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+# Flight State Flow Documentation
+
+This document describes the state flows for each flight type in the PPR system.
+
+## Overview
+
+The system manages different types of aircraft operations, each with their own state machines and status transitions. The main flight types are:
+
+1. **Circuits** - Touch-and-go circuit training flights
+2. **Local Flights** - General local operations
+3. **Inbound/Arrivals** - Aircraft arriving at the airport
+4. **Departures** - Aircraft departing to other airports
+5. **PPR Records** - Prior permission required advance bookings
+6. **Overflights** - Aircraft passing through airspace
+
+## 1. Circuits
+
+Circuits are a special type of local flight where aircraft perform touch-and-go operations. The circuit system tracks individual circuit completions.
+
+### State Flow
+```
+BOOKED_OUT → DEPARTED → LANDED
+     ↓         ↓         ↓
+ CANCELLED  CANCELLED  CANCELLED
+```
+
+### Status Descriptions
+- **BOOKED_OUT**: Flight is booked out and ready for departure
+- **DEPARTED**: Aircraft has departed the airport
+- **LANDED**: Aircraft has landed and flight is complete
+- **CANCELLED**: Flight was cancelled before completion
+
+### Additional Features
+- Individual circuit timestamps are recorded in the `circuits` table
+- The `circuits` field on the local_flight record stores the total number of completed circuits
+- Circuits are counted automatically when the flight status changes to LANDED
+
+## 2. Local Flights
+
+Local flights represent general aviation operations within the local area.
+
+### State Flow
+```
+BOOKED_OUT → DEPARTED → LANDED
+     ↓         ↓         ↓
+ CANCELLED  CANCELLED  CANCELLED
+```
+
+### Status Descriptions
+- **BOOKED_OUT**: Flight is booked out and ready for departure
+- **DEPARTED**: Aircraft has departed the airport
+- **LANDED**: Aircraft has landed and flight is complete
+- **CANCELLED**: Flight was cancelled before completion
+
+### Flight Types
+Local flights can be categorized by their `flight_type`:
+- **LOCAL**: Standard local flight
+- **CIRCUITS**: Circuit training flight (see Circuits section above)
+- **DEPARTURE**: Flight departing to another airport (may transition to Departure records)
+
+## 3. Inbound/Arrivals
+
+Inbound flights are aircraft arriving at the airport, either through the PPR system or direct bookings.
+
+### State Flow
+```
+BOOKED_IN → LANDED
+     ↓         ↓
+ CANCELLED  CANCELLED
+```
+
+### Status Descriptions
+- **BOOKED_IN**: Aircraft is expected to arrive (booked in the system)
+- **LANDED**: Aircraft has landed at the airport
+- **CANCELLED**: Arrival was cancelled
+
+### Notes
+- Arrivals can originate from PPR records that have landed
+- Direct arrival bookings are also supported
+- Landing timestamp is recorded when status changes to LANDED
+
+## 4. Departures
+
+Departures are aircraft leaving the airport to fly to other destinations.
+
+### State Flow
+```
+BOOKED_OUT → DEPARTED
+     ↓         ↓
+ CANCELLED  CANCELLED
+```
+
+### Status Descriptions
+- **BOOKED_OUT**: Flight is booked out and ready for departure
+- **DEPARTED**: Aircraft has departed to its destination
+- **CANCELLED**: Departure was cancelled
+
+### Notes
+- Departures can originate from PPR records that are departing
+- Local flights with `flight_type = DEPARTURE` may transition to departure records
+- Departure timestamp is recorded when status changes to DEPARTED
+
+## 5. PPR (Prior Permission Required) Records
+
+PPR records represent advance permission requests for aircraft operations and have a more complex lifecycle.
+
+### State Flow
+```
+   NEW → CONFIRMED → LANDED → DEPARTED
+     ↓         ↓         ↓         ↓
+  CANCELED   CANCELED   CANCELED   (terminal)
+     ↓
+  DELETED
+```
+
+### Status Descriptions
+- **NEW**: PPR has been submitted but not yet confirmed
+- **CONFIRMED**: PPR has been confirmed by ATC
+- **LANDED**: Aircraft has landed (for inbound operations)
+- **DEPARTED**: Aircraft has departed (for outbound operations)
+- **CANCELED**: PPR was cancelled
+- **DELETED**: PPR was soft-deleted (marked as deleted)
+
+### Notes
+- PPRs can represent both arrivals and departures
+- The system tracks both ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) and ETD (Estimated Time of Departure)
+- Timestamps are recorded for actual landing and departure times
+- PPRs can transition between arrival and departure operations
+
+## 6. Overflights
+
+Overflights represent aircraft passing through the airspace without landing at the airport.
+
+### State Flow
+```
+ACTIVE → INACTIVE
+   ↓         ↓
+CANCELLED CANCELLED
+```
+
+### Status Descriptions
+- **ACTIVE**: Overflight is currently active/tracking
+- **INACTIVE**: Overflight has completed or is no longer active
+- **CANCELLED**: Overflight was cancelled
+
+### Notes
+- Overflights track aircraft that call in for frequency changes (QSY)
+- Call time and QSY time are recorded
+- Overflights are typically managed separately from landing operations
+
+## Status Transition Rules
+
+### Automatic Transitions
+- Status changes automatically set appropriate timestamps:
+  - `DEPARTED`: Sets `departed_dt`
+  - `LANDED`: Sets `landed_dt`
+  - For circuits: Also counts completed circuits
+
+### Manual Transitions
+- Operators can manually update statuses through the admin interface
+- Status changes are logged in the journal/audit trail
+- WebSocket notifications are sent for real-time updates
+
+### Validation Rules
+- Cannot transition backwards in the flow (e.g., from LANDED to DEPARTED)
+- CANCELLED/CANCELED are terminal states for most flight types
+- DELETED is only used for PPR soft-deletion
+- Status enum values: Most use "CANCELLED", PPR uses "CANCELED"
+
+## Integration Points
+
+### UI Integration
+- Admin interface provides buttons for status updates
+- Real-time updates via WebSocket
+- Modal dialogs for status changes with timestamp confirmation
+
+### API Integration
+- REST endpoints for status updates: `PATCH /{id}/status`
+- Status filtering available on list endpoints
+- Journal logging for all status changes
+
+### Database Integration
+- Status enums ensure data integrity
+- Foreign key relationships maintain consistency
+- Audit trail tracks all changes</content>
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