Flying without wings

Virtual Airlines parasites

2011-09-06T20:44:00.001Z

Since some months that nowadays everyone can have a VA. Why ? VA frameworks.

We just need to download get an account on a website, download a "phpVMS or whatever" package, sign on their site, configure the VA and ... boom! It's up and running!

Difference between them? The logo. Everything is the same. Same features, same ideas, same strategies.

I wonder why the person that wants to have a VA don't stop for 5 seconds to really think why should he create one ... after all what will he present to differ from the other ones? Why will a pilot change to his VA if he doesn't offer anything new or innovative?

Fully person-built VA's like EuroHarmony or FlyUK are definitely ending because it's hard to find good (or at least someone!) PHP developers that could help them. So, they prefer just to be "one more VA" than to help other VA's grow strong by giving their 2 cents to the VA community.

In conclusion, if you're reading this and you do want to have a VA, remember that if you don't bring anything new then don't even spend your time creating it.

Virtual FlyBE

2010-09-30T00:50:00.004Z

The other day was surfing along Virtual Airlines and got on Virtual Flybe.
Got highly impressed with the design (finally another rare VA with a good planned design), and the public content was just the minimum necessary to understand what Flybe proposes to the potential pilots.
Flybe doesn't have a partnership with IVAO, unfortunately. Well, for me I just had to re-sign up on VATSIM and sign on Flybe then!
The registration process is very pro, because we need to run a test to get approved. I know other VA's that do this also, but this test was well thought. Questions about various topics, not only about Air Law and Metar's :)

In conclusion, FlyBE is very good, and I suggest you take a look at it and if you like it, sign in!

For the last, just to inform that I don't have any connection toFlyBE staff. This is just a "pilot's" evaluation :)

Ivao Crowded Skies 2010 - Flop!

2010-01-11T19:18:00.004Z

A flop, unfortunately :(

IVAO didn't broke the record of 1972 simultaneous connections. I think it was close, very close, about 70 connections to break the record...

More important is to start asking ourselves what happened for the record not to be broken. I think that this is the first time that it wasn't.

Let me throw some explanations and questions:

1. Flight Simulator discontinuation.
Well, it's a chance. Normally newbie flightsimmers don't see with good eyes investing on a flight simulator software that will not "suffer" any more upgrades. But, also, do they really know that ?
One thing is sure: Some of the FS flightsimmers are passing to X-Plane. A more potential flightsim software that doesn't suffer from new versions.

2. IVAO loosing pilots.
Another reason in the spot... We are all sure that there isn't much innovation on IVAO nowadays. The same tour versions, every year, the same ideas, the same software and ... the same guys flying. I really think IVAO needs to start changing something, maybe starting by ... their site!

3. Event not well promoted on pilots and Divisions
Can be a reason. I didn't receive an email about it, did you? And what about the Divisions? They also didn't send any email to their pilots!

I hope this time IVAO BoG can have some seconds on their agenda to think about this... My personal reason: ALL of them!

If nothing is made, I bet my Asus M5VM that next year we will still not break the record.

Back again!

2010-01-11T18:57:00.001Z

Hi mates!

I'm back, after more than one year!

Expect more news soon, with flammable topics! :)

IVAO UK dissapeared from ATC

2008-12-30T16:58:00.002Z

There goes the time where we were seeing the UK skies completely under airspace control.
IVAO UK even splitted the TMA sectors like in real life, and I even joined a "Heathrow 100 years birthday" where I contacted dozens of Controllers to get my airplane safely on ground at Heathrow.

Now, I don't see this scenario for quite sometime. The IVAO UK ATC is going down the drain, while Gareth is getting very away from it. Gareth belongs to IVAO-HQ and he also plays Call of Duty (yes, believe it or not but he invited some members on a IVAO forum to play for it)!

IVAO-UK is silent. No events, no ATC control, no pilots flying there. But, I think this situation will be solved, and I am confident and optimist that one day, the skies of UK will be filled again with great events and a lot of airspace controlled by them.

Regarding to Call of Duty, it sucks. Try Far Cry 2 or Crysis!

ATA Virtual goes down the hole

2008-12-11T21:54:00.002Z

Yesterday I was doing my VA surfing on the net and got on one of the best american VA that I saw: The ATA virtual.

ATA simulates (or better, was simulating) the operations of the real ATA airline. Unfortunately, on March 2008, the real airline ceased their operations.

On November 2008 the ATA Virtual also ceased their operations due to lack of free time.

