1. Install — Run the vmsACARS installer and follow the wizard. Afterwards, open vmsACARS normally — not with "Run as administrator".
2. Configure the hub — On first launch, enter the Hub URL :
   https://tracker.ethiopianvirtualairlines.com
3. Sign in — Enter your Virtual ETH email, password, and Account Key (visible in My Account → vmsACARS Account Key).
4. Set your SimBrief username — In your My Account, enter your SimBrief username (find it on simbrief.com → Account). Required to generate OFPs from Dispatch.
5. Choose your simulator — In vmsACARS Settings → Simulator, select MSFS, X-Plane or P3D (for X-Plane and P3D also its folder; for X-Plane click Copy Plugin To X-Plane), then Save. Then start your simulator.
6. Book your flight — On the Virtual ETH site, go to Dispatch & Book Fly and choose a route.
7. Click "Start Flight" in Dispatch — vmsACARS starts tracking automatically.

Simulator back to "None" at every flight? vmsACARS saves your profile (and the simulator you chose) in Documents\vmsacars\profiles. If the choice is not kept: (1) if your Documents folder is synced by OneDrive (path …\OneDrive\Documents), right-click the vmsacars folder → Always keep on this device, or pause OneDrive while flying; (2) open vmsACARS without "Run as administrator" — the site opens it without admin rights, so a profile saved in an admin session may not be updated; (3) keep a single Virtual ETH profile, select your simulator again and click Save.

Your simulator or vmsACARS closed in flight? Don't cancel: your flight stays open on the server for 6 hours after the last update. Your Cockpit shows an Interrupted flight card with your last flight level, distance flown and remaining, and estimated position.

1. Restart your simulator with the same aircraft, in flight, near the estimated position shown in your Cockpit, at your last flight level.
2. Relaunch vmsACARS and sign in — it offers to resume the open flight. Accept it while you are within about 25 nm of the last recorded position.
3. Continue normally to your destination and file the PIREP at arrival. If the crash happened after landing, simply relaunch vmsACARS and file the PIREP.
4. Past 6 hours without an update, the flight is cancelled automatically — book it again from Dispatch.