Frequently Asked Questions

What is vataware?

vataware is a comprehensive flight tracking platform for the VATSIM network. It provides flight tracking history for the virtual aviation community.

What is VATSIM?

VATSIM is a free online network where aviation enthusiasts can connect flight simulators and experience realistic air traffic control. It's a community-driven platform that simulates real-world aviation procedures and protocols.

How often is data updated?

Flight data is updated in near real-time, typically every 30-60 seconds.

How long does this data go back?

The oldest data available is from October 29th, 2025.

How reliable is the data?

The data quality is generally pretty good, though no guarantees are made regarding validity since we don't control the source data. The information comes from the same data feed that powers all other VATSIM tracking applications. This feed can occasionally experience outages, sometimes lasting several hours.

What types of flights are tracked?

All flight types are tracked including IFR, VFR, SVFR, and DVFR flights. Flights are tracked from the moment they appear in the VATSIM data feed regardless of whether a flight plan is filed.

How can I search for flights?

You can search for flights using any of the search functions in the sidebar. If you search for an exact match, you'll be redirected directly to the relevant details page.

What flight information is available?

For each flight, you can view: callsign, aircraft type, departure and arrival airports, flight times, current position and altitude, speed, flight path history, and flight plan details (when filed). Historical flight data is preserved for completed flights.

Why doesn't my flight show up or what happened to my flight data?

Flights are automatically marked as "missing" after a few minutes of not receiving data. Missing flights are then either finalized as "arrived" (if considered landed) or deleted entirely after about an hour.

If you disconnect mid-flight and reconnect later, vataware may create a new flight record rather than continuing the previous one. This can result in the loss of your earlier flight data.

How do I report issues or suggest features?

Send an email to admin@vataware.net for all issues including data problems (typos, wrong flags/countries), technical issues, or feature requests. Please include the URL where you noticed the problem when reporting data issues.

Is vataware an official VATSIM service?

vataware is a third-party service that uses publicly available VATSIM data. While it integrates with VATSIM data feeds, it is not an official VATSIM application. For official VATSIM services and support, visit the VATSIM website.