Revision: January 26, 2026
Introduction
Welcome to FedEx Express Virtual. This document provides new members with the information needed to get started and serves as a reference for the general operations of our organization.
FedEx Express Virtual (FDXVA) was founded by Garen Evans and Mike Tabb in 2015. As ardent fans of the real-life FedEx, they wanted to share their passion for cargo air operations with others. Both founders bring many thousands of hours of flight simulation experience, along with extensive expertise in virtual airline administration, air traffic control, technical development, and web and software management.
At FDXVA, we balance realism with a common-sense approach to flight simulation:
- Our route structure mimics our real-life counterpart, yet the system is dynamic and often includes charter and ferry flights
- Our fleet is based on the same aircraft used by real-life FedEx, yet members have flexibility to choose any of those aircraft for any flight
- We have more than one thousand destinations and a system that allows members to jumpseat to new points of departure around the globe
We understand that starting out can seem confusing and daunting for new members. Feel free to join our Discord channel or send us an email from the website, and someone from the support team will endeavor to answer your query as soon as possible.
Our Shared Community
FDXVA is owned and operated solely by happy fans of FedEx - we are flight simulator enthusiasts, amateurs in the best sense of the word, and crazy about cargo. FDXVA is not affiliated with the real life FedEx Corporation, or any of its subsidiaries or partners.
Discord is a free voice and text chat app accessible via browser or the Discord App on PC or mobile device. Use your first name and callsign (e.g., "John - FDX123").
Connect to Discord
New Member Quickstart
Point-to-Point Rule
New members start their career at Memphis (KMEM). Your subsequent flight must depart from the location where you most recently arrived. For example, if your first flight was KMEM–CYEG, then your second flight must depart CYEG. From CYEG you can fly to KMEM, KOAK, or CYYC.
You may use a jumpseat to change your current location without flying there.
Jumpseat
After your first flight, you will receive a number of free jumpseats from the system. A jumpseat allows you to instantly change your current location. You may use as many jumpseats as desired at any time.
After you have used all your free jumpseats, you may purchase additional jumpseats with your earnings. Currently, members receive 3 free jumpseats per month.
Earnings
After each flight, you will earn virtual credits that can be used to purchase items from the FDXVA website, including jumpseats, certifications, and any fees required for promotion, charter costs, all weather group fees, and more.
Rank and Promotion
Minimum Requirements
| Rank | Minimum Requirement |
|---|---|
| New Hire (Rampie) | Approval of application |
| Second Officer | 1 flight |
| Junior First Officer | 20 hours |
| First Officer | 50 hours |
| Senior First Officer | 100 hours |
| Captain | 200 hours |
| Ferry Captain | 400 hours |
| Charter Captain | 500 hours + 6 months of service |
| Merit Captain | 1000 hours + 1 year of service |
| Senior Captain | 2000 hours + 2 years of service |
Additional Promotion Requirements
In addition to the minimum requirements listed above, advancement to the next rank also requires:
- Active status—one or more approved flight reports in the previous 30 days
- Advancement is automatic until the rank of Captain, when a formal request for promotion (found on the Home Tab under User Profile edit) is required.
Membership
New Membership
Application for membership is contingent on completing the new member application on the website and having it approved. Specific requirements are stated on the application form.
Membership Currency
Active membership is defined as one or more approved flight reports in the previous 90 days. Active membership is mandatory to remain on the roster. Members who do not meet these requirements are subject to termination.
Leave of Absence
You may request a leave of absence (LOA) if: (1) you are an active member with at least one approved flight report in the previous 90 days; and (2) you plan to submit your next flight report more than 90 days from the date of your most recently approved flight. New members with no flights are not eligible for LOA, nor are most staff members. If you plan to be away from flight simulation for less than 90 days, then a leave of absence is not required. If approved, your LOA will be valid for one year.
Flight Reporting and ACARS
Flight reports will only be approved if submitted with FedEx Express Virtual ACARS. ACARS is our proprietary software that has successfully logged thousands of flight reports. This is the only method by which flight reports can be automatically approved.
