diff --git a/.idea/inspectionProfiles/Project_Default.xml b/.idea/inspectionProfiles/Project_Default.xml
index 190f8e43..1c6d6936 100644
--- a/.idea/inspectionProfiles/Project_Default.xml
+++ b/.idea/inspectionProfiles/Project_Default.xml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   <profile version="1.0">
     <option name="myName" value="Project Default" />
     <inspection_tool class="AndroidLintTypos" enabled="false" level="WARNING" enabled_by_default="false" />
+    <inspection_tool class="ClassOverridesFieldOfSuperClassInspection" enabled="false" level="WARNING" enabled_by_default="false" />
     <inspection_tool class="ForgottenDebugOutputInspection" enabled="true" level="ERROR" enabled_by_default="true">
       <option name="configuration">
         <list>
diff --git a/app/Models/Flight.php b/app/Models/Flight.php
index 7a9163e6..cbe99dd5 100644
--- a/app/Models/Flight.php
+++ b/app/Models/Flight.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ namespace App\Models;
 
 use Eloquent as Model;
 
-use App\Models\Traits\Uuids;
+use App\Models\Traits\HashId;
 
 /**
  * Class Flight
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use App\Models\Traits\Uuids;
  */
 class Flight extends Model
 {
-    use Uuids;
+    use HashId;
 
     public $table = 'flights';
     public $incrementing = false;
diff --git a/app/Models/Pirep.php b/app/Models/Pirep.php
index 5464beb6..e6d70933 100644
--- a/app/Models/Pirep.php
+++ b/app/Models/Pirep.php
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 namespace App\Models;
 
 use Eloquent as Model;
-use App\Models\Traits\Uuids;
+use App\Models\Traits\HashId;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\SoftDeletes;
 
 /**
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\SoftDeletes;
  */
 class Pirep extends Model
 {
-    use Uuids;
+    use HashId;
     use SoftDeletes;
 
     public $table = 'pireps';
diff --git a/app/Models/Traits/Uuids.php b/app/Models/Traits/HashId.php
similarity index 86%
rename from app/Models/Traits/Uuids.php
rename to app/Models/Traits/HashId.php
index 5751f07d..c3c100f5 100644
--- a/app/Models/Traits/Uuids.php
+++ b/app/Models/Traits/HashId.php
@@ -5,21 +5,21 @@ namespace App\Models\Traits;
 use Hashids\Hashids;
 
 
-trait Uuids
+trait HashId
 {
     protected static function boot()
     {
         parent::boot();
 
-        static::creating(function ($model) {
+        static::creating(function ($model)
+        {
             $key = $model->getKeyName();
 
             if (empty($model->{$key})) {
                 $hashids = new Hashids('', 10);
-
                 $mt = str_replace('.', '', microtime(true));
-
                 $id = $hashids->encode($mt);
+
                 $model->{$key} = $id;
             }
         });
diff --git a/app/Models/User.php b/app/Models/User.php
index f3968635..08dc6fec 100755
--- a/app/Models/User.php
+++ b/app/Models/User.php
@@ -73,19 +73,16 @@ class User extends Authenticatable
      *
      * @var array
      */
-    protected $hidden
-        = [
-            'password',
-            'remember_token',
-        ];
+    protected $hidden = [
+        'password',
+        'remember_token',
+    ];
 
-    protected $casts
-        = [
-            'flights'      => 'integer',
-            'flight_time'   => 'integer',
-            'balance'      => 'double',
-            'timezone'     => 'integer',
-        ];
+    protected $casts = [
+        'flights'       => 'integer',
+        'flight_time'   => 'integer',
+        'balance'       => 'double',
+    ];
 
     /**
      * Validation rules
@@ -106,9 +103,10 @@ class User extends Authenticatable
         return $key;
     }
 
-    public function pilot_id()
+    public function getPilotIdAttribute($value)
     {
-        return $this->airline->icao.str_pad($this->id, 3, '0', STR_PAD_LEFT);
+        $length = setting('pilots.id_length');
+        return $this->airline->icao . str_pad($this->id, $length, '0', STR_PAD_LEFT);
     }
 
     public function gravatar()
diff --git a/app/Repositories/SettingRepository.php b/app/Repositories/SettingRepository.php
index 5164b5a5..579fb5ee 100644
--- a/app/Repositories/SettingRepository.php
+++ b/app/Repositories/SettingRepository.php
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 
 namespace App\Repositories;
 
+use Illuminate\Support\Carbon;
+use Prettus\Repository\Contracts\CacheableInterface;
+
 use App\Models\Setting;
 use App\Repositories\Traits\CacheableRepository;
-use Prettus\Repository\Contracts\CacheableInterface;
 
 class SettingRepository extends BaseRepository implements CacheableInterface
 {
@@ -16,17 +18,44 @@ class SettingRepository extends BaseRepository implements CacheableInterface
     }
 