Now, when I saw that, I thought "Wow, I can save them, and acquire that VA for the EuroHarmony group!", so I wrote an email to ATA VA CEO explaining my idea, thinking that it could bring back his dream os seeing ATA operating again!

Well, today they answered me saying that they aren't interested, and somehow they thought that I was just trying to get their PHP code and use it on another VA. The fact is that they saw my EuroHarmony and they confirmed that it wasn't my interest that dirty intentions.

The fact is ATA VA will go down the hole, even with guys like me that wants to save it... The proud can be harmfull sometimes.

PMDG MD-11 released!

2008-12-02T18:32:00.003Z

You know that PMDG 747 and 737-800 were my best airplanes ever, but now with PMDG MD-11 a new king have born!

The new MD-11 from PMDG is a hell of an airplane. It simulates the MD-11 in a way that I never saw on any airplane that I have flown with.

On of the things that I like most is the climb performance behavior. It's just great how the PFD shows all the information regarding to the speed range for the current flap setting, the V2 climb that is maintained by the thrust mode, and even the way you configure the step climbs on a long haul flight.

But, be aware that this airplane is not for newbies. It's hard, complex and you need to read something before flying it. Even the tutorial that is given by PMDG is very weak compared with the tutorials that PMDG made for the 747 (btw, they stopped at middle of them!).

Well, if you are thinking about a Christmas gift, then go ahead :) It surely worth all the cents spent!

New IVAO BoG has been approved

2008-12-01T22:57:00.002Z

Today the new Board of Governors (BoG) assumes positions.

Gosh, IVAO is starting to be like a real enterprise company. IVAO is starting to loose their past identity. IVAO is not foccused on giving fun to their members.

I think that after the IVAO split that happened, things improved a bit, but, it was like an unstable peace. Now, VATSIM has much more pilots flying than IVAO.

I really hope that this new BoG can actually do something innovative, because we don't see anything happen there for quite some time.

All that happens is ... more of the same!

Good to be back

2007-08-07T10:48:00.000Z

... after my house moving operation I'm back for more topics. Already writing it, so wait it in a next days ;)

FSX SP1

2007-05-17T10:04:00.000Z

FSX Service Pack 1 is out.
Well, this time Microsoft will not follow Vista Service Pack guidelines, where Bill Gates told that there will be no service packs for Vista (although it will be impossible to do that).

Now that 1 year passed since the first FSX international release we can confirm that our flight sim community didn't made a tremendous change to FSX.
They didn't ran to the store to buy it.
They didn't bought a new computer to run it.
They also didn't a new job because life is complicated nowadays! :P

So, I am hoping that this Service Pack can show us a respectable improvement on FSX. I would like to ask you to post your comments here regarding to that Service Pack so we can test if definately it's a great addition or not.

Next !

2007-05-10T23:29:00.000Z

... There goes Ben Horsfall ....

... There goes Peter Wilmet ....

Who comes next ?

Portugal ATC!

2007-05-10T22:56:00.001Z

From time to time, a rare person remembers to have a great idea...

Ricardo Plácido and Pedro Marques got the brilliant idea of using an old ATC controller machine from our Lisbon APP+CTR control, and now it's turned on a Roll-out event on every saturday's afternoon.
The ATC is for the IVAO network where they use the real ATC instruments to control the Portuguese FIR.

This time, next saturday 12th May, one of the most important portuguese newspapers company will cover the Event.

These events can only be made by truly persons who dedicate some of their life to this special hobby. From me, I give them my congratulations.

IVAO PT Wars.

2007-05-02T10:08:00.000Z

The IVAO Portuguese Division is again at war with VATSIM. Well, I don't know if I can say this way, or the other way :), but definately the temperamental thoughts are at the higher level that I ever saw since I go to the forum.

This time, the flame war started because a staff member quitted to share his server as the IVAN-PT server and IVAO-PT TS server. The problem is that he made this immediately (not even communicating it for a certain close date with the IVAO Staff).
Not a very respectfull move here, in my opinion, but this is not the worst problem now.
The worst problem is that the VATSIM members (well, from what I see there it's always the same guys, that after getting their IVAO forum usernames banned because of misconduct, they create a new account there with other name) got there like dogs and start, again, flamming the forum with things that don't even matter to IVAO or others.
And because the situation wasn't worse getting enough, some IVAO staff members started to put more strange topics there, like criticising a VA called RallyeAir... wow!

