toby23

This looks amazing! The dev tools can really test your patience, so this is admirable work.

Good catch, thank you! I have fixed 'Add Custom Airport' to accept 3–5 character ICAO codes. Please re-open VECTOR, it should automatically refresh with the latest version v.2.4.7 You can also press CTRL+SHIFT+R to force a reload of VECTOR's webpage. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

Update v2.4 - VECTOR now shows a route map and live METARs on the flight briefing once you accept a contract. Departure and arrival weather pull in automatically, with a flight category badge (VFR/MVFR/IFR) and the full raw METAR underneath to help you decide if you want to fly in the current live weather conditions. Fly safe(r) 🫡

I have experimented with long haul previously but VECTOR is designed for sort hauls only, so no.

Thanks Steve, and congrats yourself for catching all this in one read. Winds aloft: no, not currently. VECTOR doesn't pull live or forecast wind data, so route feasibility and fuel numbers are based on a flat block-fuel-per-nm figure for each airframe, still-air basically. SimBrief is where the actual wind-aware plan gets built, VECTOR's job is handing you a route and payload that are realistic to begin with, not the final flight plan. Fuel burn-off en route: you guessed right. It's a flat average burn rate per nm rather than a curve that eases off as the aircraft gets lighter over the flight. So yes, it's a simplification, and yes, it leans conservative rather than optimistic, since a flat rate calculated against a fully loaded aircraft will always overestimate burn on the back half of a sector compared to reality. That does cost some range and pairing options at the margins, but I'd rather it undersell range than oversell it. Fuel tank capacity: yes, that is factored in for jets specifically, it's one of the real limiting factors alongside distance-based range, not just an afterthought. The checkbox idea for ignoring a type ban is a good one, and honestly there isn't one right now, those restrictions (like the EGLC/EGNS steep approach limits that catch aircraft like the FSS 727) are hardcoded rather than optional. I've added it to the list for when I next have time to work on this. Thanks again for the kind words on the new job, and for actually reading the README closely enough to ask questions like these. Toby

VECTOR v2.3 is online! For anyone who followed along back in June: thank you, genuinely. This started as a "why doesn't this exist yet" idea and turned into a lot of long days and late nights getting the numbers right. Since then I've found a new job, so I won't be pushing updates at the pace I was over the summer. VECTOR isn't going anywhere though, I'll keep it maintained and I've still got a couple of features I want to add when time allows. What's new in v.3: Only use Navigraph airports as an optional toggle. Job tickets show what approaches are actually available at the destination, so you know before you fly. You can now select VFR or IFR to set correct altitudes and there's a "prefer lower altitude" option for anyone who'd rather stay under class A airspace. The biggest layout change: you get three job tickets to choose from now instead of one, so there's actually choice involved instead of just accepting whatever the dispatcher selects for you. Underneath all of that, most of the actual work this cycle went into the dispatch logic itself, not the interface. Runway suitability, MLW on arrival after fuel burn, payload versus what the airframe can lift, cruise altitude versus terrain and aircraft ceiling. None of that is visible in a screenshot but it's the part that decides whether the flight VECTOR hands you is one you could genuinely fly, not just a route with numbers attached. More details can be found in the updated README. And if someone had told me at the beginning how much information needs to be analysed and calculated to dispatch a flight accurately, I'm not sure I would have started this project. It's been an unforgettable, incredible journey and a definite highlight in the 18 years or so that I have been simming. Same as always: runs in your browser, nothing to install, no account, no telemetry, and yes, it's still free. Toby

Thank you, love your airport collection and really appreciate a toggle for static aircraft.

New in VECTOR - Airport map for the full database. All airports in VECTOR’s database are now on a shared Google Map you can open straight from the app. Airports are separated by Third Party, Hand-Crafted, Gliderports and Small Detailed Airports to make it easy to find what you are looking for. In VECTOR, click 🧭 Map of Airports in Database. You can also view the maps in Google Earth if you prefer. Use it to see which airports VECTOR includes in each region, plan routes, or check coverage before you dispatch. Screenshots below. As always, feedback welcome!

Hi Rob, yes, that can happen as SimBrief does not include all airports that are included in MSFS 2024, or in VECTOR's database. SimBrief relies on commercial databases (like Jeppesen) meant for commercial aviation, whereas MSFS 2024 generates its scenery from a much broader geographical dataset. This is also why I provide a link to download an MSFS .pln file that can be imported into MSFS directly and used together with the EFB Charts and Maps.

