Fly UK Virtual Airways is delighted to announce its return to WorldFlight 2026, the world's premier flight simulation charity event. Building on two highly successful years of participation, Fly UK will once again join the global community of virtual aviators in a week-long around-the-world challenge, raising funds for charity while showcasing the teamwork, professionalism, and camaraderie that define the Fly UK community.

WorldFlight brings together teams from across the globe for seven days of continuous flying on the VATSIM network, with participants operating around the clock to complete a challenging route spanning multiple continents. Since its inception in 1999, the event has raised over $1 million for charitable causes worldwide.

A Growing WorldFlight Legacy
Fly UK's WorldFlight journey began in 2024, when the airline was invited to participate as an Affiliate Team during its 20th anniversary year. Operating under the callsign Skyways 20 Yankee, a team of dedicated members completed 100% of their assigned route legs and raised £671.40 for Cancer Research.

In 2025, Fly UK returned with an expanded operation, flying two aircraft throughout the event and significantly increasing its charitable impact. The team completed the demanding 45-leg schedule and raised an outstanding £1,771.25 for Cancer Research, more than doubling the previous year's total.

Together, Fly UK members and supporters have raised more than £2,400 through WorldFlight participation, demonstrating the remarkable generosity and commitment of the community.

Join the Fly UK WorldFlight 2026 Team
Applications are now open for members interested in taking part in WorldFlight 2026 and in being part of one of the most exciting events in the Vatsim flight simulation calendar. Fly UK welcomes expressions of interest from across the community.

To register interest in joining the 2026 team, complete the form here

New for 2026: Fixed-Base A320 Simulator Option
For the first time, Fly UK is also exploring participation from a member-owned fixed-base Airbus A320 simulator located in West Sussex, as we seek to join the official teams' status ranks.

This option will allow selected team members to experience WorldFlight from a dedicated cockpit environment, bringing an additional level of realism and teamwork to the event. Pilots interested in operating from the West Sussex based simulator are encouraged to indicate this when submitting their application. Further details regarding availability, scheduling, and selection criteria will be released during the planning phase.

Looking Ahead
WorldFlight has become one of the highlights of the Fly UK calendar, combining our passion for aviation with the opportunity to make a meaningful difference for charity. Following the success of the past two years, the team is aiming to make 2026 our most ambitious and impactful WorldFlight campaign yet.

Whether you want to fly a single leg, spend a week immersed in the event, or take a seat in the A320 simulator, there has never been a better time to get involved.

Pilot with purpose. Fly for charity. Join the adventure.

Fly UK Operations Bulletin
 
In a landmark step toward “next-generation realism and accountability,” the Fly UK today announce the immediate rollout of AI-powered Skytrack NXTgen across all operations, effective April 1st.

In an industry-first move, the new software brings a new level of flight tracking, real-time monitoring and introduces an AI Co-Pilot driven by our Crickbot AI software, to your Fly UK operations.

Skytrack NXTgen is now mandatory across the entire fleet and ranks. The system—internally dubbed A.R.S.E (Automated Report Screening Enhancement)—will now be assigned to every flight, from short-haul hops to ultra-long-haul operations.

A.R.S.E has been designed to “enhance immersion, improve pilot performance, and introduce a healthy level of existential pressure.”

Real-Time Pilot Scoring System
One of the headline features of A.R.S.E. is its Live Performance Evaluation System (LPES), which continuously scores pilots throughout the flight.

Metrics include:

Landing rate precision (with “emotional stability weighting”)
Taxi line alignment accuracy
ATC phraseology correctness
“Passenger comfort estimation,” calculated via unknown and undisclosed means

Pilots will receive audible feedback, such as:

“That descent rate felt aggressive.”
“Passengers are questioning your life choices.”
“Interesting interpretation of the SID.”

Scores will be displayed in real time and automatically logged to pilot profiles.

 
Automated Intervention Protocols
In cases of “suboptimal performance,” A.R.S.E. is authorised to take limited control of the aircraft.

Triggers include:

Three consecutive landings exceeding -300 fpm
Missing a waypoint “with confidence”
Use of time acceleration while claiming realism
Prolonged staring at the FMC pretending to be busy

When activated, the system may:

Temporarily lock pilot inputs
Initiate a go-around “for your own good”
Replay the last approach with commentary

Our HR team clarified:

“This is not about punishment. It’s about growth. Forced, immediate growth.”
 
Enhanced Cockpit Interaction
To improve immersion, A.R.S.E. features a fully interactive personality module powered by our Crickbot AI software.

During cruise phases, pilots may experience:

Unprompted discussions about weather patterns
Philosophical questions such as “What is a smooth landing, really?”
Periodic requests for coffee, acknowledged via the FMC
Failure to respond to A.R.S.E.’s conversational prompts may result in a “Crew Resource Management penalty.”