Well, on the last years, the IVAO staff really got a silent war with the VATSIM portuguese division ... but, is this all really necessary ? Aren't we were for fun ? For open discussions, and for virtual flight pleasure ?

I know that the situation is more complex than this. But because of that, I think this situation will not be solved by the fact of getting flame wars on public. Pilots don't like it, and they just move to other IVAO division, or to other network.
And that's something that the IVAO staff needs to think off...

:)

2007-04-09T08:44:00.000Z

... Now that my life is back to normal, I will get here again with more hot topics ...

"Estamos lá!"

2007-03-16T00:26:00.001Z

Brazil is growing a lot on IVAO.

Everyday that passes, around 23:00z, Brazil wakes up! Control Centers from almost every part of Brazil, the main airports covered with much ATC, and hundreds of pilots flying regional flights.

This last part (the regional flights) is something very important. Normally, European pilots don't fly regional flights although european countries are not as big as Brazil. But still, brazilian pilots still choose short regional flights than the longer haul ones.

The flightsim brazilian community is also growing everyday.
Thousand of pilots are divided by the most four biggest brazilian Virtual Airlines! I think the Virtual Airlines should pay attention to this new Market: A growing emergent market that surely is a great addition to any Virtual Airline.

New Hub ? New strategy to gain brazilian pilots (multi-lingual support on site) ? You choose...

Pardon me!

2007-03-15T01:08:00.000Z

Dear reader,

I'm sorry but my life got complicated on the last weeks. Work, a new home planning and baby duties leave no space for my blog thoughts :(

... but next week I will come back! With hot topics already in mind ;)

Regards and sorry!

2007-03-08T22:24:00.000Z

"Hello All,

Recently some members have been copying and then uploading the written examines for the pilot and controller test to several internet sites for others to download, e.g. EMULE and others.HQ has reviewed this problem and decided that if a member is participating in this activity the member will be SUSPENDED for 12 months.
Allen
IVAO-ADIR"
Go get them tigers!

VATSIM vs IVAO

2007-03-06T01:44:00.000Z

Here is a hot topic. Again.

Well, I'm sorry to unplease you but this topic will not be to compare both online flying network profiles, but to try to capture our attention to something more important than that.

We all know that both networks are very good. Both networks offers very professional (if we can call it like that) services to the pilot community and they both have a great grow potential.

What is calling my attention is for the last months the pilot community from both networks are not so competitive as before. Ok, there are still some countries divisions (Hi Portugal!) that still battle for pilots (sometimes with dirty and flammable posts on both Division Forums) and with old scars still open, but yet and overall speaking, aren't we navigating through calm seas now ?

I wonder if one day we could have one single network. Definately this scenario is not good for pilots because the plural gives place to competition and that gives place to quality. But still then, should both networks live forever ?
I see some up's and down's from both, and still they are running from persons that love the flight sim just like us ... still, there is no money envolved here (at least not directly) so ....... things don't last forever (talking like Dr. House here).

The last scenario should, at my opinion, be the most remote one: A cooperative online network mode: Both networks, sharing pilots on the same "virtual airspace". What a ride! We would double the traffic, with more ATC available!

Still, for that happen, on both networks, the ancient common sense should leave, leaving space for new fresh blood to manage them.

... and for that to happen is the same as saying that tomorrow I will turn gay.

Daniel de Oliveira

2007-03-05T17:26:00.000Z

Just to show you how the world is small, the other day I was navigating though some VA sites, and I got on BIAS VA (http://biasva.com).
There I saw a friend of mine, Daniel Oliveira, that is the Cargo Divisions Manager and also the Fleet Manager for that Virtual Airline.

Why the world is small ? Because actually he is also the Assistant Training Director for the Portuguese Division, and the Fleet Managet for Portugalia Virtual (http://www.pgavirtual.com).
It's shocking great when we surf a little on the internet and find these kind of things!

This time I didn't found my friend the way I am used to search for pilots on other VA's. If you want to try, try a google search with your name and "Virtual Airline" after it ;) ... Be surprised with the results.

A business opportunity not used yet!

2007-03-02T14:45:00.000Z

We all know that there are millions of payware add-ons for flight simulator;
From airplanes to sceneries, from utilities to modules.
But all of this specifically to be with the target of pilots. Single human persons that stay on the computer and use that software to play on Flight Simulator.

What about payware software for Virtual Airlines ? We don't have a single payware software that should be payed by Virtual Airlines Management Teams and also should be licensed to be used by pilots for that respective VA.

