General Rules

§1 General Principles

AirWürttemberg is a virtual airline that offers all members a friendly, respectful and professional environment. Compliance with the following rules is binding and essential for all members, in order to ensure a harmonious community and smooth operations.

§2 Discord Rules

Our Discord community is the heart of AirWürttemberg and serves for communication, exchange and the joint organisation of our virtual flights. To foster a pleasant atmosphere, the following rules apply:

• Respectful conduct: Every member has the right to be treated with respect. Insults, discrimination and any form of bullying will not be tolerated.
• Let others finish speaking: The most important principle in communication is letting each other finish. Interrupting, talking over others or deliberately ignoring conversation partners is not acceptable.
• No advertising: Any form of advertising – whether for other virtual airlines, products, services or personal projects – is prohibited on our Discord server. Violations lead to immediate removal from the community.
• Confidentiality and data protection: Personal information and private conversations of other members are to be treated as confidential. Publishing private messages or personal data without consent is strictly forbidden.
• No spam: Repeatedly posting the same message, sending messages with excessive content (spam), and unnecessarily pinging members or moderators is prohibited.
• Terms of service: All members must comply with the Discord Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. Violations of these guidelines may lead to removal from the AirWürttemberg community.

§3 FSAirlines Rules

As members of AirWürttemberg, all pilots are obliged to comply with the rules of FSAirlines in order to safeguard the safety and reputation of our virtual airline. The following rules apply to flight operations:

• Minimum rating: Pilots who complete three consecutive flights with a rating below 100 % must undergo a new type rating for the aircraft flown. The aim is to improve pilots' skills and to ensure that all flights are conducted with the utmost care and professionalism.
• Flight planning and execution: All flights must be planned properly and realistically. This includes the correct calculation of fuel, adherence to flight plans and consideration of weather conditions.
• Flight safety: Compliance with virtual flight safety standards must be observed at all times. This includes avoiding accidents, hard landings and other incidents that could lead to a downgrade of the flight.
• Use of the correct aircraft: Each member may only fly aircraft for which they hold a valid type rating. The use of non-certified aircraft is prohibited.
• Reporting of incidents: Any incidents or irregularities during a flight must be reported immediately on Discord under „flight-incident-report". This helps us analyse errors and prevent future incidents.
• Financial responsibility: Pilots are responsible for conducting their flights in such a way that the airline does not incur unnecessary financial losses. This includes careful fuel planning and avoiding unnecessary penalties through rule violations.
• Active participation: Members who are inactive for more than 60 days without prior notice will first be contacted. If contact cannot be established, this may lead to removal from the airline.
• Compliance with AirWürttemberg standards: All members must adhere to the specific flight standards and procedures of AirWürttemberg in order to ensure consistent quality and experience for all members.

§4 VATSIM Rules

The following rules apply to AirWürttemberg operations on the VATSIM network in order to preserve the integrity and reputation of our airline:

• Callsign usage: The general callsign format of AirWürttemberg is „WTBxxx". Each pilot should define their own fixed callsign that does not overlap with the callsigns of other pilots. This helps avoid confusion and ensures clarity in the virtual airspace.
• Certification required: Only pilots who have received VATSIM certification from a CEO or Team Leader of AirWürttemberg may fly with a „WTB" callsign. This certification ensures that pilots are familiar with VATSIM rules and procedures and are able to comply with them.
• Airline ICAO and callsign usage: The official ICAO code of AirWürttemberg is „WTB", and the associated telephony callsign is „Emberg". For example, the callsign „WTB26J" is spoken as „Emberg26J". All pilots must apply this format correctly in order to represent the identity of our virtual airline.
• Compliance with VATSIM rules: All pilots must comply with VATSIM rules and procedures, including the proper use of radio communication, adherence to ATC instructions, and correct conduct in controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
• Conduct in the virtual airspace: Professional and respectful conduct towards other VATSIM pilots and ATC staff is mandatory. This includes maintaining radio discipline and avoiding disruption of virtual air traffic.
• Reporting of incidents: Any incident or conflict on VATSIM involving AirWürttemberg must be reported immediately to a CEO or Team Leader. This helps us respond appropriately to problems and maintain the quality of our virtual flight operations.

§5 Violations and Sanctions

In the event of violations of the rules stated above, the management of AirWürttemberg will take measures that may vary depending on the severity of the violation. Possible sanctions include:

• Warnings: Minor violations result in a warning. Repeated violations lead to stricter measures.
• Temporary suspensions: In the case of repeated or serious violations, a temporary suspension may be imposed, prohibiting the member from taking part in AirWürttemberg activities.
• Removal: In the case of serious or repeated rule violations that endanger the operations or reputation of AirWürttemberg, the member concerned may be permanently removed.

§6 Type Rating Rules

In order to ensure the quality, professionalism and safety of flights at AirWürttemberg, the following provisions apply to all type ratings:

6.1 Order of type ratings

• The first type rating must be completed on single-engine propeller aircraft.
• Type ratings for airliners may only be taken after at least 5 flight hours.

6.2 Scope of examination by aircraft class

Light aircraft (TOW < 7 tonnes):

• One traffic pattern is sufficient for the check.
• Flights do not have to be conducted in real time (e.g. changing an evening flight to daytime is permitted).
• Cold & dark is mandatory as the starting state.

Airliners & aircraft above 7 tonnes TOW:

• A complete flight is required, including fuel planning with SimBrief and realistic flight planning taking weather conditions into account.
• Real-time weather must be enabled.
• Use of an autoland function results in an automatic fail.
• A fully programmed MCDU including all performance data is mandatory.
• Cold & dark is mandatory as the starting state.

6.3 Passing, retries and waiting periods

• If a type rating is not passed, a new application for the same aircraft type may be submitted after 1 day.
• If the rating is not passed a second time, a 14-day waiting period applies, during which the deficient flying skills must be specifically trained.

6.4 Organisation and procedure

• The examiner must be present throughout the entire flight. In the event of a fail, all errors are to be documented in the type rating overview sheet.
• Only one application per aircraft type may be submitted at a time; multiple simultaneous applications will not be considered.
• The check is conducted via screen sharing on Discord.

§7 Closing Remarks

AirWürttemberg thrives on the active and committed participation of its members. This rulebook serves to create a positive environment and to maintain the operation of our virtual airline at a high standard. We thank all members for their support and commitment and look forward to many successful and safe flights.

Please note: A minimum age of 16 years is required for membership of AirWürttemberg.