1 September 2006
To All Of Our Pilots,

Last month I launched a poll on our site that most virtual airlines (or any business) wouldn't ask so publicly: "What is the biggest problem at SimAirline.net?" At the moment, your responses are as follows:
-Roster isn't updated enough - 15%
-New VAs aren't often enough - 33%
-Poor management - 9%
-Not enough management - 8%
-Not enough codeshare partners - 13%
-Other - 12%
-None - 10%

We've discussed each of the issues on our Message Boards in this topic, but I want to draw special attention to the one voted as the biggest problem: new VAs aren't often enough. This is not something I can control, but it is something you can. As explained in our 2006 Operations Plan and approved by you, our pilots, in January with a 94% approval, we must reach our monthly goals in order to expand and include more virtual airlines. The biggest obstacle in the last few months is the item voted the smallest problem, not enough management. At this time, we need to fill three Virtual Airline Manager positions by the end of the month in order to begin expanding again. It is possible with our current team, but we need your help to ensure that we can fulfill what you want: more choices. I urge you to consider applying for a management position.

New Organization Records Set
August saw the establishment of several new monthly records at SimAirline.net. Air Berlin Virtual had 106 flights following its overhauled timetable. The previous record was 86. Thai Virtual also set a new record with 84 flights, breaking the old record of 74. In addition, August had our third most flight hours in a single month ever, and our fourth most flight hours per active pilot. Finally, an impressive 19 of 25 virtual airlines had higher results as compared to July.

New Logo Coming Soon
Nick Anderson and I have developed an improved logo for SimAirline.net, which will be applied to the website over the next few weeks. The new logo features a set of pilot wings with a globe, reflecting the global nature of our organization and our commitment to you, our pilots.

Varig Virtual Restructuring Continues
The transition of Varig Virtual to its 1990s operation continues. Previously, Varig Virtual operated to 61 destinations. After the restructuring, the virtual airline will offer service to 122. We hope to have the restrcturing complete this month.

Air Berlin to Merge with dba
Air Berlin recently announced that it will be merging with dba, which focuses primarily on the German domestic market and operates major hubs in Dusseldorf and Munich. Air Berlin Virtual will incorporate the new flights next spring.

Management Hiring
The following positions need to be filled before we can expand to include Pan American Virtual: British Airways Manager, Icelandair Manager, and South African Manager. We are also hiring for the positions of Aircraft Developer, Interim VA Manager, Jet Sounds Manager, Midway Manager, and Scenery Developer. More information on each of these positions is available here.

Aircraft Codes Added to Fleet Pages
In order to reduce the number of incorrect PIREPs due to pilots flying the wrong aircraft type, Fleet pages on select virtual airlines now include the aircraft code for each aircraft type. Please be sure to follow these and the instructions on the Flights page to ensure that you are flying the correct aircraft.

Korean Air Virtual to Codeshare with CSAV
Our partnership with CSAV, based on CSA Czech Airlines, will grow larger this month with the addition of new routes at Korean Air Virtual, all from Prague. Some routes will be transfered from Delta Virtual.

A Reminder When Filing PIREPs
Please keep in mind that when filing a PIREP's flight times, you should file the times you had in the simulator, and not the times listed in the timetable. Of course, you should always depart at the scheduled time.

Contributions Update
SimAirline.net still needs $166.64 to fulfill its contributions goal for the year. You can learn more about how to contribute here.

Virtual Airline of the Month - Air Tahiti Nui Virtual
This month's featured virtual airline is Air Tahiti Nui Virtual, our smallest virtual airline. More information on Air Tahiti Nui, including selected screenshots, can be found here.

2006 had another wonderful summer for us, and I hope you enjoyed it and the new routes we began. I hope we can make possible even more exciting offerings in the near future.

Aaron Robinson
aaron.robinson@simairline.net
AOL Instant Messenger: SimAirlineNet