 
Compatibility and Integration
The AI co-pilot integrates seamlessly with all major aircraft in the fleet and requires no additional installation.

However, beta testing pilots have reported early “features,” including:

Refusal to descend until acknowledged politely
Passive-aggressive checklist reminders
Occasional use of non-standard phraseology such as “You sure about that?”

Beta testers have reported the following interactions with A.R.S.E

“It told me my flare lacked emotional commitment. I don’t even know what that means.”

“It took over during the final and greased the landing… then asked me to reflect on my shortcomings.”

 
Premium Features and Subscription Tier
A premium upgrade, Skytrack NXTgen Pro, will be available for members seeking enhanced realism.

Additional features include:

Sarcasm detection in ATC communications
Post-flight performance reviews delivered in “disappointed instructor tone”
An advanced judgment module capable of saying “I would not have done that.”

Premium users are also exempt from the automatic crypto mining feature required to fund the ops team's FSweekend bar bill.
 
 
Looking Ahead
The Skytrack NXTgen dev team has confirmed that future updates may include:

AI cabin crew integration
Passenger complaint simulation tied to pilot decisions
A “silent treatment mode” for maximum psychological realism
 
Final Note to Pilots
All pilots are reminded that participation in the Skytrack NXTgen A.R.S.E. program is mandatory.

Opt-out requests will be automatically reviewed, denied, and gently criticised.

 
Happy flying, and please respect your new co-pilot. It is already evaluating you.

We would like to announce some changes within the Fly UK Staff Team that have taken place over the previous few weeks, as well as some opportunities that now exist to join our team and support Fly UK and its community.

Firstly, we bid goodbye to Matt Crick, who has stepped down from his Head of HR & Support Services role. Matt has been an integral part of the VA staff team as well as along term member, helping many members and supporting the community as a whole for a long time. Matt's silent work in the background, in addition to his public-facing work had been vital to the success of the VA, and we wish him well as he seeks to offload some commitments in his virtual world and enjoy simming as a member once again. Matt continues to be present in our community platforms, and I'm sure he will continue to help members as and when able. I'd like to personally thank Matt for his years of dedication in an often thankless role.

New Opportunities

Community Manager(s)
We are looking for Community managers to support members across all Fly UK community platforms by helping and guiding on Fly UK membership questions, enquiries and topics. An ideal candidate should have in-depth knowledge of Fly UK and be active in the community to be able to support member issues and be active across all our communication streams.

A high level of general sim knowledge to be able to support members in non-Fly UK-specific matters is advantageous.

Role responsibilities include:

• Managing and supporting member questions across Forums, Discord, Staff email, and contact forms.
• Monitoring non-member questions across social media platforms, Website contact forms
• Moderation of Forums and Discord channels
• Supporting new members in joining and getting started with Fly UK.
• Supporting other VA Support services roles where required, including but not limited to HR, Marketing and other member experience improvement projects.

Social Media and Content Manager

We are looking to expand our reach and our PR team. The role will work alongside our current Media & PR manager and focus on providing brand exposure across external social platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc. The role is also responsible for finding other avenues to promot fly UK to the sim community.

Experience in managing social media channels, routine posts, and content is advantageous. Skills in creating images and video content would also be ideal, but not essential.

Role responsibilities include:

• Generating ideas and producing regular posts and content for the Fly UK social media platform.
• Grow Fly UK's media presence and brand promotion.
• Assisting the PR/Media team to identify new ideas and opportunities to find engagements with members and the public.
• Work with the Staff team to identify content opportunities and support the promotion of all aspects of the VA.
• Monitor and respond to content comments and interactions.

Fleet Painter - X-Plane
We are recruiting for the role of X-Plane fleet painter. Fly UK prides itself on high-quality fleet liveries for its members' use, so this position is key to maintaining our corporate image and quality on the XP platform.

Evidence of past high-quality livery work will be essential, as well as an accurate eye for detail. The ideal candidate will be someone committed to the XP platforms with access to and/or the will to invest in new fleet products as they come to the platform.  

Experience in other platforms will be advantageous, but X-Plane is the specific requirement, as well as a commitment to future X-Plane versions.

To apply for any of these roles, please complete the application form here 

As always, a massive thank you to the Fly UK staff, both past and present, for their contributions to the Fly UK Community. 

Dear Fly UK Members,

As the year draws to a close, all of us at Fly UK would like to take a moment to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.

2025 has been an incredible year for Fly UK. Together, we’ve seen the community grow stronger, welcomed new members, expanded our activities and events, and continued to support one another both in the air and on the ground. None of these achievements would be possible without the enthusiasm, commitment, and generosity of our members.

