EUROPEAN CARGO VIRTUALPART OF THE BRITISH MIDLAND GROUP
European Cargo — Moving ForwardVIRTUAL AIRLINE

Operations / Plan. Prepare. Fly.

EVERY FLIGHT. A PURPOSE.

A considered approach, from the first briefing to the final shutdown.

Pilot resources

YOUR FLIGHT STARTS HERE.

Download the Group ACARS client, read the ECV guide and prepare your aircraft before your next sector.

01 / ACARS

Download & set up

Open the official release page and download BritishMidlandVirtual.ACARS-win-Setup.exe under Assets. Run the installer, then sign in with your Group pilot account after acceptance. A portable ZIP is also available.

Get Group ACARS

Need an account or installation help? Contact the ECV team in Discord.

02 / HANDBOOK

Operations & information

The ECV guide covers aircraft, hubs, recruitment, progression, operating procedures and reporting. Read it alongside current ECV/BMG announcements and your aircraft checklists.

Read the guide (PDF)

Version 1.0 · October 2026

Group ACARS / European Cargo only

LIVE CARGO OPERATIONS.

Connecting to Group ACARS…

— active ECV flights

Loading map…

Select an ECV flight to view details.

Positions refresh every 5 seconds while this page is visible. Aircraft update times are shown in the flight details. Flight simulation only.

Completed flights / European Cargo only

RECENT CARGO FLIGHTS.

Loading completed reports…

Recent completed ECV ACARS reports
FlightRoutePilotRegistrationBlock timeLandingSubmitted
Waiting for flight reports…

The cargo workflow

BEFORE. DURING. AFTER.

Fly realistically, follow aircraft procedures and log each sector correctly through British Midland Group ACARS.

01

Plan the mission

Review the route, weather, airport facilities and aircraft documentation. Allow enough time for the sector you want to fly.

02

Prepare the departure

Check the load and fuel in your simulator, follow the aircraft’s procedures and make time for a departure briefing.

03

Fly and review

Manage the flight, prepare the arrival and take a moment afterwards to review what went well and what you learned.

A340 on the ramp at night with illuminated red tail

Long-haul mindset

TAKE THE TIME.
ENJOY THE FLIGHT.

The appeal of cargo simulation is in the whole journey. Build your familiarity with the aircraft and choose missions that fit your available time.

We operate from Cardiff, Bournemouth, Birmingham and Teesside. Our Operations & Information Guide covers flight preparation, tracking, arrivals and reporting. Follow it alongside the latest ECV/BMG instructions.

British Midland Group ACARS

FROM FLIGHT PLAN
TO PILOT REPORT.

Choose. Plan. Brief. Connect. Fly. Report.

Sign in to load your pilot profile, rank and statistics, then follow these six steps for your ECV flight.

  1. Choose

    Sign in to ACARS and open My Flight. Search for your departure and arrival by airport name or ICAO, then choose an available fleet aircraft. Scheduled flight numbers fill automatically. For other operations, choose “Custom flight · BMA Tech Ops / European Cargo Virtual”.

  2. Plan

    Select Plan in SimBrief. Review the route, flight number, aircraft and registration, then check fuel, payload, weather and alternates before generating your plan. Return to ACARS and import the generated plan; ACARS checks it against your selected flight and aircraft.

  3. Brief

    Read the dispatch briefing, including flight details, planned weights, fuel, route and operations or airport notices. Expand the SimBrief NOTAM sections as needed. Acknowledge the briefing to unlock simulator connection and flight start. You can reopen it using View Briefing.

  4. Connect

    Load the correct aircraft and registration in MSFS 2024, then connect ACARS to the simulator.

  5. Fly

    Select Start Flight before departure. ACARS tracks your flight phases, timings, fuel use, landing performance and event log throughout the sector.

  6. Report

    After parking, complete the flight and confirm that your pilot report (PIREP) was submitted successfully. Review Flight History and My Statistics; eligible reports count towards statistics and community leaderboards.

Flight-plan and tracking notifications may appear in Discord when the Group’s notification setup is enabled. Read the Operations & Information Guide and current ECV/BMG announcements for operating and charter guidance.

OPERATIONS DESK.

Which simulators and aircraft will be supported?

We fly in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Our primary cargo aircraft are the A340-600F and A340-500F, with Aerosoft and iniBuilds A340 add-ons also accepted. All A340 variants may fly the 28 original scheduled sectors. The Fenix A321 IAE is also part of the fleet; see Fleet for its livery and pending route-assignment details. Browse the European Cargo livery search in Pilot Resources, checking add-on compatibility.

How do dispatch and flight reporting work?

Choose your flight in ACARS, plan in SimBrief and import the generated plan. Read and acknowledge the dispatch briefing, connect to MSFS 2024 and select Start Flight before departure. After parking, complete the flight and confirm successful PIREP submission. The six-step guide above covers the full workflow.

Where do I get ACARS?

The Group’s pilot onboarding provides ACARS installation and access guidance. Join the ECV Discord for application and onboarding guidance.

Does this website show live ACARS flights?

Yes. The live map and recent flights above use the same public Group ACARS feeds as British Midland, filtered to European Cargo flight numbers (URO and ECV).

Where can I find the operating handbook?

Open the Operations & Information Guide from Pilot Resources above. Use it alongside current ECV/BMG instructions and aircraft-specific checklists.

Recruitment open

THE NEXT FLIGHT.
YOUR FLIGHT.

Recruitment is open. Join the ECV Discord to apply and begin your next cargo chapter.

Join European Cargo