     /**
-     * Get a setting, reading it from the cache
-     * @param array $key
-     * @return mixed|void
+     * Get a setting, reading it from the cache possibly
+     * @param string $key
+     * @return mixed
      */
-    public function get($key)
+    public function retrieve($key)
     {
+        $key = strtolower($key);
+        $setting = $this->findWhere(['key' => $key], ['type', 'value'])->first();
 
+        if(!$setting) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        # cast some types
+        switch($setting->type) {
+            case 'bool':
+            case 'boolean':
+                return (bool) $setting->value;
+                break;
+            case 'date':
+                return Carbon::parse($setting->value);
+                break;
+            case 'int':
+            case 'integer':
+                return (int) $setting->value;
+                break;
+            default:
+                return $setting->value;
+        }
     }
 
-    public function set($key, $value)
+    public function store($key, $value)
     {
+        $setting = $this->findWhere(['key' => $key], ['id'])->first();
+        if (!$setting) {
+            return null;
+        }
 
+        $this->update(['value' => $value], $setting->id);
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/helpers.php b/app/helpers.php
index 33c47654..e7f101fe 100644
--- a/app/helpers.php
+++ b/app/helpers.php
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ if (!function_exists('setting')) {
     {
         $settingRepo = app('setting');
         if($value === null) {
-            return $settingRepo->get($key);
+            return $settingRepo->retrieve($key);
         } else {
             $settingRepo->set($key, $value);
         }
diff --git a/database/migrations/2017_06_08_0000_create_users_table.php b/database/migrations/2017_06_08_0000_create_users_table.php
index 8da41008..27fa840d 100755
--- a/database/migrations/2017_06_08_0000_create_users_table.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2017_06_08_0000_create_users_table.php
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class CreateUsersTable extends Migration
             $table->integer('rank_id')->nullable()->unsigned();
             $table->string('home_airport_id', 5)->nullable();
             $table->string('curr_airport_id', 5)->nullable();
-            $table->uuid('last_pirep_id')->nullable();
+            $table->string('last_pirep_id')->nullable();
             $table->bigInteger('flights')->unsigned()->default(0);
             $table->bigInteger('flight_time')->unsigned()->default(0);
             $table->decimal('balance', 19, 2)->nullable();
diff --git a/database/migrations/2017_12_10_014930_create_settings_table.php b/database/migrations/2017_12_10_014930_create_settings_table.php
index 0b424d15..181fe11a 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2017_12_10_014930_create_settings_table.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2017_12_10_014930_create_settings_table.php
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class CreateSettingsTable extends Migration
             ],
             [
                 'order' => 20,
-                'name' => 'Disable flights on bid',
+                'name' => 'Disable flight on bid',
                 'group' => 'bids',
                 'key' => 'bids.disable_flight_on_bid',
                 'value' => true,
@@ -85,6 +85,15 @@ class CreateSettingsTable extends Migration
                 'type' => 'boolean',
                 'description' => 'Don\'t show inactive pilots in the public view',
             ],
+            [
+                'order' => 31,
+                'name' => 'Pilot ID Length',
+                'group' => 'pilots',
+                'key' => 'pilots.id_length',
+                'value' => 4,
+                'type' => 'int',
+                'description' => 'The length of a pilot\'s ID',
+            ],
         ];
 