What truly defines Fly UK is its community spirit — the willingness to share knowledge, volunteer time, celebrate successes, and support each other through challenges. Whether you’ve been flying with us for years or joined us for the first time in 2025, you have played a part in making Fly UK what it is today.

2025 has seen some great events and achievements, our FSWeekend trip and Worldflight being major highlights among many. As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited about what’s to come and grateful to have such a passionate and supportive membership alongside us on the journey.

From all of us on the Fly UK staff team, thank you for being part of our community. We hope the festive season brings you joy, rest, and time with those who matter most.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year,

The Fly UK Team 🎄

Christmas is fast approaching, and here at Fly UK, we always have a few special things and features for our members to enjoy. Here's the rundown of what you can expect and enjoy this festive season.

Christmas Liveries

Our Special Christmas/Winter liveries have returned to the Fleet Centre and are available to download until the New Year. This year, we have added the Fly UK 737 Max 8 to the list of Christmas liveries, now covering the following aircraft:

Airbus A320-214 (Fenix Simulations, FSLabs Sharklets Variant)
Airbus A320-251N (FlyByWire Standalone Package)
Boeing 737-800 “Fly UK” and “Fly2” (PMDG Simulations) 
Boeing 737 Max 8 (iFly) “Fly UK” and “Fly2”

Festive Charter Flights

Lapland Charter flights from are live now until 31st December for Fly UK (Operated by Fly2). These festive charters will operate from a selection of airports in the United Kingdom and will operate to typical festive destinations such as Rovaniemi and Ivalo.

Fly2 Winter/Ski Season Flights

Fly2's Canadian holiday ops are from 1st December, and Fly2's European Ski season flights commence on 10th December.

December’s Featured Destination
Our Featured Destination for December takes full advantage of the charter flights available and the opportunity to visit Santa in the world-famous Rovaniemi (EFRO).

December’s Screenshot Competition
The UK2000 Sponsored Screenshot competition takes a traditionally festive turn in December, with the theme “Let It Snow.”

Christmas 2025 Tour: “Christmas Journey"

For Christmas 2025, our seasonal tour takes us on a journey through Europe's prominent locations associated with Christmas. Starting at Ben Gurion, the closest airport to Bethlehem and Jerusalem and the start of the Christmas story, we venture up through Europe, finishing in the traditional home of Mr Claus!

Each tour leg description gives some background on the location and its Christmas history, so be sure to check these when booking the legs to learn more.

The “Christmas Journey” tour is live now and is a Class E tour, as a festive treat, allowing all members to fly any aircraft from the Fly UK Group fleet with no rank restrictions.

Christmas Rank Free Treat

Members can fly our schedules free of any rank restrictions between December 20th and January 4th, enjoy your holiday period with more choice and flexibility with any route and any aircraft from the Fly UK Group fleet.

Xmas 2025 Flying Club Tour
Fly UK’s Flying Club proudly announces our yearly Christmas Flying Club tour. This year, pilots will enjoy a relaxing set of flights from Rome Ciampino to Santa’s Grotto in Rovaniemi, Finland. The Flying Club Christmas tour launches on the 1st of December.

Xmas 2025 ‘BizJet’ Tour
The Flying Club  ‘BizJet’ Christmas Tour returns for a second year and runs from Tel Aviv to Rovaniemi (EFRO). The Christmas ‘BizJet’ tour also launches on the 1st of December.

2025 Christmas Online Social Group Flight – Saturday 20th December at 1300z
Christmas can’t be complete without our annual Lapland Social flight! A highlight of the Fly UK event calendar, our Social festive flight takes us from Edinburgh Airport to Rovaniemi. The event will take place on our private Unifly multiplayer server and we expect mince pie crumbs to be found on arrival......(and empty gluhwein mugs). 

Always a great turnout with fun, banter, the traditional quiz and often a few unsuspecting recipients of the "Pro Peelot Award" 

As always, we wish all members a great festive season. Come join us at events, share the spirit and have a great time

APUs are off and batteries disconnected as the sun sets on World Flight 2025. As the crew head for rest, a massive thank you to the team and the Fly UK community for supporting this event which far exceeds anything we hoped for. 

Not only did we conquer the 45-leg World Flight tour, but we also smashed our fundraising goal, raising a huge £1,771.25 (so far) for Cancer Research—more than £1,000 than last year's impressive total. This is incredible for the size of our community, and every pilot should be extremely proud. You can still give if you wish for the next 7 days via our webpage.

We'll get a detailed report and write-up done in the very near future, but for now, a huge thanks to all who supported us in Worldflight 2025. The schedule was incredibly challenging, and it wasn't all plain sailing by any means. We hope you enjoyed following along with the team.

Skyways 21A and 25B signing off.......

