Virtual Performance Tool API
VPT is an aircraft performance platform built for serious flight simulation. The VPT API connects applications to that platform: VPT's own apps and, where authorized, third-party tools, developers and virtual airlines.
VPT is intended for flight simulation. It is not certified for real-world flight operations and must not be used for real flight planning or operations.
What VPT provides
VPT combines aircraft performance, airport data and related aviation services in one platform. It calculates takeoff and landing performance while taking into account runway conditions, obstacles, engine failure procedures and contamination, and it relies on airport data such as runways, elevation and departure and arrival procedures.
The API is the integration point for that platform. This portal documents the current API V2, a clean rebuild of the original API that is being delivered in stages. Not everything VPT offers is available through API V2 yet, which is why the table below is explicit about what you can use today.
Who it is for
- VPT applications. VPT's own apps and web tools are the primary consumers of the API.
- Third-party tools, developers and virtual airlines, where authorized. Access for external parties is granted by VPT. There is no public sign-up yet, and the way developer access will work is still being designed; see Authentication.
What is available
| Capability | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
GET /v2/health |
API V2 | Check that the service is running. No authentication. |
GET /v2/me |
API V2 | Describes the access token it receives (user, application, scopes, expiry). Cannot be used successfully until API V2 sign-in exists. |
GET /v2/openapi.json |
API V2 | The OpenAPI contract that the API reference is generated from. |
| API V1 login, tokens and developer keys | Legacy V1 | They serve API V1 applications only. API V2 does not accept them. See Authentication. |
| Aircraft profiles, airport data, takeoff and landing performance | Legacy V1 | Documented in the V1 documentation. |
| Aircraft, airport and performance endpoints in API V2 | Planned | Not available yet, no dates. They will appear in the API reference when they are implemented. |
| Sign-in, application registration and access scopes in API V2 | Planned | Being designed. Nothing is available through API V2 yet. |
Anything not marked API V2 cannot be called on the API V2 servers.
Documentation site and API servers
This site only documents the API. It is not an API server: never send requests or tokens to it. Requests always go to one of the API servers below.
| Role | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation | developers.virtualperformancetool.com |
This portal. Static pages only. |
| Production | https://apiv2.virtualperformancetool.com |
The live API V2. Use this in your applications. |
| Test | https://apiv2test.virtualperformancetool.com |
Pre-release builds of API V2. Not a sandbox, see below. |
| Legacy API V1 | https://api.virtualperformancetool.com |
Serves existing VPT applications and integrations. Its tokens and developer keys are not accepted by API V2. |
Test and Production share the same live production database as API V1. A request sent to the Test API can read and change real data, exactly like one sent to Production. Use the Test API to try out pre-release changes, not to experiment with data.
Versions
Documentation is organised by API version. API V2 is the current version and the one the API reference shows. Other versions will be listed here when they exist.
Where to go next
- Getting started: servers, request conventions and a first request.
- Authentication: how API V2 access tokens work, and what is not available yet.
- API reference: interactive documentation generated from the OpenAPI contract.
- Errors: the error format, status codes and troubleshooting.