The Infinite Flight Community Event Tutorial
Hello! Bonjour! Hola! Guten Tag! Welcome to The Infinite Flight Community Event Tutorial! This tutorial is aimed to show off every aspect of creating an event and to answer any questions you may have about doing so. Events are a great way to engage with the Infinite Flight Community and hopefully after reading this topic in full, you will be ready produce your first IFC Event! Let us begin, shall we?
Contents
Section I - General Overview
Section II - Types of Events
Section III - Extra Tips and Tricks
Section IV - Getting the Community Involved
✈ Inviting Virtual Airlines/Virtual Organizations
✈ Involving The Infinite Flight Air Traffic Control Group - IFATC
Section V - Official Events
Section VI - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Section I - General Overview
About The Events Category
About The Events Category
While the Infinite Flight Community encourages community engagement, there are a few guidelines that you must consider before putting an event together to ensure your event has quality.
General Guidelines:
- To post a topic on the Events Category, you must be TL2 or above. See HERE for more information on trust level
- Events may not be posted more than 30 days before the date of the event
- If the event date is changed, and the new date is outside of this 30-day rule, you must make a new topic when the proposed date is within 30 days
- You may only postpone the event once
- Voice-based ATC events are not permitted
- Users may only post a maximum of 6 events per month
Title Guidelines:
- Titles cannot include sponsorship details of the event
- Titles cannot include attendee numbers
- Titles cannot include anything in brackets
- Titles must be under 120 characters
How To Format The Title
DDMONYY / HHMMZ - Title @ ICAO to ICAO
DD = Day
MON = Month
YY = Year
HH = Hours
MM = Minutes
Z = Zulu Time
Title = Title of your event
ICAO - ICAO (optional) = The 4 letter airport code of the airport your event is departing and arriving to (arrival not needed with certain events)
Example:
01AUG20 / 2000Z - Event Tutorial @ TNCM to TFFJ
Contact @MishaCamp For Questions & More Information. All Guidelines can be found here as well
The Basics of An Event
The Basics of An Event
Let’s start off with what an event is.
Event - noun; a planned public or social gathering occasion
So what does that have any use for you as a future event creator? Well that definition has 3 key things for you to consider…
1.) Planned - Some effort should go into your event posting. Try not to rush it - take your time and plan it out to the best of your ability
2.) Gathering - The point of an event is to bring people together for said event
3.) Occasion - The event should be made with a common goal or occasion to have the said event
It All Starts With An Idea
All events start off as an idea. Having issues developing an event idea? Follow these 6 steps below
1.) Choose the Event Type (Fly-Out/Fly-In/Point-to-Point/Other - See below)
2.) Choose the starting airport
3.) Choose the ending airport
4.) Choose a date and time for this event to occur
5.) Choose what aircraft/livery will be used during this event
6.) Choose the common goal for this event
See This Thread Here: A Guide To Creating Events
Now once you have all of those figured out… You have basically created the event! Now time to get further into details about what each type of event means and what’s entailed in each one…
Section II - Types of Events
On the Infinite Flight Community, events are categorized into 3 main categories. These events all have a different objective to them but all share the common goal in bringing joy to a virtual pilots life.
Fly-In/Fly-Out Events
Fly-In/Fly-Out Events
A fly-in/fly-out is a pre-arranged gathering at a specific airport of pilots/aircraft in which they arrive/depart at the same time for a purpose.
