SkyOps FAQ

What is SkyOps?

Skyops is a mission based "sit and go" system. All you need to do is tune your radio to 122.11 and ask for a mission! Think of SkyOps as a big company with multiple divisions: Search and Rescue, VIP charters, Cargo... etc. Welcome to the company! See "Mission Types" at the bottom of the page for details.

What airport should I start from?

The airport you start from can determine the type of missions you'll get in certain situations.  If you're off the coast of Florida in the summer-time and request a search and rescue mission, you're likely to get a water rescue. If you're in the middle of the Montana wilderness in the winter, you might get a missing snowmobiler. 

You can fly from any airport, anywhere in the world.

What kind of missions can I fly?

Right now there are seven types of missions supported.  (1) Search and Rescue (applicable if you're in a helicopter),  (2) Search Only (applicable if you're in a fixed-wing airplane), (3) VIP (any aircraft), (4) Cargo (any aircraft), (5) Air Ambulance, (6) Firefighting, (7) Aircraft Ferrying.  The dispatcher will automatically assign you a mission appropriate for your aircraft if you do not specify, but will start with our most important mission, Search and Rescue (See below to understand how it knows what kind of aircraft you're flying). 

How do I fly a mission?

1) Get your crew --  Go to settings, intercom, and select a "SkyOps" crew. There are a few to choose from, and we'll be adding lots more.

2) Make sure you've mapped a button as your "Intercom" PTT.

3) Pick up your mission by tuning your radio to 122.11 - This is the SkyOps Operations Dispatcher. Tell them you'd like to pick up a new mission (You can be more specific if you'd like. eg. "Id like to pick up a cargo mission within 100 miles".  [Note: For now, this can take up to 30 seconds!! Be patient!].   Note that tuning 122.11 requires you to set your COM radios for 8.33khz spacing.

4) Note the information given. For Search and Rescue (Heading, distance, lat/lon, etc.) and program your GPS with those target coordinates. Note that this is still "search" in search and rescue -- those coordinates will get you within about 3 miles of the incident site. From there, you're on your own. For other missions, they will give you the destination airport. You get to figure out how you get there!

5) For Search and Rescue. If applicable, you should also note the hospital you are going to if transport is necessary. Have google maps handy, this may not be on Navigraph or your EFB. (However, on MSFS 24, most helipads are in the EFB).

6) Wait for your crew to board. They will do this automatically.

7) Fly the mission. If Search and Rescue, look for any signs of the incident site by looking for smoke, flares, etc.

8) If Search and Rescue, once you spot the incident site, you'll want to notify dispatch.

If you're doing just search, you still need to do two things to complete your mission.. (1) Radio back the exact lat/lon coordinates of the incident site to the SkyOps dispatcher, or let them know to use your GPS position, and (2) Land the plane, then radio dispatch and tell them you're done. 

Your mission is now complete!

However, if you're equipped for rescue... (e.g. you're in a Helo)

Don't land -- and don't tell dispatch you're done. You've found the site, but now you've got work to do!!!!!!!

9) Decide what kind of rescue this situation requires. You can land right at the site, land a short distance and ask your crew to hike in, or you can do a repelling insertion. Just tell your crew what you'll be doing, and what you're expecting from them. (Use that Intercom PTT button to talk to them).

10) Tell your team when they are safe to exit the aircraft. They will start their search

11) If they are taking a long time, you can ask them for an update.

12) Once they return to the helicopter, head off to the hospital.

13) When you land at the hospital, advise your crew that they can unload the patient. 

14) Remember to keep Ops updated of everything that's happening!

15) Once finished, return to base (any airport) and report back to the SkyOps dispatcher that your mission is complete!

What should be callsign be?

THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!

If you're flying a helicopter, you MUST use a callsign in the SayIntentions app that clearly denotes you are in a Helicopter (otherwise you will be assigned a mission that's for airplanes). You can use the callsign Helicopter, Medevac, Medivac, Lifeflight, Life-Flight, or Rescue.

Does this integrate with Career Mode on MSFS, Neofly, OnAir, etc.?

Not yet. Integration with MSFS 2024 career mode is not currently possible. We are considering integrating with other add-ons.

Will there be objects injected at the scene and/or the hospital helipad?

Yes, a limited number of objects are available for injection at both the incident site and the hospital helipad. However, we are working very hard to rapidly expand the list of available objects. Note that the AI has full authority to design the incident site and the hospital scene as it sees fit, based on the objects available.

Again, this is a work in progress, but a very high priority for us.

I'm flying a helicopter and it wont let me land at the scene!

You most likely don't have your callsign set up correctly. In the app, click on the settings cog, then identity. In that field, use the previously mentioned terms in the aircraft model (eg, Helicopter). You'll have to start a new mission. Remember, in the identity window, if you mention helicopter or the above mentioned terms, it will always think you are a helicopter!

Do I have to stay tune to 122.11 the entire mission?

Nope! Once you get your mission, your dispatcher waits for your updates so he can log them. Just remember to go check in with him every once in a while, its lonely at the dispatch center. Your mission stays active until you complete it, and/or press "new flight" 

Can I specify specific mission details?

Absolutely! Skyops will do it's best to accommodate your requests, as long as they are realistic. A real good example is if you want to fly a Cargo mission, you can ask for missions within a certain distance, or even specify the specific airport! 

Types Of Missions:

SEARCH AND RESCUE:    You are tasked with flying out to someone in distress, if you are in a helicopter, you will be expected to land and deploy your SAR crew to help the victims or victims and fly them to the hospital! If you are flying a plane, your job is to locate the area of the victim, and relay that to SkyOps dispatch who will coordinate ground rescue.

VIP TRANSPORT:    You are flying for SkyOps VIP charters! You will be transporting VIP's to their destinations, get them there quick and happy. These missions can be flown with any type of aircraft.

CARGO:    Skyops Cargo handles all sorts of cargo! Between flying in supplies to grass strips, to landing the biggest cargo jets at the largest airports, we do it all! 

AIR AMBULANCE:    SkyOps Air Ambulance handles interfacility transfers between airports, transferring patients needing critical treatment to their destinations. Helicopters and GA planes are best for these missions. 

FIRE:    Skyops Aerial Firefighting brings you into the world of the frequently unsung heroes! Ask your dispatcher for a fire mission and take to the skies to put out the fires. You will need a water capable aircraft such as the CL-415, the AT-802, or the HPG H145 (unfortunately the S-64 Skycrane is not appropriately modeled right now and does not work for firefighting) . Keep hitting those fires, and your crew will let you know when you've got it extinguished. 

FERRY:     SkyOps Ferry Flights give you the opportunity to handle the essential task of repositioning aircraft! Whether you're moving an aircraft for maintenance, lease, or operational needs, your dispatcher will assign you a ferry mission tailored to your skills. These missions can involve anything from small private planes to large commercial jets. Ensure the aircraft arrives safely at its destination, ready for its next assignment. 

Troubleshooting:

YOU'LL NEED TO GET A SKYOPS CREW SET UP...:     If you get this message from the dispatcher, it is usually one of three reasons. First, check your settings. Select the  intercom page, and make sure you have a SkyOps crew assigned. If you do and it still does not work, then check your main page. Ensure intercom is displayed as below. If it is dark green, click the button to activate. Both buttons should look like this image.

If it still does not work, it might be an issue with your aircraft system overrides menu. Go to experimental in your settings menu, ensure all the boxes are NOT selected as displayed below and restart the app. 

If this still does not solve your problem, head to our discord and open a ticket so we can dig deeper into the issue. 

*IMPORTANT! ALWAYS PRESS NEW FLIGHT AFTER EACH MISSION!*