What's the deal with Virtual Airlines?

[Captain Overs]

I would never get into it, but I think it's kind of cool there are thousands of people out there who are pretending to do what we actually get paid to do. We complain that the industry isn't thought of as highly as it once was. If that was true why are people spending thousands of hours emulating us?

I hadn't heard of virtual airlines until this post. I actually went and searched it out and there is a guy at "Virtual" Eastern with over 6,000 hours. I can think of better use of my "Real" time, but so what.

 

[bvt1151]

So this is the type of things the Navy Seals say when we play first person shooters...

What I think we've illustrated from this thread isn't that there are dorks out there who want to be pilots, but rather that there are egotistical pilots who will take whatever chance they can get to point out that another group is inferior to them.

With attitudes like these, its no wonder pilots are losing the public relations war. If we want to be paid like professionals, we'd probably better start acting like it.

 

[Publishers]

I have an eleven year old son. He has about 15 hours in a 150 and 172. He flies Flight Simulator every night. If you are not familiar with the level of upgrades and add on's for the program that exist today, you probalby cannot really appreciate the challenge nor interest of people doing this.

There are products that add on that give you real world weather, complete FMS and control panels, passengers, etc. that are incredible to me.

The funny thing was when we last went up in a 172 that had the Garmin complet package, he was looking around for the auto throttles to set up his airspeeds.

I personnally find it a fun deal to do with him and fly approaches in hurricanes etc.

 

[zonker]

I used to play Microsoft Flight Simulator on my Apple IIe constantly when I was a kid. In fact, I'd do the same things these guys do but on a smaller scale. I'd take the biggest plane they had, which was probably a twin Cessna or something, and then pretend to fly passengers/cargo from Meigs Field to Champaign/Urbana or something. Of course I was 12 at the time...but hey I still play Xbox and I'm pushing 40.

So no, I don't really see anything wrong with having a "virtual airline". It's no different than any other type of video game that people play. Probably not the best way to pick up chicks, though.

 

[Doug Parker]

.

If you need a virtual Copilot for those long overnights, try www.realdoll.com



.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

So this is the type of things the Navy Seals say when we play first person shooters...

What I think we've illustrated from this thread isn't that there are dorks out there who want to be pilots, but rather that there are egotistical pilots who will take whatever chance they can get to point out that another group is inferior to them.

With attitudes like these, its no wonder pilots are losing the public relations war. If we want to be paid like professionals, we'd probably better start acting like it.

Come on dude, smile. Laugh. Have some fun. You can do it. It's okay, we all get crazy every now and then.

 

[100LL... Again!]

Flight sims are fine, but a real-time trip across a virtual Atlantic?

 

[Clyde]

Apparently there's this whole subculture of psychos that get really deep into Microsoft Flight Sim. They get together somehow online with each other and fly trips on their PC's in REAL TIME. They even link up with guys running some sort of ATC simulation software who work them accross the country. They have Virtual Scheduling, Virtual Chief Pilots, Virtual Probation. Guys will use computer screens instead of CRTs and build cockpit mockups (like a CPT) in the basement, come home from work and do the EWR-SFO run, in REAL TIME.
I'm not sure if they sit in the basement reading Virtual newspapers, bitch about Virtual ALPA, do their Virtual Bid, or what.

Google Virtual Airline. It's just Amazing.

Geeks. Real, not virtual.

 

[Sailpilot]

Ha. So would you similarly defend someone with a "virtual girlfriend" (i.e. inflatable)?quote]

Hey!

Leave my girl out of this!

She's sensitive (repaired with Duct-tape)

 

[Sailpilot]

So this is the type of things the Navy Seals say when we play first person shooters...

What I think we've illustrated from this thread isn't that there are dorks out there who want to be pilots, but rather that there are egotistical pilots who will take whatever chance they can get to point out that another group is inferior to them.

With attitudes like these, its no wonder pilots are losing the public relations war. If we want to be paid like professionals, we'd probably better start acting like it.

Easy Francis...