On this page
Unfamiliar word? Select a dotted-underlined term for its meaning.
Open the right contact
- Left-click the contact. Check its callsign or track serial so you know which flight you are reading.
- Choose Flight Info. A player-controlled aircraft may open on AC Control first, so change tabs if necessary.
- Choose Aircraft Data in the same panel. Read the aircraft type at the top before comparing any numbers.
- Return to Flight Info for the selected contact’s current details. Follow the specification guide if a label or unit is unfamiliar.
Where does the type name come from?
The game can obtain a type from a flight declaration, visual identification by a pilot or electronic-warfare information. New identification information can change the displayed type. The type name is a piece of available information, not a guarantee that the whole contact has been identified correctly. Keep following the identification procedure.
Compare one contact carefully
- Confirm the callsign in Flight Info, or the track number on the scope data block. Note the current ALT, SPD and TYPE.
- Open Aircraft Data and read its heading and, when shown, ICAO CODE. Here ICAO CODE identifies an aircraft type; it is not a departure or destination airport code.
- Match the exact type or variant before using the reference. Read Cruise Speed, Max Speed and Service Ceiling using the specification explanations. These describe the type, not a command or current measurement.
- Return to Flight Info to compare the contact’s current flight. Look at its position and movement too; a catalogue number alone does not settle identity.
- If the Aircraft Data heading and Flight Info TYPE disagree, keep both names and values in your report. Do not silently choose whichever number fits your conclusion.
Why do some aircraft show different fields?
| Layout | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Civilian register entry | ICAO CODE (the aircraft type code), ROLE, WEIGHT CLASS (a weight grouping), speed, ceiling, climb rate, range and PAX (typical passengers). |
| General aircraft reference | Role, category, manufacturer, typical crew, speed, ceiling, stall speed, typical range, powerplant and description. |
The game looks for a matching civilian register entry first. If it does not find one, it uses the general aircraft reference. That is why every aircraft does not show an identical set of fields.
Does PAX tell me who is on board?
PAX means passengers. The register shows a typical passenger number for the type, not a live count of people on that flight. It shows CARGO where its entry has no positive typical passenger number. That label is not a list of what this particular aircraft is carrying. WEIGHT CLASS is a grouping, not a measurement of the aircraft’s current weight.
If the type is missing
The message No aircraft type identified for this contact. means that no type has been established for this display. Continue the identification checks. A blank type does not by itself make the aircraft hostile.
If it says CLASSIFIED
CLASSIFIED can mean that the reference data is unavailable. It is not proof that you have found an enemy or a secret aircraft. Read the accompanying message, compare the other track information and continue the identification procedure.
If the numbers do not agree
First check the type and variant, the field labels and the units. Current speed and maximum speed answer different questions. If two fields both claim to give the same kind of figure but disagree, record the contact, both labels and both values in a bug report. Do not explain every mismatch away as normal radar behaviour.
Use a clue, then check it
Unexpected performance is a reason to investigate, not a complete identity decision. Compare the available flight plan, ATC response, movement and identification evidence. A plausible number does not prove the claimed aircraft type either.
If new identification changes the name
After a visual-identification or EW report, recheck the selected contact and reopen Aircraft Data. Record the report, the TYPE in Flight Info and the Aircraft Data heading if they do not agree. A missing or different reference is a reason to check the data, not proof the aircraft changed type in flight.