An occasional manually submitted flight report is permitted; however, a preponderance of manually submitted flight reports will not be tolerated. Manually submitted flight reports may only be approved on the basis of verification on the VATSIM network.
Flight Operations
Pilot-in-Command Responsibilities
You are considered pilot-in-command on every flight. This means that you alone are responsible for conducting every flight in accordance with FDXVA rules and regulations. You are also responsible for ensuring the aircraft you have selected is appropriate for your flight—it must be capable of successfully arriving at your chosen destination. Fuel and runway length considerations are your responsibility.
Route Structure
| Flight Type | Description |
|---|---|
| System Flights | Based on the real-life FedEx route structure, including more than 1,100 routes between hundreds of different system airports |
| Charter Flights | Can be flown by any member. Charter flights are created by Charter Captains and above. Note that charter flights are semi-permanent: they expire if not flown on a regular basis - at least once every 30 days. Expired charter flights are removed from the system, but can be created again. The cost of a charter flight is related to the distance of the flight, and whether or not the airports are part of the system route structure. |
| Ferry Flights | Available only to Ferry Captains. These flights represent repositioning flights conducted between system airports with little or no revenue-generating payload |
| Diversions | To airports inconsistent with existing route structure; may be approved at administration's discretion based on weather or in-flight emergency. You must communicate the reason for diverting |
Bases of Operations (Hubs)
All Weather Operations
Low IFR is one of the most exciting yet demanding ways to operate an aircraft. The All Weather Operations (AWO) group recognizes active FDXVA pilots who meet the flight crew requirements necessary for Category II and Category III authorization. Members who have logged 100 or more system hours and at least 50 IFR approaches are eligible for certification. For details, refer to the website and the AWO Manual.
AWO Categories
| Category | Requirements |
|---|---|
| CAT I | Default certificate; recognizes participation in AWO |
| CAT II | 1+ IFR approaches in the past 30 days |
| CAT IIIa | 2+ IFR approaches in the past 30 days. |
| CAT IIIb | 3+ IFR approaches in past 30 days. |
| CAT IIIc | 3+ IFR approaches in the past 30 days, one of which must be at night. |
The FedEx Fleet
Members are encouraged to fly the same types of aircraft currently in use by our real-life counterpart. These are referred to as Mainline, Feeder, and Contract aircraft. Members also have the option to use Historic aircraft.
Mainline Aircraft
- Airbus A300-600F
- Boeing 737 Freighter
- Boeing 757 Freighter
- Boeing 767 Freighter
- Boeing 777 Freighter
- McDonnell Douglas MD-10
- McDonnell Douglas MD-11
Feeder/Contract Aircraft
- Airbus A310 Freighter
- Boeing 737 Freighter
- Boeing 747 Freighter (Atlas)
- ATR-42
- ATR-72
- Cessna Grand Caravan
Historic Aircraft
- Boeing 727-200
- Douglas DC-8
- Dassault Falcon 20
Aircraft Substitutions
When the primary aircraft type is unavailable in your simulator, the following substitutions are approved:
| ICAO Type | Approved Substitutes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A300 | A330 | |
| A310 | None | |
| B722 | None | All series |
| B732 | A319, A320, A321, MD80-series | |
| B744 | A340, A380 | All series |
| B752 | None | All series |
| B76F | None | All series |
| B77F | A350, B787 | All series |
| MD11 | None | |
| DC10 | L1011 | |
| C208 | Kodiak K100/KODI, Gipps Airvan GA8/G10 | |
| C408 | B190 | Beech 1900-series |
| AT42 | SF34 | Saab 340-series |
| AT72 | F50, DH8A/B/C/D, AN24 | Fokker F50, Dash 8 variants |
| FA20 | Falcon-series, BAe146-series | Dassault Falcon variants |
| DC87 | B707 |
VATSIM
Online flying is not required, but highly encouraged. We recommend flying on the VATSIM network for several reasons:
- Manually submitted flight reports can only be approved on the basis of verification on the VATSIM network
- Group flights are conducted online, and use of VATSIM is required for recognition of participation in those events
- It is an effective means of sharing our enthusiasm with a vast network of other flight simulation pilots and controllers
Make Us Proud
- Use your callsign. In cases where your callsign is in use on the network, differentiate it by appending a single letter (e.g., FDX123A)
- Include our name. Put "FedEx Express Virtual - FDXVA.ORG" in the Remarks section of your flight plan
- Be professional. Be courteous and follow the instructions of online controllers, staff, and supervisors
Feeder Callsigns
Note: Must use FDX callsign and username in remarks when flying online with feeder callsigns.