I think the flightsim companies have much to gain here:

1. They could achieve a better market penetration by using the Virtual Airline to expose their products to pilots.

2. They could create a new license type and achieve better revenues.

3. They would have a better feedback (with all respect to pilots and users) from the Management team who would give them strategic suggestions for the future. After all, the Management Team always want the best for his VA!

4. The first company to do this, with a good, stable product, wins the market.

3 .. 2 .. 1 .. GO!

To have a strategic development plan, we need to feel the need for it. And we already have. Look at FSAcars, a freeware software, simple one and we have hundreds of VA's using it. And I'm sure if José Oliveira (one of the founders) made it payware the VA's would use it.

I'm sure that our Virtual Airlines community would give a step to payware if that new software could be tremendously improved and with a specific covered necessity.

I'm not defending the payware mode for this kind of software. But, I defend that if we want to improve this software in a way like pilot-software improves, we need to get the best flightsimm companies to design it and integrate it on the Flight Simulator.

You, FS2Crew, FsPassengers and others, think about it ...

EuroHarmony Features ...

2007-03-02T10:30:00.000Z

Giving a supported answer to some emails from readers regarding where EuroHarmony is different from the other VA's, let me tell give my answer:

1. We have 31 airplanes. Yeap, 31. We know the number is high :). All of them compiled on installation setup files.

2. We have 7 hubs and more than 160 active pilots (pilots that fly at least once per month).

3. We have 4 Divisions. Each one with specific flights and airplanes. Main Division with general flights, and 3 specific divisions: EuroCargo (flights for secondary airports, made at night), Euroholidays (flights for Holidays destinations that changes that are seasonly compatible) and EuroBusiness (flights for business destinations with smaller airplanes).

4. We have one of the biggest forum communities that I saw (and pardon me if my vision is limited).

5. We have one of the most innovative online-flying features ever: The Daily Fly-in Flight - Basically it's a system that everyday looks at the scheduled IVAO ATC (the booked ones) and generates a flight from the most ATC-covered airports, with a maximum range of 2000 nm.

6. We have another innovative system called ProPilot: It's a system that simulates the airplane movement when a pilot does a flight. Also, it only permits flights from airplanes that are at the source airport.
Also, the system analysis your flight and gives you a flight score, a graphical report, and reports where you had made mistakes.

7. We have the Automatic Flight Assignment System: A system that sends you an email with a random flight given some configuration values chosen by the pilot. Like, if you want flights that belongs to certain Divisions, period (monthly, weekly, etc), besides others.

8. We have ProPilot Events: Real life based events to be done on a certain date interval. Definately one of most chosen feature by our pilots!

9. We have 10 Tours! Alps, Mediterranean and a 150+leg world tour!

10. We have a Timetable with more than 5000 flights.

... and much more! A stable and helpful Management Team, Screenshot Contests, Monthly Fly-In's, Hub Fly-In's, and even we send you an email when it's your birthday ;)

... I know I should stay neutral here, but it's impossible to not answer to our reader's emails :).

FSX Interests

2007-03-01T12:09:00.000Z

Microsoft has launched a new Flight Simulator version called "FSX".

When I saw it I got very excited with it, but after install it on my P4 HyperThreading 3.0Ghz, 1 Gb RAM and a nVidia GeForce 6800GT with 256Mb of dedicated RAM I didn't passed the 15 fps on a normal flight.

Ok, we are used to know that a game release is normally followed by a great computer machine requirement so it can run smoothly, but on this case the step was really too high.

Why release a software on mid summer 2006, when Microsoft actually says that to run it smoothly we need Windows Vista and DirectX 10? And we all know that Vista and DirectX only will be deployed this year...

Well, one thing is sure! The first Service Pack 1 for FSX is out, and we even have the Direct-X 10 official released! Curious thing, heim ? :)

I think that Microsoft was looking for early revenue from the game.
I'm saying this because the major companies that sell FS add-ons (airplanes, sceneries, etc) just now have the first good versions for the FSX. But from other side there was some pressure from the pilot's community: The ones that buy the product (or not).

Still, Microsoft had to find a way to use that early anxiousity to try to sell the product even if the product doesn't run on a normal computer. That way they could fit some money before the community understands that they need to wait a bit before buying the game to play it. And that's what it happening now: The game is not being sold as before due to the wait interval for pilot's to get a new computer, a new software and a new ... job to pay all of it.

What a VA need to have ?

