How do I use SkyMail in SkyWeb to send and receive messages with my aircraft?

SkyMail is SkyWeb's two-way text messaging. Messages you send arrive on the display in the cockpit, and anything the crew sends back appears in your inbox. It opens as a single window with three tabs: Inbox, Sent Items and Create Message.

Before you begin

Two things are required:

Flight Following: Full Access on your account. SkyMail is not available on Basic Access. Your SkyWeb Program Manager can change this.
A messaging interface fitted to the aircraft, such as a Dispatch Voice Interface (DVI), a Cockpit Display Panel (CDP), or a mobile device running RDA software.

If either is missing, the aircraft will not be available to message.

Opening SkyMail

Select the section below that applies to you.

Sending a message

Go to the Create Message tab.
Select the aircraft from the To list on the left. To message several aircraft at once, hold Shift or Ctrl while selecting.
Enter a Subject and the Body of your message. The character count below the body shows how much of the 1537 character limit you have used.
If the aircraft has more than one device fitted, choose the device under DTE Receive. Leave this at 0 unless you need to reach a specific unit, such as a terminal in the cabin.
Click Send.

Only one DTE can be selected at a time. To reach more than one device on the same aircraft, send the message to each separately.

Reading messages from the aircraft

The Inbox tab lists messages sent from your aircraft, with the call sign, the device that sent it, the time and the subject. Select a message to read it in the panel below.

The header shows how many messages are listed and how many are unread.

Use the Count drop-down to change how many messages are shown, and the Filter by Date fields to narrow the list to a particular period. The cross beside the dates clears the filter.

To remove messages, select them and click Delete. Hold Shift to select several rows at once, or use Select All.

Checking what you have sent

The Sent Items tab lists messages you have sent, using the same headings, date filter and count options as the Inbox.

The header shows how many messages are listed and how many are still unsent, so you can see whether a message is still waiting to go out to the aircraft.

Choosing how you are notified of new messages

SkyWeb can alert you when a message arrives, so you do not need to keep SkyMail open. Go to Preferences > Alarms and find the Incoming / Unread Mail section.

Audio Alarm plays a sound. Choose which one from the Sound list beside it.
Popup Alarm displays an on-screen notification.
Blink Icon makes the mail icon flash until the message is read.

You can enable any combination. Click Apply to save, then Ok to close.

Further assistance

If you have any issues or questions, please contact our support team at support@skytrac.ca.