Parking

Understanding what happens to your aircraft on the ground is key to running an efficient and cost-effective company. This guide explains how aircraft are automatically moved between different types of parking, what a "slot" is, and how the critical "pushback" phase works.

When an aircraft is on the ground, it can be in one of four locations. The type of parking it uses depends on whether it's idle or assigned to an active, route-based job.

• Hangars: These are enclosed, protected parking spaces. They are the ideal storage solution for smaller, general aviation aircraft and protect your assets from wear.

• Stands: These are open-air parking spots on the apron or tarmac. They are the preferred location for airliners as airliners do not accrue the same wear as GA aircraft when left outside.

• Slots: A Slot is a temporary gate or stand assignment specifically for an aircraft that is operating a Route Network job. You can think of it as a reserved gate for a scheduled flight. Charter jobs do not use the slot system; their aircraft use hangars or stands for general storage.

• Tarmac: Aircraft can be left on the tarmac at airports if there are no available storage options, but this is expensive and can result in large unexpected parking fees.

Automatic Parking

FSCharter will automatically attempt to place your aircraft into the most appropriate storage when they are not flying. This system is triggered at several key moments:

• After completing a Charter Job and disembarking.

• After a Route Network job's arrival slot expires after a real-world grace period.

• After resetting a job where the aircraft had already begun to taxi.

The system intelligently decides where to park an aircraft based on its category, always prioritizing free and accessible storage that your company owns or has access to.

Storage Priority by Aircraft Type

• General Aviation (GA) Aircraft (SEP, MEP, BIZ, HEL) : These aircraft prioritise protected storage. The system will first search for an available hangar. If no suitable hangar is found, it will then look for an available stand as a fallback.

• Airliners (REG, SRA, LRA): These aircraft prioritise outdoor stands. The system will first search for an available stand. If no suitable stand is found, it will then check for a hangar.

If a GA aircraft has to be parked on an outdoor stand due to a lack of hangar space, a notification will be sent to your company. Similarly, if no suitable storage of any kind can be found, the aircraft will remain on the tarmac and you will be notified.

Pushback

Pushback is the critical moment when an aircraft begins moving under its own power (or by tow) to depart for a flight. This single event triggers several important automated processes.

Passengers and cargo are always boarded while the aircraft is stationary in its hangar, stand, or departure slot. The pushback event signifies the transition from "on the ground" to "in-flight" and does the following:

1. Releases Storage: The hangar, stand, or departure slot the aircraft was occupying is immediately freed up for other aircraft to use.

2. Processes Parking Fees: If the aircraft was parked on the tarmac (i.e., not in a hangar or stand your company has free access to), any accrued parking fees are calculated and charged to your company at this moment.

3. Starts Company Clock: If it's not already running, the company clock will start, tracking your operational time.

The Complete Ground Lifecycle

Here is a step-by-step summary of the process from arrival to the next departure:

1. Arrival: An aircraft lands.

   • If it was a route flight, it automatically occupies the arrival slot that was reserved for it. This slot has a grace period of several real-world hours depending on its size. If the aircraft isn't assigned a new job by the time the grace period expires, the automatic parking system will move it to a hangar or stand if the owner of the aircraft is a premium user.

   • If it was a charter flight, the automatic storage system is triggered immediately upon disembarking to find a suitable hangar or stand if the owner of the aircraft is a premium user.

2. Job Acceptance: When you accept a new route job for the aircraft, the system automatically moves it from its hangar or stand into a suitable departure Slot. When a Charter job is accepted the aircraft remains where it was until pushback.

3. Boarding: Passengers and cargo are loaded while the aircraft is in its hangar, stand, or departure slot.

4. Pushback: The pilot begins to taxi. The hangar, stand, or slot is released, and parking fees are processed. The aircraft is now considered in-flight.

Special Case: Resetting a Job

Once a job is accepted, it can only be ended by completing it or resetting it. Resetting a job also interacts with the storage system:

• If you reset the job before the aircraft has pushed back, it has not yet moved. It will simply remain in the hangar, stand, or departure slot it was in.

• If you reset the job after the aircraft has pushed back, it is now on an active taxiway or apron. The automatic storage system will be triggered to find it a new hangar or stand to park at if the owner of the aircraft is a premium user.