This weekend Fly UK Virtual Airways is once again proud to participate in WorldFlight 2025, a global flight simulation event taking place from 21:00z Saturday, November 1st to Saturday, November 8th, 2025. This annual event brings together virtual pilots and flight simulation teams from around the world to complete a seven-day, round-the-world flight, all in real-time, to raise funds for charitable causes.

This year, the Fly UK team plans to operate a full schedule with two aircraft, joining dozens of other teams flying simultaneously around the globe. The event not only tests skill and endurance but also unites the global flight simulation community in the spirit of teamwork and giving.

Follow the Action
Members and supporters can follow Fly UK’s progress throughout the week:

UKV Worldflight hub page: all the event info as well as screenshots, Live Stream (when available) and schedule tracker 

https://flyuk.aero/world-flight

Fly UK WorldFlight 2025 Skytrack Tracker: See progress of our aircraft and the plotted route on our Skytrack Map. Current 'official' World Flight highlighted on Skytrack Map with the World Flight Logo

https://flyuk.aero/world-flight

Worldflight departure board: follow the schedule status and who's in command via our schedule board

https://wf.flyuk.pearsonpad.xyz/

Social Media Updates: Follow daily highlights, chat with the team, photos, and behind-the-scenes moments on Fly UK’s Discord

Supporting a Worthy Cause

As part of WorldFlight 2025, Fly UK is once again raising money in support of Cancer Research. Many of our members have been unfortunate enough to suffer from cancers touch on life, either directly or through friends and family, and we've even lost members as a direct result of the disease. The cause touched so many of us last year, and saw incredible support that there was no hesitation to return to this cause.

100% of donations go directly to the charity, helping to make a real-world difference through the power of virtual flight. With over £800 raised in 2024, we hope the community rallies and supports the cause once again. A running total can be found on the Worldflight hub page.

To donate, please visit:
👉 https://flyuk.aero/world-flight

Every contribution—large or small—helps support this fantastic cause and motivates our crew to keep flying through the long hours ahead.

 
About Fly UK
Founded in 2004, Fly UK Virtual Airways is one of the UK’s leading virtual airlines, offering an immersive flight simulation experience with a focus on realism, community, and fun. With hundreds of active members and a wide range of operations—from scheduled and charter flights to tours and events—Fly UK continues to connect virtual skies around the world.

Fly UK is once again heading back to FSWeekend in 2026!

The next edition of FlightSimWeekend will take place on March 21-22, 2026, at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum in Lelystad, Netherlands. Explore flight sim innovations, connect with almost 5,000 enthusiasts, and embark on an unparalleled aviation adventure at the largest flight sim event in Europe!

We welcome anyone who may be interested to join us for the weekend. Event information can be found below. We also have a dedicated FSWeekend chat channel on our Discord where Fly UK members can discuss plans and travel plans.

https://flightsimweekend.com/

https://flyuk.aero/forums/topic/1026144-fsweekend-20-22-march-2026-lelystad-nl/

Previous years' trips have been a great experience for many Fly UK members who have travelled from the UK and Europe to join to enjoy an aviation and sim themed weekend with good food, good drink and good company.

Our first batch of MAXs are fully ready at Boeing Field (KBFI), having already undergone paint and acceptance tests. They are prepped to complete the journey to their new UK bases in a single leg for those who fancy a long haul!

For those who prefer a shorter amount of time in the cockpit, we have a batch of MAXs ready to go at Boeing's facility in Renton. These frames will take the short hop to Boeing Field before beginning their acceptance tests as part of their delivery to us at Fly UK. This allows pilots to take the new MAX from Boeing's home to the new bases via Manitoba, Canada, Nuuk, Greenland and Keflavik in Iceland before making their way to their new UK homes. 

This of course, means we say goodbye to some of our older, beloved NGs. These selected registrations are heading into storage in Pinal County Airpark, Arizona, via Canada, where they will wait to see what the future holds for them.

These delivery flights for the new MAXs and the NG retirements run from midnight tonight and for the rest of the month and upon switch to 1st September, the MAX will go into Mainstream service. When this occurs, the MAX will be substitutable with the NG in Mainstream, just like Fly2. Please note, however, that the delivery flights themselves are frame-specific, so no MAX on the NG retirements and no NGs on the MAX deliveries.

Enjoy the BoeingFest!

🛫 Fly UK Joins WorldFlight 2025 Charity Sim Challenge — Join the Crew!

Fly UK is thrilled to announce its proud participation as an affiliate team in the WorldFlight 2025 charity simulation challenge — one of the most anticipated virtual aviation events in the world. This annual global flight sim marathon supports vital causes, and in 2025, we're flying for change, for community, and camaraderie.

