> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.skyvexsoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How changes reach your pilots

> How changes you make in the Skyvex Software portal reach pilots in Stratos, how quickly, and what waits until a flight ends.

When you change your airline in the Skyvex Software portal, Stratos picks the change up on its own. There is nothing for pilots to install or restart. This guide covers when each kind of change lands, and what Stratos holds back so nobody's flight is disturbed.

## Saving and syncing

The portal saves as you go, so there is no save button. Only real changes are sent. Saving something unchanged does nothing.

A change goes out about one second after you stop editing, and each further change restarts that second. At the top right of **Settings** and **Plugins** you'll see:

* **Changes sync to Stratos automatically**, which is always there, with the countdown under it after a change.
* **Syncing to Stratos in Ns** counting down after a change.
* **Synced to Stratos** once it has gone out.

Hover over the countdown to see what is about to go out, for example Colours and logos, Sign-in, Flight Tracking settings or Plugins for pilots.

Pilots usually have the change within a couple of seconds of it going out. Very large plugin settings, such as Flight Tracking with many event rules, are fetched by Stratos rather than sent directly, so they can take up to about 30 seconds.

## What changes straight away

For pilots who have Stratos open, even mid-flight, these apply immediately:

* Your airline name.
* Your colours, which fade across rather than snapping.
* Your logos and icons.
* Your backend (Stratos endpoint) address, but only once it has been [verified](#the-endpoint-address).

## What waits for the flight to end

A flight in progress is never changed underneath the pilot. A pending crash recovery counts as a flight in progress.

| Change | With no flight in progress | During a flight |
| - | - | - |
| Plugin settings | Apply straight away | Downloaded, then held and applied when the flight ends |
| Installing a plugin, or changing who gets it | Installs straight away | Waits until the flight ends |
| Removing a plugin | Removed straight away | Held until the flight ends |

<Note>
  Flight Tracking's flight settings are fixed for each flight when it starts. That covers event rules, additional fields, fuel and time capture, network capture and field placement. A flight never runs half under the old rules and half under the new ones.
</Note>

## The endpoint address

Editing your Stratos endpoint address saves a **draft** that pilots don't get. Click **Verify** to check that the address is a Stratos-compatible endpoint. Only when it passes does the new address go live.

While a draft is waiting, the card says pilots still use the old address. **Discard** drops the draft.

## Sign-in settings

Edits to your OAuth settings are also a draft. A passing **Test sign-in** turns them on. See [OAuth Authentication Setup](/guide/oauth-setup) for what the test checks.

Changing the sign-in method never signs anyone out. The new method applies the next time each pilot signs in.

## Requiring pilots to sign in again

On the **Connection** tab, **Require pilots to sign in again** asks every pilot who signed in before that moment to sign in again. Use it after changing your sign-in set-up, or if you need to cut off old sessions.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pilots who are flying">
    They are asked once their flight ends, never mid-flight.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pilots who aren't flying">
    Stratos blocks starting a new flight until they sign in. A sign-in window opens over the current screen, with a **Sign out** option.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pilots who restart Stratos">
    Stratos opens on your airline's sign-in page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Pilots who are offline

Pilots who are offline, or who have Stratos closed, pick up every change the next time Stratos connects or starts. Nothing is lost.

## Related

* [VA Onboarding](/guide/va-onboarding)
* [OAuth Authentication Setup](/guide/oauth-setup)


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