Hello SimV members, and to those lurkers that stumbled upon this post,


I have been tossing around an idea to get a semi-informal VA started under my direction. Before voting in the poll, please read the rest of this post.

It would not have flight quotas to meet, or an hour range to meet before allowing use of certain aircraft. It would more or less be a flying club modeled after a fictional airline of my own creation.

On this note, a quick trawl through this section of the boards reveals that the majority of VAs out there fail to become "successful", and simply gain only a handful of members, or dissolve after a few initial weeks. In my opinion, this has to do with the following:

1. Stringent flight requirements to remain active.
2. Unreasonable hour requirements to access certain aircraft.
3. Poor aircraft variety. (Just the typical Boeing/Airbus tubes)
4. "Typical" routes, to the major destinations that every simmer knows.
5. The VA takes itself too seriously. Example: "We have a director of maintenance for our fleet,  you must contact our HR representative to schedule an interview process before joining, etc, etc."

Would you agree with this assessment?


I'm proposing a VA that reflects an average "third level operator" to some extent.

What this means.....
Little planes, little airports (some large ones too), and mostly short flights. A third level operator is a small airline that operates commuter aircraft to destinations that either the majors don't service, and/or is one that serves a niche market route between a selection of regional airports. Many third levels operate such things as light piston singles and twins, and in some cases, small (no larger than Dash-8 sized) turboprops. Examples include: Sunair (New Zealand), Cape Air (US), Bergen Air Transport (Norway), Lydd Air (UK), etc.

Also, no "ranks" other than some necessary admin stuff just to maintain the place, and everyone would have an equal say on every aspect of the operation.

Reader, in your estimation, would there be sufficient interest in a VA that lacks jets and major airports in favor of the small domestic/regional environment?

I'm keeping the rest of my ideas under wraps publicly for now, but if you want more info on my plans, send me a private message.

EDIT/UPDATE: It would be very beneficial to me if you could explain your reasoning for your choice in the poll.

-Sean

Hello Rich,

It would be either online or offline, user choice. While there would be no quotas for active status or hour requirements for advancement, I would still like a flight reporting system of some kind just for curiosity and recording on a website if this program successfully starts up. I am still determining how to best do that.

The "VA" would pretty much be in place to allow users to fly in a different style of environment that is only a bit less restricted than their personal, non-organizational flying. Kind of hard to explain, but it would basically guide the user into using a route, airplane, and maybe flying style that they don't get exposed to every day.
It would pretty much be a club sort of thing for users who enjoy these types of operations in a specific region or regions.

While I would highly encourage flight operations to be realistic, if you crash and burn due to something stupid, you're not going to get kicked out or anything.
 
Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Some kind of online database? It'd need some special software to get the logging of hours done, unless it were to be done manually by their data being sent to a person; who then uploads it to the website. Could ask Pete for advice on that front?

But yes, I like the idea.

At the moment I quite enjoy Solo flying under IFR conditions, using the default ATC, with Flight-following assistance.

Its a pity that it cannot be used during on-line, Multiplayer flights... ...!

I never did fancy the thought of being controlled by an on-line, VA System...So I always avoid "Virtual Airlines" ......!
(Default ATC does it for me...with no arguments!... ..).

Paul...G-BPLF...FS 2004...FS Nav...and a Rebel.... ...!

Paul, you can still use the default ATC while flying for a VA, since you don't have to fly online. Any member of any VA can do that unless it forces you to use VATSIM ATC services.

Carlo

OK. The difference is that a VA becomes your 'employer' so to speak. You fly their planes to their destinations. You can do that in your own time and offline. Thus using the default ATC. Some VA's (not all) recommend the use of VATSIM because that seems to have some benefits (don't know what, but it has something to do with logging of flying hours).

So, you start a flight for the VA you fly for, land at the destination and go to the VA's website. Here you can file a PIREP. In this PIREP will be your name, the flightnumber, departure and arrival time, distance travelled, fuel used and whatever else you can think of. One of the things is that you keep a flightlog this way.

So, to go short, you don't need to communicate during flights in a VA as long as you file your PIREPs at the end of every flight.

Carlo

On the other hand Paul, this can become an online thing too. Since most VA only give a departure and arrival airport, they don't tell you which route to fly. So what's stopping you (or anyone else) from punching in the destination in your GPS and fly in a straight line, finishing with a visual landing? As long as you file a PIREP. Looking at the list of planes Sean gave, they are all small or medium GA aircraft very capable of low and slow flight.

Carlo

Understood. It's why I don't use the Multiplayer that much anymore (besides being short of time to fly). It's too quiet online. Don't know which server you use but it's silent on the Simv server...

Carlo

I don't think so Paul. There's no Smell-o-Vision on the server so that can't be the problem....

Carlo (hand me the airfreshener please)

New Zealand. Roughly the same amount of airports as Norway but there is much more freeware scenery available for it.

FS9:

New Zealand Scenery

Norway scenery

FSX:

New Zealand scenery

Norway scenery

Carlo

John, you're right. That part slipped my mind.

Carlo

AAH (Abandon All Hope) Travel was what I was thinking of... 

I don't know. Skyhopper sounds good.

Carlo

No problem Jime59.

Carlo

Status update: I'm going to start the painting process next weekend. Unless anyone has any suggestions, I'm basically going to do my own design....

I have something in mind, but if interested parties have their own ideas, please speak up!

Still considering some call-signs....I'll just leave it at that....

I think it would be cool, if you'd add a small jet to the fleet.