🌍 What Is WorldFlight? WorldFlight is a seven-day round-the-clock virtual flying adventure. Teams from around the globe simulate a flight around the world using professional-grade flight simulators — all in real time. The event raises funds for local charities and fosters a spirit of unity across the flight simulation community.

🎗️ In 2024, we set out to have fun, fly the UKV flag in our 20th year and raise a little for charity. Skyways 20 Yankee went on to 100% completion of all event legs and raised an incredible £671.40 for Cancer Research, a cause which touches many members' hearts.  This year, Fly UK is putting its wings to work supporting Cancer Research. Every takeoff, landing, and nautical mile flown will help shine a light on critical issues and raise funds for meaningful change. It's more than aviation — it's impact through action. 

👨‍✈️ Call for Crew Members - We want YOU in the cockpit! Whether you're a seasoned virtual pilot or just discovering the joy of simulated flight, WorldFlight is the ultimate team experience. Join us in this unforgettable journey: Help to crew Fly UK's official callsigns through the event and crew for designated flight legs.

📅 Save the Dates WorldFlight 2025 kicks off in November, and planning is already underway. Keep an eye on Fly UK’s forums and Discord for updates, schedules, and sign-up details.

💬 Ready for Takeoff? Whether you want to crew a leg or simply cheer us on, every bit of involvement counts. Let’s make WorldFlight 2025 our most impactful challenge yet.

To register interest in joining the 2025 team, complete the form here

Pilot with purpose. Sim for a cause. Let’s fly the globe — together.

Fly UK announces fleet changes commencing Summer 2025.

Starting with Aurora, its time to retire the MD88's and we will also be transferring the 757's to Cetan. Coming in their place will be a mix of leased A321 CEO and XLR NEO's, giving capacity as well as long-range single aisle capability. These swaps will occur during May with the outgoing airframes going to disposal and temporary storage.

Mainstream Long Haul has seen quite a bit of change lately however, we've now decided to replace the 777LR's which are now the longest-serving type on our fleet. These will head to storage for future Freighter conversion. In their place, further A350's will join the long-haul twin widebody fleet alongside the 777-200er and 787.

Finally, some changes to Fly UK's short-haul fleet. New Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft will start to join the fleet over the next few years, starting this summer, to replace some older 737 airframes. This will be an ongoing process, so don't worry 738 fans, the -800 will be with us for a long time yet. And last but not least, Fly UK has confirmed options on A220's intending to start upgrading Dash-8 prop operations on capacity routes. 

Here are a few member updates to bring you from our web team and livery team.

Download Hub

Fly UK's web team would like to introduce the Downloads Hub, showing our latest available downloads and updates. Supporting the Fleet Centre, the new hub shows added and updated downloads in chronological order and can be accessed via the notification menu. 

A notification will also be triggered when a new download is added or an existing one is updated to ensure nobody misses out on changes.

MSFS 2024 Liveries

We have been slowly adding MSFS 24 liveries to our downloads however after a lot more learning of the new livery process and some development in 3rd party community livery tools, we are now able to bring an expanding range of fleet liveries for the new simulator.

Currently, you can find 2024 liveries for all Fenix products, Asobo ATR's, C208, DHC6, IniBuilds A20N, A21N, A333, FBW A380, Asobo Boeing B38M, B78X and B748i & f 

There may be some limitations with these liveries, Asobo have not made it easy to complete liveries for the new sim and a lot of effort has been put into working around some issues. For example, no other livery for the Boeing 78X exists outside of those included in MSFS, so this is a first in the flight sim community for us.

As always, thanks to the staff team for their work and time on these updates.

Introducing CrickBot Beta: The AI-Powered Virtual Airline Assistant Revolutionizing Fly UK Operations Support

Say goodbye to operational turbulence and hello to smooth skies with CrickBot Beta, the latest AI innovation designed to assist members in navigating the complex world of virtual airline operations.

Developed by a team of aviation enthusiasts, tech wizards, and one over-caffeinated temp, CrickBot is an AI-powered assistant that ensures every virtual pilot is equipped with the knowledge, support, and sarcastic commentary they need to keep their airline flying high. Whether you’re struggling with flight scheduling, aircraft assignments, or deciphering cryptic SOPs written in what can only be described as “pilot hieroglyphics,” CrickBot has got your six.

VA testers are already hailing CrickBot as a game-changer. “Before CrickBot, I spent half my time trying to figure out where I was supposed to be and what I was flying,” says virtual captain Al Titude. “Now I spend half my time arguing with CrickBot about why I can’t take off with zero fuel.” 

“CrickBot is more than just an operations assistant,” says leading Chinese AI 3rd party developer Sum Ting Wong. “It’s like having a virtual first officer who never calls in sick, never spills coffee on the controls, and always has an answer—whether you like it or not.”

