FlightStrips

FlightStrips is a VATSIM air traffic control management system that provides controllers with a digital flight strip interface, inspired by real-world systems. It features a web-based interface, Euroscope plugin integration, and Hoppies ACARS connectivity for realistic ATC operations.

Architecture

FlightStrips is a full-stack application with three main components:

Backend (backend/)

• Language: Go
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Communication: WebSocket (JSON-based events)
• Purpose: Manages strip data, controller sessions, and synchronization between frontend and Euroscope

Frontend (frontend/)

• Stack: React + TypeScript + Vite
• Purpose: Web-based interface for controllers to manage flight strips and operations

Euroscope Plugin (euroscope-plugin/)

• Language: C++
• Purpose: Integration with Euroscope for two-way synchronization of flight plan data and strip information

Documentation

Getting Started with the Docs

• Backend Architecture — Database design, WebSocket communication, session management, and multi-server considerations
• Events Specification — Complete specification of all WebSocket events for frontend and Euroscope communication
• Backend Setup — Instructions for running the backend API
• Frontend Setup — React/TypeScript development setup
• Euroscope Plugin — Plugin development and integration notes

Quick Reference

Component	Purpose	Docs
Backend API	WebSocket server, data management, event routing	backend/Architecture.md
Frontend UI	ATC controller interface	frontend/README.md
Euroscope Plugin	Real-time data sync with Euroscope	euroscope-plugin/README.md
Events Protocol	Communication specification	events.md

Local Development

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose
• Go 1.21+ (for backend development)
• Node.js 18+ (for frontend development)
• CMake (for Euroscope plugin)

Running the Backend

Start only the database:

docker compose --profile database up --build -d

Or start the complete stack:

docker compose --profile all up --build -d

Running the Frontend

See frontend/README.md for development server setup.

Key Features

• WebSocket-based Communication — Real-time synchronization between frontend, backend, and Euroscope
• Multi-Session Support — Multiple sessions can run for the same airport on one backend server
• Euroscope Integration — Two-way sync with Euroscope for flight plan management
• Optimistic Concurrency — Safe concurrent updates to strip data
• Hoppies ACARS Integration — Pilot data connectivity
• CDM Support — Collaborative Decision Making features including ECFMP and CTOT
• Grafana Observability — Cloud dashboards in observability/grafana/dashboards/

License

FlightStrips is licensed under the GPL-3.0 License. See LICENSE for details.