Tailstrike has officially left beta, with the shared-world flight simulation platform launching with a rebuilt web app, new Intelligent Dispatch system, deeper VATSIM integration and an optional paid membership.
For those unfamiliar with Tailstrike, the idea is to create a persistent world where aircraft actually move around based on what other simmers are doing. Rather than simply choosing an aircraft and starting a flight, you lease one from its current location, fly it somewhere else and leave it there for the next pilot.
That aircraft then stays where you left it, complete with its remaining fuel and a permanent history of everyone who has flown it. Over time, individual aircraft essentially build their own stories as they move around the world between different members of the community.
One of the biggest additions is Intelligent Dispatch, which uses AI to generate flights based on the aircraft you’re currently leasing, its location and your own flying preferences. It also takes into account previous flights, real-world information, VATSIM ATC coverage and activity elsewhere on the Tailstrike network. The resulting assignment gives you a route and a reason for making the flight, potentially including passengers or cargo. Once completed, the assignment remains attached to the aircraft’s flight history.
Tailstrike’s web app has also been rebuilt from the ground up. A new dashboard puts your current lease, available aircraft and network activity in one place, whilst the redesigned live map shows active Tailstrike flights and can optionally display VATSIM traffic and ATC coverage.
Airport pages have also become considerably more useful, bringing together weather, available aircraft, missions, VATSIM events and online controller information.
There are a number of other changes aimed at making the shared world feel a little more connected. Tailstrike now records VATSIM controller sessions, whilst completed flights can include telemetry, route maps, weather conditions, ATC coverage and pilot notes. Aircraft pages can also help users find a suitable livery for the specific registration they’re about to fly.
Profiles have been expanded too, with pilots now able to follow one another and see activity through a network feed. Each user has their own public hangar, statistics, badges and a unique short TailID.
SimBrief integration is also included through Navigraph, allowing information such as the aircraft, registration, route, passenger numbers and cargo to be passed across when creating a flight plan. The Tailstrike desktop plugin has similarly been expanded, letting users browse the map, find aircraft and arrange leases without needing to do everything through the website.
The core Tailstrike experience remains free, but leaving beta also sees the introduction of the platform’s first paid tier.
The optional Supporter membership is currently available at a founder price of $5 per month or $50 annually. Members receive Intelligent Dispatch with every lease, can add permanent aircraft to the shared world, become the exclusive ‘Patron’ of an aircraft and embed a Twitch stream within their Tailstrike hangar. Tailstrike says the founder price will remain locked in for those who subscribe early.
Importantly for anyone who has already been using Tailstrike during beta, existing flight hours, logbooks and aircraft histories have all been carried over into the full release.
The platform is available now, with flying and aircraft leasing remaining free, as originally promised when we shared details earlier this year. For more, you can read the blog post over on the Tailstrike website.