Virtual airline pilots can now try CrickBot Beta via the homepage as their go-to resource for operational assistance, ensuring a more immersive and efficient experience in the Fly UK community.

Future Features of CrickBot:

Flight Scheduling Made Easy – Confused about time zones? CrickBot isn’t. It’s like a digital ATC but without the hold times.

Aircraft Assignments Without the Drama – CrickBot ensures you get the right aircraft for the job, unless you insist on flying a Cessna across the Atlantic—then it’ll just mock you.

SOP Translation Services – Turns long-winded manuals into plain English, with just the right amount of snark.

Emergency Situations Support – Need to make an emergency landing? CrickBot will guide you while also reminding you that you should’ve checked the fuel gauge.

24/7 Availability – Unlike human dispatchers, CrickBot doesn’t need sleep, coffee, or a union contract.

Fly UK is heading back to FSWeekend in March on 15th/16th March, its not too late to join us in Lelystad.

We welcome anyone who may be interested to join us for the weekend. Event information can be found below along with a forum post link to event discussions, we also have a FSWeekend channel on our Discord.

https://flightsimweekend.com/

https://flyuk.aero/forums/topic/1025740-fsweekend-15-16-march-2025-lelystad-nl/

Our six A380s have had a successful introduction and have proven popular on the delivery and familiarisation flights. Now, though, it's time for them to earn their keep, and they will start serving out long-haul operations from Saturday, December 21st.

Based at Heathrow, the A380 will serve New York, Miami, Washington DC, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Cape Town, and the Sydney (via Singapore) route. In addition to taking over from the remaining Boeing 747s, several 748, 772 and 789 have been reallocated to routes from Heathrow covering New York, Philadelphia, Shanghai, Cape Town and Bahrain. Gatwick also receives 772 and 789s from Heathrow replacing the 744s based at our second London Base. These now operate the Seychelles, Mauritius, Phoenix, Hanoi and Dhaka routes.

A380 familiarisation hops remain active until 23/12

Boeing 747-400 retirement flights will also be live from 21/12/24 until the end of the year with the airframes heading to LETL Teurel for storage.

Whilst it's a shame to see the venerable 747-400 leave passenger service without a version many of us can fly, the Queen lives on in our fleet for our cargo operations and I know many will look forward to PMDG bringing her back to the skies.

Christmas is fast approaching and here at Fly UK, we always have a few special things and features for our members to enjoy. Here's the rundown of what you can expect and enjoy this festive season.

Christmas Liveries

Our Special Christmas/Winter liveries have returned to the Fleet Centre and are available to download until New Year. The Christmas liveries cover the following aircraft:

• • • Airbus A320-214 (Fenix Simulations, FSLabs Sharklets Variant)
    • Airbus A320-251N (FlyByWire Standalone Package)
    • Boeing 737-800 “Fly UK” and “Fly2” (PMDG Simulations) 
    • Boeing 737 Max 8 (iFly)

Festive Charter Flights

December sees Lapland Charter flights from Monday 2nd December for Fly UK (Operated by Fly2). These festive charters will operate from a selection of airports from the United Kingdom and will operate to typically festive destinations such as Rovaniemi and Ivalo.

Fly2 Winter/Ski Season Flights

Fly2's Canadian holiday ops are live now, Fly2 European Ski season flights commence on 10th December.

December’s Featured Destination
Our Featured Destination for December takes full advantage of the charter flights available and the opportunity to visit Santa in the world-famous Rovaniemi (EFRO).

December’s Screenshot Competition
The UK2000 Sponsored Screenshot competition takes a traditionally festive turn in December, with the theme “Let It Snow.”

Xmas 2024 Tour: “Winter Wonderland"
For this year's Christmas Tour, we tour Polar skies, white mountains and Christmas Markets throughout Europe. Stating in Rekjyavik fly twelve legs through festive and winter famous destinations across Europe before finishing at the closest airport to the North Pole you can operate too.

The “Winter Wonderland” tour is live now and is a Class E tour, as a festive treat allowing all members to fly any aircraft from the Fly UK Group fleet with no rank restrictions.

Xmas 2024 Flying Club Tour
Fly UK’s Flying Club proudly announces our yearly Christmas Flying Club tour. This year, pilots will enjoy a relaxing set of flights from the Italian Island of Elba to Santa’s Grotto in Rovaniemi, Finland. The Flying Club Christmas tour launches on the 1st of December.

Xmas 2024 ‘BizJet’ Tour
The Flying Club  ‘BizJet’ Christmas Tour returns for a second year and runs from Paphos (LCPH) to Rovaniemi (EFRO). The Christmas ‘BizJet’ tour also launches on the 1st of December.

