# PIREP Approval Criteria

To maintain consistency and uphold standards, United Virtual Airlines (UVA) follows specific criteria for Pilot Report (PIREP) approval. Pilots are required to adhere to the following guidelines: Note: Any PIREP routed for staff will be reviewed within 48 hours. If your PIREP has not been reviewed within that time please create a support ticket in the discord or email <dpo@dlyuva.org>.

#### Simulation Rate:

1. **CRUISE Phase Time Acceleration:**
    
    
    - Pilots may use any simulation rate (time acceleration) during the CRUISE phase only, from top-of-climb (TOC) to top-of-descent (TOD).
    - Time acceleration is strictly prohibited during taxi, take-off, climb, descent, approach, and landing.
2. **ATC Permission on VATSIM:**
    
    
    - Pilots on VATSIM must receive permission from ATC before using time acceleration.
3. **Phases Jumping Prohibition:**
    
    
    - Use of any feature allowing jumping between flight phases (e.g., to the next waypoint, top of descent, slewing) is strictly prohibited.

#### Landing Rate:

1. **Maximum Landing Rate:**
    - Landing rate must not exceed -600 feet per minute (fpm).
    - Multiple touchdowns must not exceed -600 fpm each.

#### Routing:

1. **smartCARS Routing Requirement:**
    - Routing must be entered in smartCARS.
    - Direct (airport to airport) routes are not permitted.

#### Flight Errors:

1. **Stalls, Overspeeds, Violations:**
    - Stalls, overspeeds, and &gt;250kts below 10,000 ft. MSL violations may lead to PIREP rejection, based on severity and/or duration. Exemptions to this must be documented and a reason given, reasons for exemptions are to include but not limited to: 
        - On departure in a heavy aircraft where the climb out speed V2 +10-20kts is greater than 250kts (265kts or greater will flag a violation in smartCARS)
        - ATC instructions
    - **MSFS2020/2024 users:**
        - note that using “Active Pause” registers as a stall; avoid using this feature during flight recording.

#### Fuel Guidelines:

1. **Minimum Fuel at Landing:**
    
    
    - At landing, fuel must be more than 2000 lbs. for all passenger transport aircraft.
2. **Reserve Fuel:**
    
    
    - Reserve fuel should be added before departure for emergency, holding, or unforeseen circumstances.
    - Using "Unlimited Fuel" option in any simulator is strictly prohibited.
    - In-flight refueling is NOT permitted and any PIREPs submitted with a logged inflight refueling will be rejected (at Hub Manager/Executive/Admin Staff discretion).

#### Staff:

1. **Discretionary Approval/Rejection:**
    
    
    - Staff may approve or reject a PIREP at their discretion.
    - A reason for rejection will always be provided in the comments section.
    - Any administrative team member may overrule a rejection if found unnecessary.
    - Pireps of any staff member must be reviewed by a member of the executive or administrative team.
2. **Self-Approval Prohibition:**
    
    
    - No staff member may accept their own PIREP.

#### Diversions:

1. **Notation Requirement:**
    - Pilots must note the diversion airport and reason in the “Comments” section of smartCARS if flight conditions are unsafe or in case of an emergency.

#### Slew Mode:

1. **Slew Mode Restriction:**
    - PIREPs showing slew mode toggled on at any time will be rejected.

#### Double Dipping:

1. **Hours Accrual Limitation:**
    - Accruing hours for another virtual airline during the same flight is strictly prohibited.
    - Violators may face PIREP rejection and possible disciplinary action by the Executive/Administration Team.

#### Airline &amp; Aircraft Type Restrictions:

1. **General Requirements:**
    - Pilots may fly any airline and aircraft type, considering fuel range, appropriate aircraft size for departure and arrival airports, and runway length.
    - Substituting aircraft is allowed, but pilots must leave a comment in the “Comments” section of smartCARS before PIREP submission.

#### Charter Operations:

1. **Charters Creation Limitation:**
    - Charters (also known as **Free Flights**) can only be created for routes not already in the scheduling system.
    - Aircraft substitutions can be made through smartCARS, so charters/free flights should not be created solely for changing aircraft type.

[![newbluelogo.png](https://docs.flyuva.org/uploads/images/gallery/2026-01/scaled-1680-/hXG8SZFR1EKbEVGE-newbluelogo.png)](https://docs.flyuva.org/uploads/images/gallery/2026-01/hXG8SZFR1EKbEVGE-newbluelogo.png)