Executive / Business Jet based VA - Thoughts

[goodpaster]

I posted this over on VATSIM, but looking for more feedback so casting a wider net. Thank you.

 

Gentlemen,

 

I am considering starting a Business / Executive Jet based VA and wanted to gauge interested before I commited to the project. I will most likely use one of the freeware management programs on a paid hosting site to run the organization. I have over 20 years experience with VAs most of which I have been involved in senior management. I am a real world pilot and instructor who instructs turbine powered aircraft for a living. I have served as a Director of Operations for a real world flying organization responsible for all aspects of an on demand service including scheduling, training and maintenance. I am not just a pilot but have done the management side of the business as well.

 

I compute the server costs to be about $100 after the first year and I find that to be an acceptable cost. However, the last few years I have noticed the steady decline in the number of people joining and remaining with VAs. IMHO I don't think we are seeing the large influx of members that VAs experienced a decade ago and most of the membership is just going back and forth between established VAs. If this is indeed the case, does the hobby really need another VA or are we already saturated?

 

I do have a few redlines in establishing this organization.

 

1. I will not name it off an established Charter or Fractional. I have seen this go bad too many times where even when an organization has permission something changes and the VA is left out in the cold. So no ExecJet Virtual, FlexJet Virtual, NetJets Virtual or XO Virtual.

 

2. This will not be a "training" VA. i.e. there will not be a large training or even a VATSIM ATO. As a real world Instructor there are some restrictions involved in that and I am not opening my certificate to libability because someone took something stated in a hobby and tried applying it to the real world. Desktop flight simulation is different then real world flying.

 

3. I can't do this alone, the number one first year failure of VAs are the single manager led organizations. I have to have a group of like minded individuals also commited to making this a success.

 

I would be happy to hear others thoughts regarding this. Is this something you might be interested in? If so what would you look for? Is this a sustainable organization or is it doomed to fail as being to niche? I am only fact finding at this point and I am not commited to a timeline or even going forward.

 

Thank you for your time,

 

-Ken

[Wales3003]

Hi Ken

 

I have read threw your thread in fine detail I agree to many people join and leave that's why I bought a entrance exam for the VA as well it would be good to see a VA with a difference as well instead all massive airliners and not small buissness jets. If you need help I have owned and ran Etihad virtual until I had personal issues I known my self around PHPVMS and coding. I am also good at routing as well send me a PM or reply when your free

[goodpaster]

Thank you very much for your reply. I could defiantly use someone who can customize phpVMS and enrich the website. The website is really the first glimpse that a prospective member has of an organization.

 

There is still allot to figure out as a Business Jet model will not have a typical schedule. There are also less good Business Jet aircraft for Flight Simulator so while I have plans for a decent fleet by design the fleet will be limited.

 

I am considering moving on to the next step and securing a web server and opening a forum to discuss the finer details and asking a staff to join on.

 

I do warn you that it may be sometime (year or more) before we become large enough to add an international base. Starting I am thinking of opening one base at Denver Centennial (KAPA.) That airport is already an established Business Jet location and its central location in the U.S. seems appropriate. Then again when your service is direct (pick up a passenger where they are at and take them where they want to go) the whole idea of Hub and spoke go out the window.

 

I will keep you informed.

 

-Ken

[briansommers]

Good to see you're getting more feedback here than the other place. This is very exciting and I hope I can stay in the loop.

[bmatt569]

Ken,

 

Here's some feedback for you.

 

I like the idea of a Executive/Biz VA. I personally like "flying" the biz jets over the commercial liners. I have absolutely no experience in VA management but have great respect for those that do.

 

My problem (and I suspect many others as well) is that I have a life that allows only infrequent times for my flight simming. This has caused problems in the past due to "inactivity" on my part. I realize that hosting and server space takes money so I understand that there has to be some limitations on activity.

 

All of this being said, I would be interested in joining your VA when you get it up and running.

 

Best of luck,

 

Bill Mattson

[Wales3003]

Hi Ken

 

I would be able to help any hand you need my friend a I would be happy flying in the US and also I would be able to help in anyway shape or form.

 

With regard to the fleet it would depend on what fleet and aircraft compared to real world are open to FSX

[goodpaster]

Thank you. All. This is great to have so many people interested in such a niche' idea. I really need to sleep on this one more night, but I think securing a website and opening a forum are the next logical steps. I'll let all of you know.

 

On the question of fleet this is what I wrote over on AVSIM.

 

I was thinking I group aircraft based on cost of the type rating and members would have to earn a specific number of hours to trade in for a single type rating. At the lowest level we could have Piston twins for new hires. Aircraft such as the Beechcraft B58 Baron, Beechcraft B60 Duke, and maybe the Cessna 404 Titan.

 

The next level of aircraft would be the Turboprops and since I do not want to make the requirement to agressive was thinking about 25 hours to trade in to type into an aircraft in this group of aircraft. For these I was thinking the King Air 90, 200 and 350. The PC12 and TBM 750,850 or 900 may also fit the extended fleet.

