# Achievements: Earn Badges for How You Fly

Achievements are badges you earn for how well you fly, not just how much. Grease a landing in a gusty crosswind, fly by the book, land at Lukla or keep up a weekly flying habit, and CAVacars 2 rewards you for it.

Achievements count from **1 November 2026**.

## What counts

- **Only flights flown with CAVacars 2.** CAVacars 2 records what happens during your flight (your touchdown, the lights, the gear, the weather) and that's what achievements are judged on. Flights filed with smartCARS or entered by hand don't count.
- **Only flights since launch.** Everyone starts from zero on 1 November 2026, including the achievements that look at your history, like Airport Collector and Regular. Earlier flights don't count.
- **Only approved PIREPs.** If your PIREP is waiting for review, its achievements unlock once it's approved.
- **Earned is earned.** Once you've unlocked an achievement, you keep it.

Make sure you're on the latest version of CAVacars 2. You can download it from [the CAV website](https://www.canadaairvirtual.ca/download.php).

## Tiers and points

Most achievements have three tiers: **Bronze**, **Silver** and **Gold**. Each one asks for more than the last. For example, Crosswind Ace needs a clean landing in 15 kt of crosswind for Bronze, 25 kt for Silver and 35 kt for Gold.

Every tier you reach adds to your **achievement score**:

| Tier | Points |
|---|---|
| Bronze | 10 |
| Silver | 25 |
| Gold | 50 |

Points add up, so taking an achievement all the way to Gold is worth 85 points in total. Achievements with only one tier are worth 50.

The top scores are on the **achievement leaderboard** on the Stats page.

## Hidden achievements

Some achievements are secret. They show up as **???** until you earn one, and then the name and how you earned it are revealed. Some tiers are hidden too. Explore, try new things, and you might stumble onto one.

## The categories

- **Landing skill:** soft, precise and consistent landings, including in a crosswind.
- **Airmanship:** flying by the book. Lights, gear, no warnings, good fuel planning, and handling a diversion well.
- **Exploration:** new airports, continents and aircraft types, challenging airports, and flying at night, at dawn and in bad weather.
- **Community:** group flights, flying online on VATSIM or IVAO, and flying every week.

For the exact numbers behind every achievement, see [Achievements: The Full List](https://kb.canadaairvirtual.ca/books/cavacars-2-pilot-guide/page/achievements-the-full-list). For how your landing is measured, see [Achievements: Your Landing Data](https://kb.canadaairvirtual.ca/books/cavacars-2-pilot-guide/page/achievements-your-landing-data).

## Where to see your achievements

- **In CAVacars 2:** open the **Achievements** screen. After you file a PIREP, the summary shows what you unlocked, and it shows **So close** hints when you just missed one.
- **On the website:** go to **Airline → Achievements** to see all of them, how many pilots have each tier, and who got there first. Your own achievements and score are on your profile.
- **On each PIREP:** the PIREP details page shows the touchdown and flight data CAVacars 2 recorded, and any achievements that flight earned.
- **In Discord:** Gold tiers and rare achievements are announced.

## Tips

- **Fly online?** Add your VATSIM or IVAO ID to your profile. That's how we can tell you flew on the network for **On the Network**.
- **Planning with SimBrief?** Generate your plan for the flight you're flying, close to departure. **Fuel Planner** compares your landing fuel with the plan.
- **Hosting or joining Open Flights** counts toward **Group Flight** once at least three pilots finish the flight.
- **Regular** weeks run Monday to Sunday (UTC). One approved CAVacars 2 flight in a week keeps the streak going.

## Questions

**I had a great landing, but it didn't count. Why?**
Check the PIREP details page. It shows exactly what CAVacars 2 recorded at touchdown. The landing achievements need every condition at once, for example no bounce *and* the right rate *and* low G. Also check that the PIREP is approved.

**My PIREP is approved, but the achievement didn't unlock.**
Make sure you flew it with CAVacars 2 on or after 1 November 2026. If the numbers on the PIREP clearly meet the criteria, let staff know in Discord.

**Can I lose an achievement?**
No. Once it's unlocked, it's yours. A streak can end, but the best streak you reached is what counts.