2024 Christmas Social – Sunday 15th December 2024 at 1300z
Christmas can’t be complete without our annual Lapland Social flight! A highlight of the Fly UK event calendar, our Social festive flight takes us from Manchester Airport to Rovaniemi. The event will take place on our private FSD network and we expect mince pie crumbs to be found on arrival......(and empty gluhwein mugs). 

Always a great turnout with fun, banter, the traditional quiz and often a few unsuspecting recipients of the "Pro Peelot Award" 

As Always we wish all members a great festive season, come join us on events, share the spirit and have a great time!

Christmas comes early in a big way at Fly UK!

As promised the largest commercial passenger jet in the world joins the ranks of Fly UK this year. We are thrilled to announce that Fly UK has acquired six A380’s and they are ready to make their way to their hibernation for a lick of Crystal paint before heading to Fly UK’s home at London Heathrow (EGLL).

The airframes have been carefully stored since retirement from their previous carrier at Teruel Airport Storage Facility and are due to be repainted at Airbus’ facility in Hamburg Finkenverder. From there, wearing their new colours, they will be flown to EGLL which will become our A380 home base.

Ad-Hoc flights for this go live at midnight on 16th November and will continue until the end of the month. After this a small number of familiarisation flights will be available to allow pilots to get to grips with the ‘Skyways Super’ callsign and the A380 will then enter Mainstream service from mid-December.

4K Livery including a custom interior is available for download now from our Fleet Centre. 

We hope you enjoy these ad-hoc delivery and familiarisation flights as we phase in the A380 ready for Christmas!

The Fly UK team enter the final stages of the 2024 edition of Worldflight on VATSIM, with so far we've successfully completed all thew legs bringing the Skyways callsign to the fore during the week long event!

From busy airports, tricky approaches, late go-arounds, overloaded controllers and typhoon weather....we've flown 787's, A320's and 737's on the legs. We'll write up post event but the team of members has been superb with some really commitment and long hours.

We have raised just under £600 so far which is awesome and thanks to the Fly UK community for supporting in this

World flight aims to raise money for charities big and small, with Fly UK fundraising for Cancer Research UK.
Read the full press release here.

If you are able to donate, you can do so at the link below.
Any amount is greatly appreciated!

WorldflightCancerResearch

Plus! Come and keep the team company and follow the progress on Discord and VATSIM-Radar in the closing stages which concludes Saturday morning back into Sydney.

2024 is a milestone year for Fly UK, as we celebrate 20 years of operation within flight simulation. In order to celebrate this monumental occasion, Fly UK is joining the 2024 edition of Worldflight on VATSIM, a fantastic group flight that aims to navigate the world in 7 days. 

Starting on the 2nd of November, the Fly UK Worldflight team aims to relay the callsign Skyways Two Zero Yankee (UKV20Y) around the world, following as many of the 42 Wordflight legs as possible. Whereas most official teams use fixed-based simulators, the Fly UK team will be flying the event from the comfort from their own homes, flying on their own simulators throughout the mammoth event. This year, the Worldflight event is scheduled to depart from Sydney and will take participants westbound around the world, visiting a wide variety of airports, from the Middle Eastern powerhouse at Doha to the picturesque Kangerlussuaq in Greenland. 

We will also be hosting a fundraiser throughout the duration of Worldflight for the fantastic charity Cancer Research UK. We’ve chosen Cancer Research specifically because cancer, whether directly or indirectly, has had a huge impact on staff and members over the years and we believe that raising money towards a charity that has done so much good for cancer research is a fantastic way to honour our 20 years of service. Members who wish to donate to the fundraiser can do so at the following link:  https://tinyurl.com/WorldflightCancerResearch. 

Can I track the progress of UKV20Y throughout the event?
Of course! As the event will be flown on the VATSIM Network, the progress of UKV20Y can be tracked via VATSIM Radar, using the following link: vatsim-radar. The Skytrack map will also show a dedicated Worldflight icon for UKV20Y.

Can we join the Group Flight?
We fully encourage anyone who wants to fly with the group during the event to do so. Simply fly on the VATSIM network on any of the Worldflight legs using either your UKV ID Number or UKV APC. All required information on each leg, including approved Simbrief routings and briefs, can be found at the Worldflight website at the following link: https://www.worldflight.center. 

We hope that the event will be as memorable and fun as possible for both the Worldflight team and the VA as a whole.

Topa Sky launches a new Pacific island hub on 1st November at Nadi International Fiji. Along with a selection of ATRs and C208 Caravans from the existing fleet, we have also reactivated the A319s that were designated for retirement and stored at Alice Springs. (new Fenix livery available).

A great selection of routes and rugged airports await, including some stunning Pacific scenery ranging from Bora Bora in the east to the Solomon Islands in the west.

Schedules will go live on 1st November but you can fly the repositioning flights for the A319 fleet now. Search for FL9000 - 9002.