Fly-In | Easy Copy and Paste Format
<div align=center>
# Title
___
About event (in brief)
___
## Event Details
**Sever -**
**Airport -**
**Event Time -** [date=2028-02-29 time=20:00:00 format="LLLL" timezone="America/New_York"] → [date=2028-02-29 time=22:00:00 format="LLLL" timezone="America/New_York"]
___
## Published STARs
**Runway 23L -**
Insert STAR
Insert STAR
**Runway 23R -**
Insert STAR
Insert STAR
[details="Runway 23L Landings"]
| Fly-In Slot | Origin Airport | Airline | Aircraft | Pilot | Callsign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000Z | Denver [KDEN] | Deer Jet Express | CRJ9 | @DeerCrusher | DeerCrusher |
| 2002Z | Melbourne [YMML] | Aussie Airlines | A388 | @Declan_O | D-3CO |
| 2004Z | Rochester [KROC] | Tank Engine Corps | C130 | @tomthetank | Fly-by-Wire |
| 2006Z | Fort Wayne [KFWA] | Smithley Jet Corps | B737 | @JoshFly8 | A8JS |
| 2008Z | Dallas [KDFW] | Shafferland Consulting Express | A321 | @Chris_S | Texan One |
[/details]
___
[details="Runway 23R Landings""]
| Fly-In Slot | Origin Airport | Airline | Aircraft | Pilot | Callsign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000Z | San Francisco [KSFO] | Purdue Boiler Cargo | B77F | @naro | N-RBW |
| 2002Z | Isle of Man [ENGS] | FlyManx | CRJ2 | @AdamCallow | M-agic |
| 2004Z | Calgary [CYYC] | Canadian Sunrise | A359 | @Damian | C-DAME |
| 2006Z | Zurich [LSZH] | Swiss Aviation | DC10 | @Marc | N9MARC |
| 2008Z | Lexington [KLEX] | ATC Skyways | F-16 | @Joe | N192WM |
[/details]
___
Fly-Out | Easy Copy and Paste Format
<div align=center>
# Title
___
About event (in brief)
___
## Event Details
**Sever -**
**Airport -**
**Event Time -** [date=2028-02-29 time=20:00:00 format="LLLL" timezone="America/New_York"] → [date=2028-02-29 time=22:00:00 format="LLLL" timezone="America/New_York"]
___
[details="Terminal 1"]
| Gate | Destination Airport | Airline | Aircraft | Pilot | Callsign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gate 01 | Vancouver [CYVR] | Balloon and Company | B752 | @Balloonchaser | Balloonchaser |
| Gate 02 | Toronto [CYYZ] | Jason Expressways | E175 | @jasonrosewell | C-GANJ |
| Gate 03 | Harrisburg [KMDT] | Shelton Air | B738 | @Tyler_Shelton | N1TJ |
| Gate 04 | London [EGLL] | Regan Commuter | B788 | @RAH | RAH |
| Gate 05 | Stockholm [ESSA] | R2-D2 | B772 | @schyllberg | Rogue One |
[/details]
___
[details="Terminal 2"]
| Gate | Destination Airport | Airline | Aircraft | Pilot | Callsign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gate 01 | Edinburgh [EGPH] | Unicorn Airways | A318 | @MishaCamp | G-MISH |
| Gate 02 | Edinburgh [EGPH] | LiveFlight Limited | B739 | @Cameron | EC-CAM |
| Gate 03 | Munich [EDDM] | Bavaria Air | A359 | @Moritz | Realism Police |
| Gate 04 | Paris [LFPG] | Directeur Général Airlines | B748 | @Laura | N1TG |
| Gate 05 | San Francisco [KSFO] | Rocket Man Aviators | DH8D | @Philippe | N557XC |
[/details]
___
What You Need For a Fly-In/Fly-Out:
- Comprehensive Gate List
- Published Plan [Pushback Plan, Landing Plan, etc]
- Coherent Instructions [Both Pre and During Event]
Examples of Good Fly-In Events:
- [Completed] 29JUN19 / 2100Z | Pacific Joint Event Series | IFVARB VA of The Month Event - Vancouver FlyIn @ CYVR
- [Closed] 06APR19 / 2000Z | Plane & Pilot: Victorville Boneyard Flyin @ KVCV
Examples of Good Fly-Out Events:
Point-to-Point Events
Point-to-Point Events
Point-to-point events are the most common events held in our community! During these events, aircraft fly from one airport to another as a group.