VECTOR update - long-haul mode removed A quick heads-up for anyone using VECTOR for long-haul sectors. Long-haul mode has been removed from the latest build, updating later today. The “Enable long-haul flights” option is gone; VECTOR now focuses on short-haul dispatch (40–120 minutes). Why: VECTOR was built to generate flights to and from the MSFS 2024 payware airports that I own in one click, something I couldn’t find elsewhere. It grew into a broader tool (curated Asobo + third-party airport DB, 100+ aircraft, 250 missions, military missions/airports, gliding missions and gliderports, custom airports/aircraft, editable logbook, and a lot of community-driven ideas). I’m grateful for all of your feedback. VECTOR was always meant to complement SimBrief, not replace it. Long-haul planning needs depth and accuracy that dedicated tools handle better, e.g. APLv2 for long sectors. VECTOR fits short-haul flying without time compression; for oceanic and ultra-long work, those alternatives are the better path. Thanks for flying with VECTOR and for your support. Toby

I looked at a user-adjustable long-haul block time, but couldn’t get it to behave reliably with routing, fuel, payload, and SimBrief, so I'm not adding that for now. I invested a lot of time at the weekend into finding a good approach for long-haul, and am experimenting with some options, which I will add it if I can get it working reliably. Hope that helps.

Personally, I find Opentrack better because I do not have to wear headphones with a Track-IR attached/ or a cap and there are no issues with sunlight shining on the sensor and making Track-IR freak out. Tobii hurts my eyes. Like I said, it's just my personal experience, YMMV.

You can download a pdf of the settings that I use from THIS LINK. It's important that you set your webcam to 720p as that activates 60fps mode in most webcams.

Not a direct response to your question but having used Track-IR and Tobii, I now use the free software 'opentrack' instead with my webcam and it's improved my sim quality of life tenfold, it's better than Track-IR, better than Tobii and you can assign a button on your keyboard or peripheral to pause tracking. I can fly without wearing headphones with a Track-IR bolted to the side and my eyes don't hurt from the Tobii IR beams, YMMV. Happy to answer any questions if you go down this route and haven't already repurchased the Tobii.

Worth clarifying: the fix isn’t the message itself, it’s the new runway/weight logic behind it. Previously, VECTOR treated the aircraft’s MTOW takeoff distance as a hard limit at every airfield, so some realistic departures (like EGFF in a 737) were blocked. Now it works more like a real-world dispatcher: route fuel is reserved first (trip, taxi, and a planning reserve), then payload is reduced until takeoff weight fits the available runway, only then is the flight dispatched. The popup is just a NOTAM telling you that happened. SimBrief remains where you file proper fuel and takeoff performance.

Thanks for the kind words, really glad you’re enjoying VECTOR. I have updated the code and below is a quick clarification on what you’re seeing now versus before: Previously: routes like EGFF in the iFly 737 could hit a hard block: “The runway is too short for your currently selected aircraft…” and dispatch would stop. Now: if the route is workable at a reduced takeoff weight, you will get an information popup instead. It can look like an error because it’s an alert box, but it isn’t: “Takeoff weight reduced for runway length at EGFF / EGYD. Payload limited; plan fuel normally.” VECTOR has noted that the shorter runway is below the type’s MTOW takeoff distance in the fleet data (737 MAX 8: 8,300 ft vs EGFF 7,717 ft), so payload is capped accordingly. Data VECTOR uses: fleet MTOW, OEW, and min runway at MTOW; airport runway length; plus a planning allowance for trip + taxi + ~30 min reserve. It is not a full Boeing ACG / flex / wind / slope calculation, which is why SimBrief’s T/O performance tool can look more optimistic, and that’s expected. If you still get the old “runway too short” message with no dispatch, tell me your VECTOR version and the exact dep/arr and I will take a look, you should be seeing v=2.2.3 in the url line at the top of the browser, or App version 2.2.3 at the bottom of the Settings page. CTRL+F5 will always force a refresh of the page but should not be required. Thanks again for testing and for the feedback. Things are looking good on the job front, thank you, so I’m very happy to have put the finishing touches to Vector today, only small updates, like for EGFF, required from now on.

VECTOR v2.2 I’ve uploaded a major rewrite of the dispatch engine. If you’ve been using VECTOR for a while, the UI should still feel familiar but how missions get picked, weighted, and matched to aircraft is almost entirely new. What changed: Each aircraft type now has explicit mission pools. This speeds everything up and ensures you will always get a suitable mission for your selected aircraft. Add Custom aircraft has been simplified. Mission roles now drive what you missions can fly. Cache handling improved so you shouldn’t need Ctrl+F5 every update. What didn’t change: You still pick an aircraft and hit dispatch. No account, no subscription. Thanks for flying VECTOR.

Hi Wayne, sorry about that. Sometimes the files get stuck validating on Github. I've just checked and it is working, so could you please try CTRL+F5 to refresh the page? You should see App version 1.1.65 at the bottom of the Settings page.