2007-02-26T14:07:00.000Z

Some days ago I got some free time (yes, my baby was sleeping!) and decided to take a look on our Virtual Airline's quality all over the world ...

I got very surprised with the very low quality level from much VA's that advertise on all popular flightsim communities.
They say "Come here and see our new site!" .. you go there, and the site isn't even paid yet, or there is no site at all!
Others say that they have made a great site improvement, and when you click to see it, the site is horrible, made only with HTML and completely bad formatted...

What is going on here ?
Does those guys think that to open a Virtual Airline we just need to know Frontpage and open a free web site account somewhere ?
I comprehend that we all would like to have a Virtual Airline, but that's not so easy nowadays...

... because pilots demand quality.

Creating a Virtual Airline must be well planned. We need to know what context we want to achieve regarding our strategic VA profile ...
Will we have low cost divisions ?
Will we have divisions ?
What objective and society rules must my VA follow and represent ?
What kind of pilot type should my VA reach ?

Following that, the most important thing is innovation. Without that, the VA could just be "one more" on the VA world. It should have new features, new ideas, and new concepts to capture pilots.

And to end, two essential things: A great well designed, well developed and greatly concepted site, and a perfect and complete Management Team.

Not reacheable to the common human right ? :)

IVAO or IVAO ?

2007-02-23T15:54:00.000Z

Some months ago a strange phenomenon happened at our flightsim community: Somehow, the IVAO's Management team demoted the President from his duties and somehow took him off access to the web and data storage information.

Morten's was left alone. Well, at least the other part (let's call it Rebel's MT) wasn't!

I must understand that to get on this point much converstation and meetings (or not!) were taken and logically this was a last-option operation. But even so, was this operation really necessary ?

Getting foccused on the IVAO High Staff I must conclude that there was a point where an action was needed because, if not, IVAO could fall down the drain. Surely much water would be there to push it down, but actually, others would pull it up and I trully don't see that if the situation could continue as it were, things would get to a point where chaos (if it weren't already installed) would be so high and nothing would move on.

In my opinion, I think that maybe there was a quick approval regarding to this action..

... and still, the new Rebel's MT are in charge for one year and we didn't see anything change there. So, what did we, pilots, gained from it ?

Pac-Man

2007-02-22T16:21:00.000Z

"Pac-Man was inspired by a pizza with a slice missing. Namco designer Tohru Iwatani went out for the evening with some friends and then dove for dinner. The rest is history. " (http://www.mameworld.net/pacman/history/p1_01.htm)

FlyUno had become a subsidiary of FlyUK.
What made me start thinking is what if the most important VA's on the world (like FlyUK) start to gather other smaller VA's to their enterprise? Is this important ? What can pilot's gain or loose from it ?

This also made me think if the FlyUno pilots judgment was taken in account or not... Normally, on these major strategic decisions, for me, the pilot's opinions must be taken in consideration. Always.

I think that in a near future we can see more VA's do this kind of fusions and instead of having Virtual Airlines, we would have Virtual Airlines Economical Groups. All virtually. But the strategic action will be very real.

What we should never do ...

2007-02-22T12:54:00.000Z

Some months ago I decided to use the VaFlash Forum to ask the administrator why my news where getting so long for being posted (about 2 weeks). A simple post just to ask that.

Can you imagine that the Erick Ortiz, the guy that runs vaflash.com got very pissed off with me, accused me of saying "crappy things" and told me that he is not payed to do that job so all I have to do is wait ? :|

Now that's what I call a great answer from the most important person (that I know) on VaFlash!

Imagine if I run my VA just like that ? Maybe next time, when a pilot ask me why his/her Pirep has not been validated I can tell him "Get a life man! I work hard everyday on real life, and I don't get payed to check your pireps as quickly as you want!".

Nah, .... that is called bad diplomacy and a completely person sensibility lost.

The great thing, is that I received some emails from some of other VA CEO's that post their messages there saying that "I was the only courage person in the Forum to confront him with that problem". ...

Welcome!

2007-02-22T12:36:00.000Z

Hi mate,

I created this blog because I feel that I need to express my feelings regarding to the flight sim world and Virtual Airlines.

So, if you don't know anything about this, you can close this window :)

I cannot guarantee that I'm only going to say good things here, but I can guarantee that all of the things will be strongly sincere.

I also would like you to express your thoughts about what I say here.

Relating to my "simulated" life, I am EuroHarmony president, and a flightsim addict for more than 14 years. Should that count to give credit to my thoughts ?