Easy Copy and Paste Format
<div align=center>
# Title
___
About event (in brief)
___
## Event Details
**Sever -**
**Starting Airport -**
**Destination Airport -**
**Aircraft -**
**Livery -**
**Flight Time -**
**Event Time -** [date=2028-02-29 time=20:00:00 format="LLLL" timezone="America/New_York"] → [date=2028-02-29 time=22:00:00 format="LLLL" timezone="America/New_York"]
___
## Flight Details
**Cruise Altitude -**
**Cruise Speed -**
**Flightplan -**
___
## Gates
[details="Gates"]
| Gate | Pilot | Callsign |
|---|---|---|
| Gate 01 | @Asher | Infinite Flight 17 |
| Gate 02 | @Drummer | DRUMMER |
| Gate 03 | @Bobby | N1BK |
| Gate 04 | @Raze | E14-A3 |
| Gate 05 | @lucaviness | L-UCA |
| Gate 06 | @Rob_M | RM03 |
| Gate 07 | @Krypton | KRYPTON |
| Gate 08 | @Chris_Hoss | I F A E Eleven |
| Gate 09 | @IanD | BOE-ING |
| Gate 10 | @TimR | QVG4 |
| Gate 11 | @FlyingTarsier | PR031 |
| Gate 12 | @Luke_M | QJX |
| Gate 13 | @TRDubh | TR-DUBH |
| Gate 14 | @Alex_E | VH-ALX |
| Gate 15 | @VulicityHD | N231ZB |
| Gate 16 | @Manav_Suri | AFKLM016 |
| Gate 17 | @TheAviationGallery | MHVA001 |
| Gate 18 | @Velocity23 | Velocity 23 |
| Gate 19 | @CameronH21 | Nor Shuttle 3204 |
| Gate 20 | @Charlie_Stevens | VH-CHAR |
[/details]
What You Need For a Point-to-Point Event:
- Comprehensive Gate List
- Published Plan [Pushback Plan, Taxi Plan, Flight Plan, etc]
- Coherent Instructions [Both Pre and during Event]
Examples of Good Point-to-Point Events:
Other Types of Events
Other Types of Events
While Fly-In’s, Fly-Out’s and Point-to-Point Events might be the most popular on the Infinite Flight Community, there are plenty of other styles of events! In particular, airshows are one of the most unique and intricate events you may come across here on the IFC. They’re not only fun, they’re also informative, adrenaline-inducing and ‘food for the flying bug’. Unlike most events, they are literal shows! While hosting airshows come with many challenges, there’s many tricks to make your airshow go as planned!
What You Need For a Good Airshow Event:
- Find a suitable location for this airshow - Most airshows are held at Air Force Bases or over large bodies of water like bays or beaches.
- Published Plan - For a successful airshow, you want each performer to have an established time slot for their performance.
- A Team - Unlike a normal event, airshows require a team. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child”; the same philosophy runs for this style of event! You may want to include at least a Commentator, DJ and/or an Air Boss. The Air Boss is basically the show’s controller. He works with the performers similar to ATCs. He advises performers on when to get going - and when their time is over. The Commentator is the guy over the speaker. He guides the spectators through performances, provides info on aircraft and more. A DJ works with the commentator to manage the playlists of songs a performer may include for the show. On top of all of that, you’re going to want the performers to know the ins and outs of how the event is going to work, so you might want to include them on the planning team.
- Tune out Trolling - The worst thing that can happen during an airshow event on the Casual Server is a ‘troll’ comes to try to ruin the event. Don’t let that occur! Go into this event with the mindset that someone will probably show up and not be informed about the thread. While not much can be done to stop an active troll, always try to keep a positive attitude during your event as the ‘Show Must Go On!’
NOTE: Discord is not permitted to be advertised via the Infinite Flight Community. There are exceptions but contact an Infinite Flight Moderator (@moderators) to ask further questions about what you can do
Examples of Good Airshows:
- 09MAY20 / 1400Z | VAC | Infinite Flight International Airshow @ KVQQ
- 27JUL20 / 1700Z - Oshkosh First Ever Airshow Competition Aerobatics! @ KOSH
Examples of Good Summits:
Section III - Extra Tips and Tricks
Discourse Formatting
Discourse Formatting
The Discourse interface can sometimes be tricky to understand; but it doesn’t have to be! If you are having any issues at all with Discourse formatting while creating your event, continue reading!
Hide Details
This feature allows you to hide information. To hide them, simply press the ⚙ icon (See image 1, 11. [a]) and select Hide Details.
Horizontal Rule
AKA page break. This feature allows you to separate text with a line. To make that line appear, there are 3 options:
- Use 3 or more asterisks (*)
- Use 3 or more underscores, also known as underdashes (_)
- Use 3 or more dashes (-)
Example - (*) / (_) / (-)
___
***
---
Result
Another cool option to separate text is the following:
Example - “>”
>
Result
Text Alignment
You have the ability to align the text right or center
Centered Text
To get a centered text, simply use <div align=center> Text </div>
Example
<div align=center>
This is a centered text
</div>
Example
This is a centered text
To get a text aligned, simply use <div align=right> Text </div>
Example
<div align=right>
Thanks
</div>
Example
Thanks
You are advised to leave some space between the div format (as shown above) otherwise, there is a possibility this function not to work.
Headings
If you want to make your text bigger and bold, you have many options that give different results.
- For large heading add one # in front of the text
- Smaller than the previous one add 2 # in front of the text
- Even smaller, but still big add 3 # in front of the text
If you put more than 3 #, the text will appear just bold.
