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Trips are the core of the Operations module. A trip represents a planned flight (or series of flight legs) with an origin, destination, aircraft, crew, and passengers. In this tutorial, you will create a trip from scratch using the multi-step trip creation wizard. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a trip on your operations schedule, ready to move through the dispatch pipeline.
Who should do this tutorial? Dispatchers, operations managers, and pilots who need to create and plan trips. You will need at least one aircraft in your fleet to complete this tutorial. If you have not set up your fleet yet, see Set Up Your Fleet first.

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Before you start

Make sure you have:
  • An active PlaneConnection account with access to the Operations module
  • At least one aircraft added to your fleet
  • Logged in to your workspace (see the Quickstart if you need help)

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Creating the trip

The trip creation wizard walks you through four steps: Route & Schedule, Aircraft & Crew, Passengers, and Review & Confirm. You will work through each step in order using a stepper at the top of the page.
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  • Make sure you are in the Operations module. Check the module switcher at the top of the sidebar — it should show “Operations.” If it shows “Safety,” click the switcher and select Operations.
  • In the sidebar, click All Trips under the Trips group.
  • On the Trips page, click the New Trip button.
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    You are now on the trip creation wizard. A stepper at the top shows four steps. You start on the first step: Route & Schedule.
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    Step 1: Set the route and schedule
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    This step defines where the trip goes and when.
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    Trip type: Select the type of trip from the dropdown:
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    TypeDescriptionCharterA revenue charter flight for a clientOwnerAn owner flight (aircraft owner or shareholder)MaintenanceA maintenance or ferry flightPositioningA repositioning or deadhead flightTrainingA training or proficiency flight
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    Departure date and time: Select the planned departure date and time using the date/time picker.
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    Origin airport: Enter the departure airport. You can type an ICAO code (e.g., KTEB), IATA code (e.g., TEB), or the airport name. The autocomplete field will suggest matches as you type.
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    Destination airport: Enter the destination airport in the same way.
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    If this trip has multiple legs (e.g., KTEB to KMIA to KFLL), click the Add Leg button below the route fields to add another leg row with its own origin, destination, and time. You can add as many legs as needed.
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    Once you have filled in the route and date, click Next to continue.
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    Step 2: Select aircraft and crew
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    Aircraft: Select the aircraft for this trip from the dropdown. The list shows your fleet aircraft filtered by availability. Each option displays the registration number, make/model, status, and hours remaining to next inspection. If the selected aircraft is already assigned to another trip at the same time, a conflict alert appears in yellow or red.
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    Crew assignment: Assign crew members to the trip:
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  • PIC (Pilot in Command): Select from the crew list. Each pilot shows currency status dots (green, yellow, or red) and remaining duty hours so you can verify qualification and availability at a glance.
  • SIC (Second in Command): Select if applicable. The same currency and duty indicators appear.
  • Flight Attendant: Select if applicable.
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    If a crew member is already assigned to another trip at the same time, or would exceed duty time limits, a conflict alert appears with a description of the issue.
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    Aircraft and crew assignment is optional during creation. You can assign or reassign later from the trip detail page. The crew list only shows members who are type-rated for the selected aircraft and whose currencies are not expired. If a pilot you expect to see is missing, check their currency status on the Crew page.
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    Click Next to continue.
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    Step 3: Add passengers
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    This step uses a transfer list pattern with two columns:
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  • Left column: Available passengers from your passenger directory, with a search field at the top.
  • Right column: Passengers assigned to this trip.
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    Move passengers from left to right to add them to the manifest. You can also click Add New Passenger to create a new passenger record on the fly.
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    Special Requests: Use the text field below the transfer list to note catering requests, ground transportation details, or other special instructions.
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    Click Next to continue.
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    Step 4: Review and confirm
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    The review step shows a summary of everything you have entered across all previous steps:
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  • Route: Origin, destination, and any additional legs
  • Date: Departure date and time
  • Trip type: The type you selected
  • Aircraft: Registration, make/model, and hours to next inspection
  • Crew: Assigned crew members with their positions and currency status
  • Passengers: Full passenger manifest
  • Notes: Any notes you added
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    A conflict check runs automatically and shows green checkmarks for clear items or red warnings for any scheduling, duty time, or currency issues.
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    Review each section carefully. If you need to make changes, click Back to return to the relevant step.
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    When everything looks correct, you have two options:
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  • Save as Draft — saves the trip without confirming it (status: Draft)
  • Confirm Trip — saves and confirms the trip (status: Confirmed)
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    Make sure the aircraft and crew assignments are correct before confirming. Confirming a trip may trigger notifications to assigned crew members.
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    View your new trip
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    After submission, you are redirected to the trip detail page. Your new trip appears with tabs for:
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  • Overview — trip information, route display, assigned crew, passengers, and cost summary
  • Legs — individual leg details with status, times, and fuel burn
  • Crew and Pax — editable crew assignment and passenger manifest
  • Estimate — full editable cost estimate
  • Flight Log — post-flight logging (available after the trip is completed)
  • Timeline — audit trail of all status changes, assignments, and events

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    Where your trip appears

    Once created, your trip shows up in several places across the Operations module:
    LocationWhat you will see
    Trips listThe trip in the main trips table with status, route, date, and aircraft
    ScheduleThe trip on the operations calendar for the departure date
    Dispatch boardThe trip on the dispatch board, linked to its assigned aircraft
    Fleet timelineThe trip as a colored bar on the Command Center fleet timeline
    Crew schedulesEach assigned crew member sees the trip on their personal schedule
    My TripsAssigned crew members see the trip under Trips > My Trips

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    Trip status labels

    After creation, a trip moves through the full dispatch pipeline. The statuses you will see most often are:
    StatusColorDescription
    DraftGrayThe trip is saved but not yet confirmed
    QuotedBlueA price quote has been sent to the client
    RequestedYellowA trip request has been submitted and awaits confirmation
    ConfirmedGreenThe trip has been confirmed with all parties
    ScheduledBlueAircraft and crew are tentatively assigned
    PlannedCyanRoute and resource planning is complete
    ReleasedCyanTrip has been released to crew
    DispatchedGreenTrip has been dispatched; departure is imminent
    ActiveOrangeThe trip is underway — aircraft has departed
    Close-outYellowAll legs have landed; post-flight paperwork in progress
    CompletedGreenThe trip is finished — all data recorded and finalized
    CancelledRedThe trip has been cancelled
    Your operations team manages these status transitions as the trip progresses. Status changes are recorded in the trip’s Timeline tab. For the full transition rules and state machine, see the Trip Statuses reference.

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    Next steps

    Set Up Your Fleet

    Add and configure aircraft in your fleet.

    Manage Your Crew

    Add crew members, assign roles, and manage certifications.
    Last modified on April 11, 2026