phpVMS
What Is phpVMS? The Virtual Airline Platform Explained
phpVMS is free, open-source web software for running a virtual airline. It gives a VA its website and back office: pilot sign-ups, ranks, a fleet, flight schedules, bids and PIREPs, all in one PHP application you host yourself. Pilots fly in their simulator and an ACARS client files each flight to phpVMS automatically.
Jordan HavardFounder, Skyvex SoftwarephpVMS is open-source software for running a virtual airline (VA) website. It is a PHP web application: you install it on a web host, point a domain at it, and it becomes your airline's crew centre. Pilots register, browse your schedules, book flights and see their logbook. Staff manage the fleet, approve PIREPs and run the airline from an admin panel.
It does not talk to the simulator itself. That job belongs to an ACARS client, a desktop app the pilot runs alongside Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS), X-Plane, FSX or Prepar3D. The client reads the flight and sends it to phpVMS through its API, so the website and the simulator meet in the middle.
What phpVMS Does
Out of the box, phpVMS 7 covers the day-to-day work of running a VA:
| Area | What it handles |
|---|---|
| Pilots | Registration, profiles, pilot IDs, hours and flight counts |
| Ranks | Progression based on hours, with rank-based aircraft access |
| Fleet | Aircraft grouped into subfleets, with each aircraft's location tracked |
| Schedules | Flights between airports, with flight numbers, routes and times |
| Bids | Pilots book a scheduled flight before flying it |
| PIREPs | Filed flights, reviewed and accepted or rejected by staff |
| Live map | In-progress flights drawn from ACARS position reports |
| Finances | Airline income and expenses from flown PIREPs |
| Content | News posts, pages, widgets and a choice of themes |
| Extensions | Modules that add features without editing phpVMS itself |
| API | A REST API that ACARS clients and other tools use |
Pilots use phpVMS in a web browser. Nothing gets installed on their computer except the ACARS client their airline asks them to use. If you want the bigger picture of what else a VA runs alongside it, see virtual airline software.
Who Makes phpVMS and What It Costs
phpVMS is open source, released under the BSD 3-Clause licence, and developed in the open by its maintainers and outside contributors. The code is public, anyone can read it, and you can modify it for your own airline.
The software costs nothing to download or use. Your costs are the things around it: a domain name, web hosting, and any paid add-ons or themes you choose. The phpVMS project runs a forum for installation and configuration questions, and its documentation covers installation, configuration, the API and module development.
phpVMS Versions
There have been several generations of phpVMS, and the version matters when you pick modules, themes and ACARS software.
- phpVMS 5 is the legacy line. It is a different codebase from phpVMS 7, and add-ons written for one don't run on the other.
- phpVMS 7 is the current stable line, with regular point releases. Its installer can import data from a phpVMS 5 database, which is how an airline on phpVMS 5 can move across.
- phpVMS 8 is in development. Check its status on the phpVMS site before planning around it.
If you are starting a VA today, we'd install phpVMS 7. Check that every module and ACARS client you plan to use supports it.
How a Flight Moves Through phpVMS
Every flight follows the same path, whichever ACARS client the pilot uses:
- The pilot bids. They pick a flight from your schedules on the website and book it.
- The flight starts. The ACARS client opens a PIREP in phpVMS with the state "in progress".
- Positions stream in. While the pilot flies, the client sends position reports and log entries. phpVMS stores them and shows the flight on its live map.
- The PIREP is filed. After landing, the client submits the final PIREP with flight time, fuel used, distance and landing details. Its state becomes "pending".
- Staff review it. An admin accepts or rejects it, and accepted flights count towards the pilot's hours and rank.
A pilot can also file a PIREP by hand on the website, but we'd recommend asking for ACARS so the data comes straight from the simulator. ACARS for phpVMS covers that conversation in detail.
What You Need to Run It
phpVMS runs on a standard PHP web host with a database. The essentials:
- A host running a recent version of PHP 8 with the extensions phpVMS lists in its requirements
- A database server of a type phpVMS supports
- The ability to point your domain or subdomain at phpVMS's
publicfolder - A cron job that runs every minute, which phpVMS uses for emails, notifications and finances
- HTTPS on your domain
Free hosting isn't supported, and shared hosting works best when the host allows per-minute cron and doesn't throttle resources too hard. phpVMS hosting goes through what to look for, and how to install phpVMS walks through the installer.
Is phpVMS Right for Your VA?
In our view, phpVMS suits an airline that wants its own website and full control of its data. You get a mature feature set for free, a project forum for help, and a long list of third-party modules and themes.
The trade-off is that you run it. You are responsible for hosting, updates, backups and the occasional broken cron job. If nobody on your team is comfortable uploading files to a server and reading an error log, budget time to learn, or find a staff member who is.
If you have developers on staff, you could build a custom backend instead. That gives total freedom but means writing and maintaining everything phpVMS already does. For a new VA, we think phpVMS is the shorter road to a working airline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is phpVMS free?
Yes. phpVMS is open source under the BSD 3-Clause licence and free to download and use. You still pay for your own domain and web hosting.
Does phpVMS work with MSFS 2024 and X-Plane 12?
phpVMS is a website, so it doesn't connect to any simulator directly. Simulator support comes from the ACARS client your pilots use. If the client supports MSFS 2024 or X-Plane 12 and phpVMS 7, your pilots can fly either.
Do pilots need to install phpVMS?
No. Only the VA installs phpVMS, on its web host. Pilots use the website in a browser and install the desktop ACARS client your airline uses.
Can I upgrade from phpVMS 5 to phpVMS 7?
Yes. The phpVMS 7 installer has a legacy import option that reads your old phpVMS 5 database. Back up both sites first, and expect to replace any phpVMS 5 add-ons, since they won't run on version 7.
Is phpVMS hard to set up?
If you have uploaded a website before, the installer itself is quick. The bigger job is hosting setup (document root, permissions, cron) and then entering your airports, fleet, ranks and schedules. The phpVMS basics guide explains how airlines, airports, fares and subfleets fit together.
Where Stratos Fits
phpVMS 7 sites connect to Stratos, the free ACARS client by Skyvex Software, by installing Skyvex Software's Stratos modules for phpVMS (Stratos Core API, plus the optional Stratos Logbook API), which add the endpoints Stratos needs while your phpVMS site keeps running as it is. Connect phpVMS to Stratos walks through the setup.
Stratos, by Skyvex Software
Bring Stratos
to your airline.
Free for every pilot, and it works with phpVMS or your own backend. We onboard each airline personally and make sure it works with your setup before you go live.