Example - Large Heading / Smaller one / Even smaller one
# Community
## Community
### Community
Results
Community
Community
Community
Large / Small Normal Text
To make the text just big or small, without being bold, add <big> for bigger text or <small> for smaller text
Example - Big / Small text
<big> Big text
<small> Small Text
Results
Big text
Small Text
You should always close the above commands otherwise, everything will be either Big or Small. To close them, add either </big> or </small> at the end of the text you want to appear big or small.
For ultra small text, use the following format:
<small><small><small>example</small></small></small>
Example
<small><small><small>example</small></small></small>
Result
example
Text Surrounded By A Box
Table
Something that is been used very often is the table. To create a table, use the following format:
| (Option 1) | (Option 2) | (Option 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
You can continue adding options and columns.
Example
|Trust Level|Votes| Option 3|
|---|---|---|
|TL0|0 Votes|-|
|TL1|5 Votes|-|
|TL2|10 Votes|-|
|TL3|15 Votes|-|
Result
| Trust Level | Votes | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|
| TL0 | 0 Votes | - |
| TL1 | 5 Votes | - |
| TL2 | 10 Votes | - |
| TL3 | 15 Votes | - |
Blue Text
You don’t have the ability to change the color of the letters, but there is a trick. You can make the text blue, like the text which works as a link, but with the only difference, there will be no link.
To do that, simply use the following format and your text where it says Text:
[Text]()
Example
[**Blue Text**]()
Result
Earning a Reputation
Earning a Reputation
Earning a reputation through Infinite Flight Community Events is one main way to boost the attendance at your event! Earning a reputation isn’t hard either… Why don’t you begin today?
How to Earn a Reputation:
- Post events on a regular basis (even once a month is fine)
- Post well thought out events
- Don’t cancel your events unless necessary
- Invite VAs/VOs
- Post something that the community would want
How NOT to Earn a Reputation:
- Cancel your events because “It’s not popular enough”
- Cancel your events because “I want to fly with my Virtual Airline Instead”
- Cancel your events in general
^ If you don’t get the point - People dislike signing up for an event just to be told that it’s cancelled. If you don’t need to cancel it, don’t! Make sure you have a free schedule prior to posting your event to ensure the chances of cancellation are decreased.
Section IV - Getting the Community Involved
Inviting Virtual Airlines/Virtual Organizations
Inviting Virtual Airlines/Virtual Organizations
The Infinite Flight Community was built on the community aspect. One of the main ways the community interacts besides the community forum is through Virtual Airlines (VAs) or Virtual Organizations (VOs). These VAs/VOs usually have daily flights, and communicate amongst each other over a third party platform (slack, discord, etc). One of the main aspects to enhance the VA sector of the Infinite Flight Community is through community events. While many VAs post their own weekly events, the VA community is always looking for interesting events for their VA to partake in.
Events are the lifeblood of the Virtual Airline/Virtual Organization community and takes advantage of the fundamental feature of Infinite Flight Pro. Well-organized events provide an opportunity for Virtual Airlines and Virtual Organizations to come together and fly with each other. Flying together provides moments of camaraderie and are excellent places for community building. When planning your next event, I encourage you to check out the IFVARB Database for VAs and VOs that may be interested in participating in your next event! - @Danman - IFVARB Admin
How To Contact a VA:
- Figure out what Virtual Airlines would possibly be interested in your event
- Check the IFVARB Database for those Virtual Airlines.
- Click ‘View Details’
- Contact the CEO or the Events Manager by clicking on their Username
- Click ‘Message’ on their IFC Profile
- Politely ask if their Virtual Airline would be interested in joining your event! Give details on your event and explain yourself and your plan.
Know that Virtual Airlines might decline your invite. Just be polite and understand their reasoning to decline
Involving The Infinite Flight Air Traffic Control Group - IFATC
Involving The Infinite Flight Air Traffic Control Group - IFATC
The Expert Infinite Flight Air Traffic Control Group (IFATC) loves controlling Infinite Flight Community events but due to the high number of requests for their services, the IFATC team will no longer be accepting direct requests via PM. Instead, Infinite Flight staff will be selecting one (1)-three (3) events per month from the community to incorporate into the Expert Server ATC Schedule.
