can be unlocked by self assigning the Career Mode Pilot role on Discord.

Guidelines:

Pilots must file with the correct flight number found on the schedule.

Pilots must only fly the aircraft listed. Codeshare rank requirements are waived for this program.

Rank multipliers are applicable on Career Mode flights.

Hours are not tracked, but attendance is. Pilots are not required to finish each months schedule.

Your name will show on the schedule once you file your first PIREP and our team updates the Google Sheet.

NOTAM: If you cannot open the schedule, please download the Google Sheets app. This seems to affect only

Samsung users.

CAREER MODE

23

Controlling for UPS Virtual? File those hours!

We encourage our pilots to join the IFATC team and give incentives for being members. IFATC members can earn

operation hours for controlling our events, opening up frequencies for our group flights or simply controlling a valid

UPS Virtual airport. See below for guidelines to earning operation hours for IFATC controlling.

Pilots can receive operation hours for controlling the following:

Any airport listed in our crew center database.

Any airport the VA is flying to for a regular group flight - 1.5x multiplier can be applied.

Any airport the VA is flying to for our Overnight Group Flight (OGF)- 2x multiplier can be applied.

To file an operation, pilots must first open the frequency via our crew center to create a Discord announcement to

the VA of an open airport.

Valid airports consists of airports listed in our crew center.

IFATC members get assigned a unique Discord role and can be tagged by our pilots to request services.

IFATC operations may be filed through our crew center by using the dedicated IFATC operations section.

Rank multipliers cannot be used for IFATC operations.

IFATC OPS & GUIDELINES

24

Controllers will first need to announce the frequency has been opened via the “Operations Archive” menu option in

our crew center and clicking the green “Open ATC Frequency” button. This will create a special announcement in

our IFATC Discord channel for the VA to be notified that you have opened the selected frequencies. Once you are

finished controlling, simply hit the red “Close ATC Frequency” button to create another announcement that you

have closed frequencies. Our crew center will then automatically take you to the “New Operation” page so you can

file for operation hours and submit.

Please note:

Controllers can only receive credit if they open a valid airport that is found in our “Routes” section of our crew

center. Airports we do not fly to cannot be opened for credit.

Rank multipliers are not valid for IFATC operations.

Special multipliers can be used in cases such as:

Events or other regular group flights // 1.5x multiplier can be applied.

Overnight Group Flights (OGF’s) // 2x multiplier can be applied.

FILING AN IFATC OPERATION

25

YOUR PILOT PORTAL

Customized for functionality

Our VACenter powered crew center features

ACARS, an organized way to search for

flights, built in flight planning, built in IFATC

operation management and an easy UI for

our pilots. Updates and improvements are

constantly being worked on.

26

What is ATLAS by VACenter?

We use ATLAS, powered by VACenter, for our crew center. Unlike most others, this crew center has been

designed for use with Infinite Flight. Below are some of it's greatest features.

A CREW CENTER DESIGNED FOR EASE

ACARS

ACARS will import almost all your flight information for your PIREP at the click of a button. Simply

land at your arrival airport, park at the gate, log into your crew center account and hit the “Run

ACARS” command.

IFATC Ops Filing

Find yourself enjoying controlling more than flying? You can now log your ops and climb our

internal IFATC ranks! Announce your opening and closing straight from the crew center.

Flight Time Multipliers

Tired of manually multiplying your hours for events or group flights we assign a flight time

multiplier to? Not a problem. Use our pre-saved codes for the specific multiplier and your PIREP

will automatically have it applied when you submit it.

UPS’er Awards (TBA)

Here’s a new way to reward pilots for flying and other things! Head to our shop as you accumulate

points and redeem on special flight bonuses, exclusive one off CFP flights and more. More on this

feature will come at a later date.

Simbrief Flight Planning

Flight planning made easy! Link your Simbrief account and you can flight plan directly from the

route page and then import into the sim.

27

Whether utilizing our Classic method or our Free to Fly Program, pilots are required to file PIREP's to

receive credit for their flight hours. With the help of our ACARS system, filing PIREP's now takes

mere seconds. Please see the below steps to file your PIREP.

1. Click “New PIREP” in the main navigation menu.

2. If you would like to use ACARS, select the “Run ACARS” prompt at the top of the page. The

system will automatically input the majority of the blank fields for you.

3. Fill in all remaining fields. Here are a few tips:

The flight number should be specific to the route you flew and is found in the “Routes” page.

It is NOT your callsign.

Operator should always be UPS Virtual.

Flight type should be toggled depending on if you flew a cargo flight or passenger flight.

4. Please use the “Comments” section if you need to let our PIREP team of any important

information pertaining to your flight.

FILING A PIREP

28

We motivate you to fly and reward you for your hard earned hours representing our virtual airline.

FLIGHT HOUR AWARDS

350 Flight Hours