This research introduces a coherent chaotic fibre transmission system that uses pilot symbols and tones in real-time to improve performance in long-distance, high-speed data transmission. Experimental results show that QPSK signals may be successfully encrypted and decrypted using chaotic algorithms, with acceptable bit error rates (BERs) and enhanced signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) following 800 km of fibre transmission and digital signal processing (DSP). Integrating a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for real-time pilot insertion guarantees long-distance transmission at high speeds while preserving the optical chaotic carrier's essential non-repetitiveness and unpredictability, which is vital for system security. The approach improves equalisation performance and redundancy management by empirically tailoring the durations and rates of the pilot sequences. These results demonstrate the viability and efficacy of integrating a real-time pilot into chaotic fibre transmission, which allows for secure and stable long-distance data transfer at high speeds. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.