What is a Booking?
A booking represents a scheduled reservation for a training activity that includes:- A resource (aircraft, simulator, or classroom)
- Participants (students, instructors, examiners, etc.)
- A time period (with optional briefing time)
- A booking type (defining the nature of the activity)
- Optional lesson tracking (linked to course curriculum)
Core Components
Resources
Bookings reserve one of three resource types: Aircraft Bookings- Flight training sessions
- Check rides and proficiency checks
- Aircraft rental
- Most common booking type in flight schools
- Instrument training
- Procedure practice
- Emergency scenario training
- Cost-effective training alternative
- Ground school lessons
- Theory sessions
- Briefings and debriefings
- Group training sessions
Booking Types
Booking types categorize the nature of each reservation and determine:- Color coding on the timetable
- Required participant roles
- Whether lesson completion tracking is needed
- Resource type compatibility
- Training - PPL
- Training - CPL
- Check Ride - IR
- Maintenance
- Aircraft Rental
- Simulator - IFR Training
Participants
Every booking includes one or more participants with defined roles:| Role | Description | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Student | Primary trainee | Flight training, ground school |
| Instructor | Training provider | Required for most training bookings |
| Examiner | Conducts check rides | Skill tests, proficiency checks |
| Renter | Renting the resource | Aircraft rental without instruction |
| Observer | Watching/auditing | Training observations, familiarization |
| Other | Miscellaneous roles | Flexible participant type |
Booking Lifecycle
1. Creation
Bookings start in one of several states depending on your organization’s settings:- Pending Approval - Requires administrator review before confirmation
- Booked - Automatically confirmed upon creation
2. Status Progression
Pending Approval → Booked → In Progress → Completed ↓ Canceled / Rejected- Pending Approval: Awaiting admin confirmation
- Booked: Confirmed and scheduled
- In Progress: Currently active
- Completed: Finished successfully
- Rejected: Booking request denied
- Canceled: Booking canceled before completion
- Canceled Late: Late cancellation (may incur fees)
3. Completion
Upon completion, bookings can have:- Attached flight logs (for aircraft bookings)
- Attached simulator logs (for simulator bookings)
- Lesson completion records (when linked to curriculum)
- Participant feedback and notes
Time Management
Booking Times
- Start & End Times: The actual resource reservation period
- Briefing Times: Optional pre-flight and post-flight briefing periods
- Briefing Starts: 09:00 AM (30 min pre-flight brief)
- Booking Starts: 09:30 AM
- Booking Ends: 11:30 AM (2-hour flight)
- Briefing Ends: 12:00 PM (30 min debrief)
Scheduling Considerations
The booking system checks for:- Resource availability: No double-booking of aircraft/simulators/classrooms
- Participant availability: User availability settings and conflicting bookings
- Maintenance windows: Aircraft grounding periods
- Operating hours: Organization-defined operational times
Lesson Tracking
Lesson Completion Status
Bookings can be linked to specific lessons in your course curriculum:- Not Required: No lesson tracking needed (e.g., aircraft rental, maintenance)
- Required: Lesson completion must be recorded after the booking
- Completed: Lesson has been marked complete with grading
Course Integration
When linked to a lesson:- Tracks student progress through the syllabus
- Records objective grades and instructor feedback
- Updates course completion percentages
- Maintains training records for regulatory compliance
Cancellations
Cancellation Types
Organizations can define cancellation types to categorize why bookings are canceled, for example:- Weather
- Aircraft Maintenance
- Student Illness
- Instructor Unavailable
- Student Request
- Late Cancellation (within 24 hours)
Audit Trail
Booking Logs
Every change to a booking is recorded with:- Action type: What changed (created, updated, canceled, etc.)
- User: Who made the change
- Timestamp: When it occurred
- Details: Specific fields modified
- Notes: Optional context
- Booking created/deleted
- Time changed
- Participant added/removed
- Aircraft/resource changed
- Flight log attached/removed
- Status updated
- Lesson changed
Integration Points
Flight Logs
Aircraft bookings can be linked to flight logs containing:- Fuel usage
- Flight hours
- Departure/arrival airports
- Technical log entries
- Landings and approaches
Simulator Logs
Simulator bookings record:- Session duration
- Training scenarios practiced
- Instructor observations
Invoicing
Bookings can be connected to invoices for:- Automatic billing
- Training package management
- Payment tracking
Calendar Integration
Generate iCal feeds for:- Personal calendar sync
- Mobile device integration
- Third-party calendar apps
Best Practices
For Administrators
- Configure booking types before starting operations
- Set up cancellation policies early
- Review pending bookings regularly
- Monitor booking patterns for resource optimization
For Instructors
- Update booking status as activities progress
- Complete lesson records promptly after flights
- Attach flight logs to maintain accurate records
- Communicate changes to students immediately
For Students
- Book lessons in advance
- Update availability regularly
- Cancel with appropriate notice
- Review booking details before sessions
Reporting & Analytics
The booking system provides insights into:- Resource utilization rates
- Instructor and student activity
- Cancellation patterns
- Revenue per resource
- Training progression rates
- Peak usage times