Tips to help your event get noticed and possibly get featured:
- Don’t make events specifically to get ATC services
- Make your events well-organized
- Make your events unique
- Don’t PM @Tyler_Shelton or other IFATC upper management - doing so will disqualify your event from future consideration
Read More About IFATC’s Event Policy: IFATC Event Policy
Section V - Official Events
All of these events are currently run by @MishaCamp. He is Social Media and Community Management Staff at Infinite Flight! These are the events that are seen with the #officialevent and/or #fnf tags and tend to see a fair amount of traffic! Let’s take a further look into each Official Event Infinite Flight hosts!
Friday Night Flight
Friday Night Flight
Friday Night Flight (#fnf) has been an Infinite Flight Tradition since late 2015! The idea behind this event is that no matter what occurred during the week; we can all come together through Infinite Flight and explore a region of the world and end the week off right! No signups are required for FNF’s but they must only be posted by Staff Members! All non-official Friday Night Flight events will be closed without warning. If you are wanting to partake in the next Friday Night Flight, check back every Thursday in the Events category or on Infinite Flight’s social media platforms! They can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @infiniteflight.
Examples of Previous Friday Night Flights:
Flash Flight’s
Flash Flight's
Infinite Flight Flash Flights are a great way to show how our community truly comes together within roughly a 2-hour time period. These types of events have been occurring since the Live Servers were released to the public in late 2014. @MishaCamp has recently begun a Flash Event Series called “Whacky Racing”. This series aims at bringing the community together for a friendly competition! If you are wanting to partake in the next Flash Flight, be on the lookout in the #live:groupflights category as well as on Infinite Flight’s many Social Media platforms for an announcement @infiniteflight. All flash flights will have the flash-flight tag.
Section VI - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Frequently Asked Questions
Partnerships vs Sponsorships: Whats the Difference?
NOTE: All Event’s involving the joint participation agreement of VA’s/VO’s are considered Partnerships UNLESS money is exchanged!
Events and Groupflights: Whats the Difference?
#live:groupflights are typically posted within 3 hours prior to the flight whereas Events are posted up to 30 days prior to the event. The only real difference is the amount of time the Infinite Flight user base has to sign up for the occasion.
How can I get more people to attend my event?
To summarize this tutorial; here are the main points that you should take into account to make your event more appealing to the Infinite Flight Community:
- Make it interesting (new style of event, cool airport, etc)
- Host the event on a good date (weekends work best)
- Host the event at a good time (1600Z-0000Z works best. All depends on your target region though)
- Partner with Virtual Airlines/Virtual Organizations
- Promote through social media platforms
What aircraft can fit in each gate?
Displayed above is the Spawn Size Chart for Infinite Flight. This is the chart that the Infinite Flight Airport Editing Team uses when determining the size of the spawn. When planning the gates for your event, use this chart as well!
Can I host an event? What TL do I have to be?
As per the Event Community Guidelines by @MishaCamp, if you are a Trust Level 2 (TL2) or higher, you may post an event.
Read This Topic Regarding Why You Must Be TL2: Why do I have to be TL2 to make events? - #35 by philippe
Read This Topic On Trust Levels: https://community.infiniteflight.com/t/why-have-i-not-reach-trust-level-x/464334
How do you choose the airports and routes for my event?
For Fly-In’s and Fly-Out’s specifically, choosing the routes can be difficult at times - but it doesn’t have to be! There are plenty of great resources out there:
How do I time my Fly-Ins perfectly so people arrive together?
Fly-In’s take a lot of planning but if they go to plan, it is quite rewarding! Here’s some things that you can do to ensure that your event goes to plan…
Tips & Tricks:
- Give pilots set arrival slots
- Instruct them to takeoff early. Pilots can always slow their aircraft down; can’t always speed up. Taking off early increases the pilots’ odds of hitting their slot time
- Utilize multiple runways (if applicable)
- Have a set plan in place - ensure that all participants are aware of this plan
- Communicate during the event to ensure that the event goes smoothly (IFC Group PM’s work fine)
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment them down below. My PM box is also open for any inquires on how you can improve your event. Best of luck to all of the event creators on your future events! Can’t wait to see all of the great events!
Credits
Lead of Project - @Balloonchaser @Asher
Community Manager - @MishaCamp
Banner Credits - @Moritz
Special Thanks To - @Aaron.C @Nate_Schneller @Ryan @Adam @Gliding_Central @Kamryn @Trey @Luke_M @AviationReports @IanD @lucaviness @KaiM @Chris_Hoss @Babacar @Sashaz55 @Krypton @TRDubh @Manav_Suri @Thunderbolt @Charles_S @CaptainLeo1 @Raze @Rob_M @Guxk