         $this->addData('settings', $settings);
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 15f312e3..376ab5bb 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@
     "arr-flatten": {
       "version": "1.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/arr-flatten/-/arr-flatten-1.1.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-L3hKV5R/p5o81R7O02IGnwpDmkp6E982XhtbuwSe3O4qOtMMMtodicASA1Cny2U+aCXcNpml+m4dPsvsJ3jatg==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-NgSLv/TntH4TZkQxbJlmnqWukfE=",
       "dev": true
     },
     "array-differ": {
@@ -2902,7 +2902,7 @@
     "duplexify": {
       "version": "3.5.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/duplexify/-/duplexify-3.5.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-j5goxHTwVED1Fpe5hh3q9R93Kip0Bg2KVAt4f8CEYM3UEwYcPSvWbXaUQOzdX/HtiNomipv+gU7ASQPDbV7pGQ==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-ThUWvmiDi8kKSZlPCzmm5ZYL780=",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "end-of-stream": "1.4.0",
@@ -5243,7 +5243,7 @@
     "hosted-git-info": {
       "version": "2.5.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/hosted-git-info/-/hosted-git-info-2.5.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-pNgbURSuab90KbTqvRPsseaTxOJCZBD0a7t+haSN33piP9cCM4l0CqdzAif2hUqm716UovKB2ROmiabGAKVXyg==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-bWDjSzq7yDEwYsO3mO+NkBoHrzw=",
       "dev": true
     },
     "hpack.js": {
@@ -5843,7 +5843,7 @@
     "is-plain-object": {
       "version": "2.0.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/is-plain-object/-/is-plain-object-2.0.4.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-h5PpgXkWitc38BBMYawTYMWJHFZJVnBquFE57xFpjB8pJFiF6gZ+bU+WyI/yqXiFR5mdLsgYNaPe8uao6Uv9Og==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-LBY7P6+xtgbZ0Xko8FwqHDjgdnc=",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "isobject": "3.0.1"
@@ -7031,7 +7031,7 @@
     "node-emoji": {
       "version": "1.8.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-emoji/-/node-emoji-1.8.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-+ktMAh1Jwas+TnGodfCfjUbJKoANqPaJFN0z0iqh41eqD8dvguNzcitVSBSVK1pidz0AqGbLKcoVuVLRVZ/aVg==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-buxr+wdCHiFIx1xrunJCH4UwqCY=",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "lodash.toarray": "4.4.0"
@@ -7218,7 +7218,7 @@
     "normalize-package-data": {
       "version": "2.4.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/normalize-package-data/-/normalize-package-data-2.4.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-9jjUFbTPfEy3R/ad/2oNbKtW9Hgovl5O1FvFWKkKblNXoN/Oou6+9+KKohPK13Yc3/TyunyWhJp6gvRNR/PPAw==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-EvlaMH1YNSB1oEkHuErIvpisAS8=",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "hosted-git-info": "2.5.0",
@@ -7266,7 +7266,7 @@
     "npmlog": {
       "version": "4.1.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/npmlog/-/npmlog-4.1.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-2uUqazuKlTaSI/dC8AzicUck7+IrEaOnN/e0jd3Xtt1KcGpwx30v50mL7oPyr/h9bL3E4aZccVwpwP+5W9Vjkg==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-CKfyqL9zRgR3mp76StXMcXq7lUs=",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "are-we-there-yet": "1.1.4",
@@ -9790,7 +9790,7 @@
     "randomatic": {
       "version": "1.1.7",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/randomatic/-/randomatic-1.1.7.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-D5JUjPyJbaJDkuAazpVnSfVkLlpeO3wDlPROTMLGKG1zMFNFRgrciKo1ltz/AzNTkqE0HzDx655QOL51N06how==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-x6vpzIuHwLqodrGf3oP9RkeX44w=",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "is-number": "3.0.0",
@@ -10341,7 +10341,7 @@
     "safe-buffer": {
       "version": "5.1.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/safe-buffer/-/safe-buffer-5.1.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-kKvNJn6Mm93gAczWVJg7wH+wGYWNrDHdWvpUmHyEsgCtIwwo3bqPtV4tR5tuPaUhTOo/kvhVwd8XwwOllGYkbg==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-iTMSr2myEj3vcfV4iQAWce6yyFM=",
       "dev": true
     },
     "sass-graph": {
@@ -11707,7 +11707,7 @@
     "uuid": {
       "version": "3.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/uuid/-/uuid-3.1.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-DIWtzUkw04M4k3bf1IcpS2tngXEL26YUD2M0tMDUpnUrz2hgzUBlD55a4FjdLGPvfHxS6uluGWvaVEqgBcVa+g==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-PdPT55Crwk17DToDT/q6vijrvAQ=",
       "dev": true
     },
     "vali-date": {
@@ -12130,7 +12130,7 @@
     "which": {
       "version": "1.3.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/which/-/which-1.3.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-xcJpopdamTuY5duC/KnTTNBraPK54YwpenP4lzxU8H91GudWpFv38u0CKjclE1Wi2EH2EDz5LRcHcKbCIzqGyg==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-/wS9/AEO5UfXgL7DjhrBwnd9JTo=",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "isexe": "2.0.0"
@@ -12145,7 +12145,7 @@
     "wide-align": {
       "version": "1.1.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/wide-align/-/wide-align-1.1.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-ijDLlyQ7s6x1JgCLur53osjm/UXUYD9+0PbYKrBsYisYXzCxN+HC3mYDNy/dWdmf3AwqwU3CXwDCvsNgGK1S0w==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-Vx4PGwYEY268DfwhsDObvjE0FxA=",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "string-width": "1.0.2"
diff --git a/resources/views/admin/pireps/fields.blade.php b/resources/views/admin/pireps/fields.blade.php
index 2f92cde4..add4b74a 100644
--- a/resources/views/admin/pireps/fields.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/admin/pireps/fields.blade.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
             <img src="{!! $pirep->pilot->gravatar() !!}" />
         </div>--}}
         Filed By: <a href="{!! route('admin.users.edit', [$pirep->pilot->id]) !!}" target="_blank">
-            {!! $pirep->pilot->pilot_id() !!} {!! $pirep->pilot->name !!}
+            {!! $pirep->pilot->pilot_id !!} {!! $pirep->pilot->name !!}
         </a>
     </div>
 
diff --git a/resources/views/layouts/default/dashboard/index.blade.php b/resources/views/layouts/default/dashboard/index.blade.php
index 16375ef9..22ef00b2 100644
--- a/resources/views/layouts/default/dashboard/index.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/layouts/default/dashboard/index.blade.php
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
                     <table>
                         @foreach($users as $u)
                         <tr>
-                            <td style="padding-right: 10px;">{!! $u->pilot_id() !!}</td>
+                            <td style="padding-right: 10px;">{!! $u->pilot_id !!}</td>
                             <td><span class="description">{!! $u->name !!}</span></td>
                         </tr>
                         @endforeach