ABR "Contract" – Air Contractors: ATR42/72, A300, B737, B757 – Ireland
BVN "Showme" – Baron Aviation: C208 – Eastern USA
CPT "Air Spur" – Corporate Air: C208 – Western USA
CSA "Iron Air" – Express Air Cargo: C208 – Midwest USA and Canada
CFS "Empire" – Empire Airlines: C208, ATR42/72 – Northwest USA
MTN "Mountain" – Mountain Air Cargo: C208, ATR42/72 – Southeast USA
SWT "Swift" – Swiftair: ATR42/72, E120, B737 – Spain
PCM "Pac Valley" – Westair Industries: C208 – California
WIG "Wiggins" – Wiggins Airways: C208 – Northeast USA
MAL "Morningstar" – Morningstar Air Express: B757, ATR42/72, C208 – Canada
Termination
Failure to maintain flight currency, failure to respond to communications in a timely manner, or the perception of any unprofessional conduct are grounds for termination. Members who are terminated will be removed from the roster and may have all records expunged from our system, including flight logs, achievements, awards, certifications, and promotions.
Non-Discrimination Statement
FedEx Express Virtual does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.
Terms of Agreement
By completing the online application form, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, and will comply with the terms of agreement of FedEx Express Virtual (FDXVA).
Eligibility Requirements
- You must be 13 years of age or older (per COPPA regulations)
- Maintain an active email address that is checked regularly.
- You own and will use a legally obtained, FSUIPC/XPUIPC-compatible version of X-Plane, Microsoft Flight Simulator, FSX, P3D, etc.
- At the time of your application, you should have at least 75 hours of verifiable simulation flight time on the VATSIM network, or provide evidence of adequate preparation to actively participate in FDXVA activities
Activity Requirements
- Newly hired pilots are required to file a flight report using our ACARS system within 10 days of application approval
- All members are required to be active flight simulation pilots at FDXVA. Activity is defined as at least one approved flight report in any 90-day period; failure to do so may result in inactive status, which is grounds for dismissal
- All members should login to the website at least once per month to check messages and any notices or revisions that may affect these terms
Flight Operations
- The FDXVA ACARS software program is used to facilitate flight reporting. Occasional manual flight reports (without ACARS) may be permitted on a case-by-case basis, and only with VATSIM verification
- The FDXVA network is based on the current real-world FedEx air routes. You fly in any approved airframe. However, flight reports that deviate from network routes and airframes may not be approved
- All flights must originate from your assigned location (initially KMEM). You can change your assigned location by completing a flight or using a jumpseat
- The entirety of each flight must be completed in real time, without time acceleration, slewing, repositioning, or excessive pausing
- A flight report with a catastrophic landing rate (i.e., 1500 fpm or more) may not be approved.
Membership Status
- Inactive members may be removed from the roster unless on a Leave of Absence (LOA). We highly encourage the use of an LOA if you are unable to fly
- For extended periods where you cannot fly, we will accept a resignation and you can rejoin when you have time to be an active participant. It is crucial that you communicate with staff about your availability
Online Flying
- Each member is issued a pilot ID (e.g., FDX123). Please use this as your callsign during online flights. If the callsign is in use, differentiate it by appending a single letter or number (e.g., FDX123A, FDX1234). You may also use feeder prefixes with "FedEx Express Virtual - FDXVA.ORG" in the Remarks section
- Although not mandatory, we encourage members to complete flights on the VATSIM network. During online flights, verify the Remarks section of your flight plan includes "FedEx Express Virtual" and "FDXVA.ORG"
General Terms
- Membership may be terminated for failure to comply with FDXVA terms of agreement or rules and regulations
- These terms may be amended at any time without prior notice