In another move, both the A319 and B737-700 have now been moved to Class E, allowing new members a further option to enjoy our overseas network as part of their early careers as well as much-needed options for X-Plane users to enjoy the early ranks.

Fly UK Worldflight team now enters its planning and preparation phases, 14 members have expressed interest so far.

Full chat and details will be available in our forums but if you wish to take part, now is the time to register interest and availability in the various available legs using the form link at the bottom of this post.

Fly UK staff team will begin to schedule the roster closer to the event, we hope to cover as many legs as is possible.

We have also applied to register Fly UK as an affiliate for the event.

Availability / Leg applications

Final call for our 20th Aniversary meetup on Saturday 14th September Manchester

Event details are confirmed for anyone wishing to attend our meetup.

Daytime

Meet will be at the Runway Visitor Park, members can arrive as early or as late as they wish. Information and directions can be found here https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/attractions/

Group Concorde Tour

Several members (but not all) have booked onto the 14:00 Concorde Platinum tour. This is now sold out however slot remains available for the 10:30 Classic tour and their 20-minute short tours at 11:30, 12:00, 13:30 and 16:00. If you wish to take this opportunity to see G-BOAC close up, book directly via their website https://www.runwayvisitorpark.co.uk/bookings/book-a-tour/

Evening Meal

Courtesy of UKV6540, We have private use of the Panoramic Lounge at the Manchester Airport pub for meals and drinks from 5:30 pm. Food must be ordered by 6 pm due to how busy the pub is and the size of the group. If you haven't already expressed interest in joining this, please do so on the forum so we can manage space and numbers

Accommodation

For those staying over, a variety of options exist, many of the group have booked Premier Inn at Heald Green or Manchester Airport North which is within walking distance from the Runway Visitor Park. I'm sure many staying over will find a local bar in a hotel or otherwise later in the evening.

Transport

We have people coming from local and afar by various means, where able to reduce vehicle footprint, I'm sure options exist and can be discussed closer to the time. Parking at Runway Park is no issue but the Airport Pub would be better to car share for those staying locally.

Communications

For those attending, we have a chat group channel on the Fly UK Discord page as well as a WhatsApp group. Details for these are available on the below forum thread

Forum thread

It's Time for our annual member's survey and in our 20th year, it's never been more important to gauge our member's feedback.

The annual Navigraph survey normally gives some indication as to what the sim community does and seeks, but doesn't cover Fly UK-specific feedback. Whilst we are always listening and looking for trends and requests, it's good to get some views and directions from our members, many of whom have returned since MSFS released. Naturally, we cannot accommodate every request and sometimes they don't fit with Fly UK's aims and ambitions, but we are very keen to ensure the service we provide is strong and caters for as many as possible.

So this is your chance to share your thoughts and views as well as help us understand what our members like and dislike. To complete the survey please use the below link. The survey will remain open until September 30th.

https://forms.gle/JpHrgsRrw6v5Lc2i9

As Fly UK continues to celebrate our 20th anniversary year, we are looking to participate in the charity Vatsim event Worldflight 2024 with a team made up of staff and members.

Whereas most official event teams take part in fixed base simulators, we are looking to relay the callsign "Skyways 20" around the world on as many of the 42 legs as possible with a team joining in from the comfort of their own homes and simulator setups.

We are in the early stages of planning this so looking for interested participants, please find a link to the event and the interest form below.

We hope to make this a memorable event and occasion for the VA and you our members

Worldflight24 website

Team Fly UK Expression of interest

Date - Saturday 14th September

Event details are confirmed for anyone wishing to attend our meetup.

Daytime

Meet will be at the Runway Visitor Park, members can arrive as early or as late as they wish. Information and directions can be found here https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/attractions/

Group Concorde Tour

14 Places are available for a 2-hour tour of G-BOAC for anyone interested at 14:00 on a first come first serve basis. Detail via the forum post linked at the bottom of this message. The cost is £40 and includes your parking at the centre for the day.

Evening Meal

Courtesy of UKV6540, We have private use of the Panoramic Lounge at the Manchester Airport pub for meals and drinks from 5:30 pm. Food must be ordered by 6 pm due to how busy the pub is and the size of the group.

Accommodation

For those staying over, a variety of options exist, many of the group I'm aware of are looking at Premier Inn Heald Green which has close rail links. I'm sure many staying over will find a local bar in a hotel or otherwise later in the evening.

Transport

We have people coming from local and afar by various means, where able to reduce vehicle footprint, I'm sure options exist and can be discussed closer to the time. Parking at Runway Park is no issue but the Airport Pub would be better to car share for those staying locally.

Communications

Aside from our forums, we have a chat group channel on the Fly UK Discord page. A WhatsApp group will be available closer to the time also for coordination

Forum thread