 

Yes I was thinking of two fleets, an owned and leased fleet, the primary fleet, and to give greater options an extended fleet of aircraft contracted under the Business Aircraft Management program. This program is where owners of an aircraft can sign a contact to prove their aircraft for a specific duration and number of hours. i.e. I own a Challenger 300, but I don't put that many hours on the airplane so I sign a contract with a Business Aircraft Management company where for the next 12 months they have access to my airplane and will utilize it as a part of their fleet. The company performs all maintenance on the aircraft for the duration of the contract and I would get a small amount of cash back per hour they use my airplane. This is exactly what the real world Executive Jet Management does and adds a nice twist for a VA member owns an aircraft they really enjoy that might not be in the fleet.

 

The fleet would progess as follows: (again I am scribbling in sand at this point)

 

0 hours for Piston Twins

25 hours for Turboprops (King Air 90, 200, 350, ect)

50 hours for VLJs (Phenoms, Mustangs, Honda Jet ect)

100 hours for Light Jets (Cessna 5xx, CJx, XLS, Learjet 40, 45, 75, ect)

200 hours for Midsized Jets ( Hawker 800/900, Citation X, Challenger 300/350, ect)

300 hours for Large Jets (Falcon 700/2000, Challenger 650, Global 5000/6000 ect)

500 hours for BBJ and ACJ and larger

 

Again take nothing written so far as in stone. I am brainstorming and once we move to the next phase I intend to discuss things.

 

There is no box to think outside of, I threw the box into the trash. Lets just make a good organization that people will enjoy being a member of.

[briansommers]

I fly nothing other than payware aircraft in payware scenery.

 

Good to see that most of those stages have payware aircraft options available.

This is very exciting. I hope this works out well.

[goodpaster]

Gentlemen,

 

I secured a website and opened a discussion forum. It is located at http://www.flyelite....hpBB3/index.php

If you are interested in working with me to refine this concept and open a Business Jet related VA please register and join at the above url.

 

Thank you for you feedback.

 

v/r

 

-Ken

[Wales3003]

HI Ken

 

I have registered on the forum awaiting you accept mate and have PM,d you as well

[silverheels2]

I am very interested and excited over this. I have been running my own private biz jet virtual business for years with the 737 BJ, Cessna Citation X, KingAir, Duke, and Hawker. My bases are PVD, DCA, and BOS. We service corporate clients in the DC and BOS areas and family clients in the PVD base. We fly all over NE in the summer and the Caribbean, Bahamas, and ski resorts out of APF in the winter. I fly primarily into county and municipal airports, avoiding the larger airports. Great fun and keeps my interest up. :)

[goodpaster]

HI Ken

 

I have registered on the forum awaiting you accept mate and have PM,d you as well

 

Edit: never mind I see you now. Must be a problem with the e-mail verification routine. I'll need to look into that. I manually activated you.

[briansommers]

Interesting. I may need to be manually activated as well. I have a gmail account. I wonder if that is what the problem is.

[goodpaster]

Brian,

 

I activated you manually and reset to open registration. I need to check out what is going on with the e-mail registration.

 

Thank you,

 

-Ken

[goodpaster]

Gentlemen,

 

We continue to make progress and have the bare bones of a phpVMS system that we are using for development. Come check things out at http://www.flyelite.org and provide feedback.

 

The only way we know what you want is your feedback.

 

Thank you,

 

-Ken

[briansommers]

nevermind. delete this post

[Araripe]

Great job with the website/forum! It looks pretty good :)

[goodpaster]

Update, We have our Central Management Software (CMS) running, however there is still more work to do. At this point we feel it is time to ask for more volunteers to assist with scheduling and someone to help with the look and feel of the site. Please see our website for more information, www.flyelite.org

 

We have not opened our doors yet but we are also doing some testing checking our CMS and the various modules that fit in.

 

Again I thank everyone for their feedback today and ask that you continue to let me know what you want in a Business Jet related VA.

[goodpaster]

Update 2: We moved to http://www.flyelite.net due to better server infrastructure to support phpVMS and our forums can be directly access at http://www.flyelite.net/phpBB3/index.php

 

If you are interested in a Executive Jet based VA then please come take a look around. We require new hires to complete an entrance exam (a short 10 question prehire exam and we provide a written primer to you on flying the Beech Baron.) After hiring you are a probationary pilot, only able to fly the Beech G58 until completing a short practical flight evaluation flying from KAPA to KCOS.

 

We have reoccurring charters (routes we fly on a continuing basis for customers) and random charters (charters that change after a set period.) We are still working on the reoccurring charters adding interesting flights and tours.

 

While we are accepting members to come in and do some test flying with us, we are not open for business. There is still lots of small work that needs to be completed prior to our grand opening. But, if you are interested in this type of flying and wish to provide feedback then please sign up. If you are interested in helping out we can always use the assistance.

 

Thank you,

 

-Ken

General Manager

[capceo]

Hey Ken,

 

I've been involved as an administrator with a few organizations like this in the past, and you're right...after a few months most administrators lose interest and go running for the hills. I've taken a look at your website and I'm quite intrigued. It looks like you've got a great start.

 

I noticed that you have a DO, but no Chief Pilot. As a real world pilot with Part 135 flying and management experience, I would love to fill this role if you would be interested. In my previous roles, I developed the company approved flight manual, was responsible for overseeing the training division, and ensured that all line pilots maintained type currency. It would be a lot of fun to put my skills to use again.

 

Joe