Vector Flight Dispatch — Long Haul Update (v.1.1.58) Long haul dispatch is now available! Routing Options: Select if you want to fly to/from, or only in, the Americas, Europe & Rest of the World or Worldwide. ⏳ Enable Long haul flights: Extends the flight-time slider up to 19 hours. Routes are matched to your target block time within about ±30 minutes. Long haul missions: A dedicated mission pool for extended sectors, including Intercontinental airline, freight, executive, and military cargo missions. Database Update: UK2000 MSFS 2024 products added (37 airports) Contrail - Dassault Falcon 50 added Just Flight - F70 and F100 added Stratoware x Miltech Simulations - MBB Bo 105 added Refresh the page Ctrl+F5 to load the latest files. Feedback welcome! Enjoy those long haul sectors!

Vector Flight Dispatch - Glider update (v1.0.82) Glider support is now live. 972 additional MSFS 2024 Detailed Small Airports and Glider fields have been added to the database (346 glider strips, plus 626 suitable small GA fields), bringing the searchable total to about 1,850 airports alongside the existing main set. Six glider/motor-glider types are supported (Asobo DG-1001E, LS8-18, Stemme S12G, Pipistrel Taurus M, Got Friends AS 33 Me & Discus-2c), with six new Gliding missions - local soaring, cross-country tasks, instruction, ferry, and practice tasks. Routes are capped at max. 50 nm cross-country, with local flights when nothing suitable is in range. Feedback always welcome - especially on routing and mission wording. Thanks to JohnnyT5000 for the MSFS 2024 Detailed Small Airports database that this builds on.

Update: Lots of changes under the hood to ensure accuracy, speed, reliability and ease of use, plus a new logo and a fresh coat of paint. * Owned airports highlighted in green on Flight Dispatch Details, so you can see if you need to activate the scenery in your Addon Manager. * Custom airports or airframes can now be individually removed, if you make a mistake or want to remove an entry. * Your Last flight is saved to memory, so it you forget to save it to your logbook, you now have the option to save it before your next flight. * Light Mode / Dark Mode / Greyscale Mode. * Collapsible User Preferences Menu to keep things simple. I hope that you are enjoying using VECTOR, Toby

Thanks for the feedback, glad you’re enjoying the tool. The Owned Airports list works a bit differently from the departure search box. Owned Airports tells the dispatcher: “When I leave departure blank and let it pick a random route, then prefer airports I own.” It does not add airports to the searchable database on its own. The Departure Airport field only shows airports that already exist in the database, either in the built-in master list, or ones you’ve added yourself under Settings → Add New Airport (to Local DB). KPOV isn’t in the master database, so it won’t appear when you type in the departure field until you add it manually with its latitude and longitude. What to do: Open Settings & Database Tools Scroll to Add New Airport (to Local DB) Enter KPOV, name, latitude, longitude (and military checkbox if needed) Save/add the airport Keep KPOV in your Owned Airports list if you want preferred routing when departure is left blank Click Save Airport Preferences After that, KPOV should appear when you type in the departure field, and you can use it as a fixed departure. I hope this helps answer your question? Quick summary: Owned Airports = routing preference (when departure is blank) Add New Airport = actually puts a missing airport into the database Departure field = search/select only from airports in that database

VECTOR — browser flight dispatcher (update) Posted here last week. Some of you said wow, some said doesn't work but the feedback was useful, so here's a proper update. What it is: VECTOR — a free browser dispatcher for MSFS 2024. No installer. No Community folder. No executables. No accounts. Just a webpage. What it does in one click: route, mission, cruise alt, payload, SimBrief or .pln download. What's improved since last week: Fleet up to 95 aircraft; missions up to 200+ scenarios LOWI approved for 737-600/700/800 + A319/320/321 with restricted payload Logbook, owned-airport priority, military/contractor toggles, custom aircraft/airport forms Browser auto-refreshes to latest version If it "didn't work" last time, common fixes: Pick the aircraft from the dropdown list (typing a partial name can be quicker) Leave departure blank first - a random route is the fastest test Refresh (CTRL+F5) once if you cached an old build — this will be automatic now Link: https://manicminer00.github.io/global-flight-dispatcher/ Still free. Still maintained by one person in spare hours. If you try it and it fails, reply with aircraft + departure ICAO and I'll actually look at it. Enjoy.

@Mike62 Hi Mike, apologies, there was an error in the code, that I fixed a few days ago, that was saving custom airports with incorrect Lat, Lon. (in England). I have just added KHQM to the database to save you the trouble. Just clear your custom database and refresh the page with CTRL + F5. You do not need to add the airport again. I have added a 40 minute option to the slider, and 10 minute increments, so that you can pick up flights to a few more local destinations. Regarding the slider not moving, that's not a behaviour that it has, so I would press CTRL+F5 to refresh the page, just in case your browser has saved an older version of the code.

Ryan, you can add the ICAO codes of airports that you own into my dispatch tool and it will dispatch flights to and from your owned airports, where it can find valid routes. If the airports are not included in the master database, you can add them to your own custom database. 800+ airports are included by default. You add the ICAO codes in the Settings section, see below. Link to the Dispatch Tool