What If Your First Flight Deadline Is Approaching?
Understand the first-flight deadline and what to do when time is short.
Your initial flight deadline
New Delta Virtual pilots need one accepted flight within 14 days of registration. If an accepted report has not arrived by day 14, the account receives a warning and an additional three-day period to complete the requirement. Missing that final deadline results in removal from the airline.
Check these things early
- Don't wait until the final day. Your flight report needs to be accepted, not just recorded in the simulator.
- Choose a normal published route or charter permitted by the current system.
- Confirm that your preferred ACARS client works with your simulator before departure.
- Check your submitted PIREP status after landing.
- If an ACARS issue prevents submission, save your flight evidence and contact Pilot Operations promptly. The SOP allows manual PIREPs as a backup when an approved client fails.
If your flight is pending review
A pending report should not be assumed to satisfy the first-flight condition until it is accepted. Contact Pilot Operations with the PIREP reference and registration date so staff can review the situation. This is a request for assistance, not an automatic extension of the deadline.
If you haven't flown yet
Pick a manageable route in an aircraft you know, read the flight rules, and complete the flight with enough time to resolve a problem.
Policy reference: SOP v4.0, sections 3.2, 6 and 7.3.
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