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In today's world of the virtual airline I have found their popularity dwindling. There are a variety of reasons for this decline, much has to do with lack of exposure. Years ago there were a host of sites which were happy to host the virtual airline. Back in the early 90's the virtual airlines were few and available pilots were plenty, but over time the tables turned and everyone and their grandmothers wanting to become virtual airline owners and operators. Soon a host of free server type web sites services popped up. Soon, hosting services, such as FlightSim.Com, Simviation.com, Avsim.com and the list goes on were inundated with these new virtual airlines. Eventually they were abandoned and policing the quality VA from the garbage got out of hand. Consequently no one wanted to deal with this aspect of the virtual airline.
Today, finding a quality virtual airline is just as difficult to locate if you do not know where to look. Veterans know they can go to VATSIM and review the virtual airline partner program and find a quality VA to fly for but here is the problem as I see it. Most of today's VAs requires members to fly all their flights on the VATSIM network, leaving a host of people who wish not to be involved in on-line activity for a variety of reasons left out in the cold. I see it as a form of discrimination, a private and exclusive club where only the best of the best is permitted to fly. But this is my point of view and that won't by me a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
I have been involved in flight simulation going back to the days of Sub-Logic and Commodore 64. My very first VA was Noble Air (Boston). What a thrill that was. Launching FS98 and living a fantasy life as a commercial Pilot. But over the years the VA became just a tad boring. Every VA was like any other VA. They all just about had the same routing system. So moving from one to the other was just a change of livery. I don't care whether you fly your flights on the VATSIM Network or off-line. You take off land and file a report. But most of the extra activity to keep you interested involved some form of on-line activity. So I drifted away form the hobby as far as the VA is concerned.
Early April I was making my daily scan of FlightSim.Com. I enjoy reading op-ed articles and I saw an introduction for a military style virtual airline. I can't mention them by name as I am now a member and have not been authorized to represent them. I can tell you privately, but not here. This is by far a unique virtual airline. Not because of any sophistication or professional designed web site but by the content of its program.
This VA flys nothing but military transports from any nation represented on their roster. In lieu of being assigned a standard hub to fly out of as you find in any VA, you select a US Air Force base within the continental US or a base in Canada which becomes your home base. Every flight you make anywhere in the world, begins and ends at this base. There are no flight assignments. You create your flight and fly it, in your report you give a description of your general mission and the whole report is posted on a flight log.
There are a host of perks and eye candy. You can earn additional bonus hours for flying theaters and campaigns and special designed mission or you can just fly it as a standard VA. You have the option to fly or not fly on the VATSIM Network. There are ribbons, badges for a variety of progression awards. There is a structure and good documentation. There are no bosses that have any authority over members (roll playing) which in most VA's gets out of hand. Everyone reports to the boss. Commands consist basically of mission designers for those members who wish to be challenged.
When you join this VA you're a member for life. This means the only way you are removed from the roster is by request. You fly for this VA when you have the time. What can get you banned is abuse of the forums or abuse of other members. It's like a video game where you have different levels of play. It is fun. Nothing serious, no pressure or stress to perform, no living out a real world management roll at the expense of this VA, everyone is on the same page and equal footing.
There are close to forty members active at any given time. Considering from my understanding this is a remake of a previous VA and since the beginning of April this band of brothers have logged over 780 flights. I am sharing this with you and mainly expressing this to the VA owners. Emulating real world organizations and running a game or hobby as if it were a real business is fine. But you need to stop and smell the roses. As the boss says, it's just a freaking game and nothing more, so to shut out a whole host of new and veteran pilots because of a VATSIM requirement is a little shallow. If you're concerned about off-line cheaters, so what, big deal. It hurts no one except those that do it. I have seen personally the rosters of several VA's hosted by VATSIM and activity is off. It's just a game, give the rest of the community a break and open up your play. It is all about having fun, when that stops, it's over.
Ed Davis
pcpilotjocky@aol.com
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