Partner Spotlight features the real-world airlines you can fly at VirtualUA. This month: South African Airways, your gateway to the African continent.
Africa is one of the most underflown regions in flight simulation — which makes it one of the most rewarding to explore. South African Airways, the flag carrier of South Africa and a Star Alliance member, opens up a continent full of dramatic scenery, high-elevation airports, and long international legs. It’s one of eleven real-world airlines VirtualUA pilots can fly, and every route is available today on the vAMSYS platform.
Why South African Airways is worth flying
South African Airways is built around Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo (FAOR), one of Africa’s busiest hubs and a genuine test of your skills:
- High-altitude operations. Johannesburg sits above 5,500 feet — elevation that changes takeoff and landing performance and rewards careful planning.
- An underflown continent. African routes are quiet, scenic, and full of destinations most simmers have never flown into. If you want to explore somewhere new, this is it.
- Long-haul reach. SAA connects Johannesburg to Europe, the Americas, and across Africa — plenty of scope for serious long-haul planning.
- Spectacular scenery. From the coastline at Cape Town to the vast interior, African flying is some of the most visually striking you’ll find in the sim.
Flying South African Airways with VirtualUA
Every South African Airways flight is tracked automatically through our Pegasus ACARS system — route, aircraft, and performance logged straight to your dashboard. Our custom Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) puts charts, checklists, a live map, and SimBrief integration in one place, whether you’re flying a regional African hop or a long-haul to Europe.
With United and ten partner carriers alongside SAA at VirtualUA, you can connect an African operation into the wider Star Alliance network whenever you like.
What you’ll need
- A flight simulator: MSFS, X-Plane, or Prepar3D (P3D)
- A South African Airways–liveried aircraft (an A320 for regional, a widebody for long-haul)
- A free VirtualUA account
- Our Pegasus tracker, downloaded from your dashboard
Beginners welcome, no VATSIM experience required, and we accept transfer hours from VATSIM, IVAO, and other recognized VAs.
How to start flying South African Airways today
- Register free at flyvua.org — about two minutes, no approval wait.
- Log into your dashboard and filter the route network for South African Airways.
- Download and set up Pegasus, then launch it before your flight.
- Fly the route and submit your report — your hours build automatically.
- Join our Discord for group flights and event nights.
Ready to explore Africa?
Johannesburg is waiting. Whether South African Airways is your main airline or one more region to add to your logbook, VirtualUA gives you the routes, the tools, and the community to fly it well — completely free.
Join VirtualUA free and start flying South African Airways today →
Read more about schedules today!
Next in Partner Spotlight: SWISS. VirtualUA is a United virtual airline flying eleven real-world carriers across MSFS, X-Plane, and P3D.
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