As we all know there are many virtual airlines out there that utilize servers like VATSIM and IVAO, but let’s step back and think about what it means to be a Virtual Airline. Virtual Airlines enable you to track your flights and progress within a structure as you make the virtual world your home. One of my favorite parts of flying with a VA is that you can take part in group flights on VATSIM and IVAO organized by your Virtual Airline to provide maximum traffic, and a fun atmosphere!
Some Tips When Selecting a VA to Join:
– look at their HUBs
– look at their daily flights
– check whether they fly on VATSIM or IVAO
– look at their fleet
– check if they are officially endorsed by VATSIM or IVAO
If everything appears to be a good fit for you, register with them and FLY!!
P.S.-
While researching this post, I realised the number of virtual airlines are quickly increasing!! If you search virtual airlines on Google you will see more than 1500 virtual airlines in the search results. But the question remains, how many are successful? According to VATSIM and IVAO, only 280 airlines have been accepted for endorsement. What happened to the rest? I know that all virtual airlines strive to be the best but many prefer choose to fly offline, which in my opinion significantly hinders their development.
My perspectives in the article above comes from my service as Vice Executive Officer in Ottoman Airlines Virtual. While operating as a fictional VA can be tough, we’ve managed to coordinate multiple successful events on VATSIM and reach multiple milestones within the virtual aviation community. As a result, we’ve been honored with official certification by VATSIM, and we are intend to apply to IVAO in the near future. Last week we joined Flight Unlimited and I believe this will enable us to soar even higher. This summer we are going to open an Ottoman Flight Academy designed for pilots who want to fly on VATSIM, read METARS and charts, navigate using VOR’s and radials, and complete ILS landings. Instruction will be provided by experienced pilots on VATSIM.
Hope To See You In the Virtual Sky!
