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How the weekly landing challenge works

Every week we pick one tricky airport: a short runway, a mountain valley, a famous crosswind. Land there with CAVacars 2 during the week, and the best landing wins.

The first challenge starts on Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 16:00 UTC and runs until Sunday 22 November.

The week

  • A new airport is picked every Monday at 00:00 UTC. The week closes on Sunday at 23:59 UTC.
  • Airports come from a list our staff keep, each with a short note on what makes it hard. An airport isn't picked again for at least 8 weeks.
  • The winner is settled on Monday at 12:00 UTC, so you have half a day to file a PIREP for a Sunday-night landing.

Where to find it

  • On the website: Operations Centre → Landing Challenge, or the card on the home page. The challenge page shows the airport, a countdown to the end of the week, the live leaderboard, your own best landing and the past winners.
  • In CAVacars 2: the Landing Challenge card on the Home screen (CAVacars 2 1.8.5 and later) shows the airport, the top 3 and your best score. Find flights to … opens Schedules with the challenge airport filled in as the arrival.
  • On Discord: the new airport is announced on Monday, the leaderboard so far is posted on Thursday evening, and the winner is announced the following Monday.

What counts

  • Any flight that lands at the challenge airport: a schedule, a charter, a tour leg, an event flight or a diversion.
  • Flown with CAVacars 2. The score needs the touchdown data CAVacars 2 records, so smartCARS 3, FsACARS and manual PIREPs don't count.
  • Approved PIREPs only. A PIREP still waiting for review shows up on the leaderboard once it's approved.
  • The touchdown must be during the week (UTC), and the PIREP filed by Monday 12:00 UTC.
  • Your best landing counts. Fly it as often as you like; only your best score is on the leaderboard.

Aircraft

Some weeks are open to any aircraft. Others are for small aircraft only or airliners only, so a Cessna isn't up against a 737 at a big airport, and a jet isn't squeezed onto a tiny strip. The page, the app card and the Discord post all say which kind of week it is.

  • Small aircraft: pistons, helicopters, and turboprops with fewer than 30 seats (for example a Twin Otter or a King Air).
  • Airliners: regional jets and bigger, and turboprops with 30 seats or more (for example a Dash 8 or an ATR).
  • Business jets and military aircraft only count in "any aircraft" weeks.

What counts is the aircraft you actually flew in the sim, as CAVacars 2 recorded it, not just the one you booked. The touchdown speed has to fit too: small aircraft at 110 kt or less, airliners at 90 kt or more. If your landing didn't count, the challenge page tells you why.

The score

It's the same landing score as on your landing card, out of 100:

  • Rate of descent matters most. Up to 120 fpm costs nothing, a normal airline arrival of up to 300 fpm costs a little, and anything harder costs a lot.
  • G force above 1.3 G.
  • Bounces: 10 points each, up to 20.
  • Bank (a wing low) above 2°, crab (not lined up with the runway) above 3°, and pitch (nose wheel first, or so high you risk a tail strike).

A crash scores 0. On a tie, whoever landed first wins. More about the score in Your flight report.

Prizes

  • The Landing Challenge Champion award, every time you win.
  • The Challenge Winner achievement: Bronze for 1 win, Silver for 3 and Gold for 10.
  • Your name on the past winners list and a shout-out on Discord.

Tips

  • Read the note about the airport before you go, and check the weather and the runway in use.
  • Fly a stable approach and aim for a gentle, straight touchdown. A smooth 100 fpm with the wings level beats a 30 fpm landing with a bounce.
  • Not happy with it? Fly it again. Only your best one counts.
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