I have tried many VA's over the years but have yet to find one with much structure. Most allow you to fly whatever route you like and some have a bit more structure by limiting the aircraft you can fly until you have accrued a certain number of hours. Are there any VA's out there that have this as well as assigning you specific flights to fly and maybe even provide you with the preferred routes? Ryan

well, Ryan guess you just found the right onJoin us and you wont get dissapoint.We offer you features like- pilot logbook- booking and reporting system (flighttracker based or manual)- Automated Aircraft control. You only can fly what you're rated for- Fleet control. You can only fly if an aircraft is on the location you are based at the time of your booking- Location control. No aircraft at your location, you cannot fly- 190 Destinations- A large group of Airlines - One loginJoin SkyOne Group of Airlines nowwww.airswitzerland-va.chc you there ;)MartinAir Switzerland CEOSkyOne Group Leader

Another possibility is Northwest Virtual Airlines (www.nwva.org). You are assigned to a hub and can fly any aircraft in their fleet, but only after passing a checkride in a 737. Their fleet consists of Saab 340, 747, 757, A319, A320, DC-9 and DC-10.Flights are assigned, but you can request a specific flight if you wish. Actual Northwest routes are utilized.While their website may not be the slickest around, the VA is solid. The staff is very responsive. Everything there is people-driven not automated.Good luck with your search!

>well, Ryan guess you just found the right on>>Join us and you wont get dissapoint.>>We offer you features like>- pilot logbook>- booking and reporting system (flighttracker based or>manual)>- Automated Aircraft control. You only can fly what you're>rated for>- Fleet control. You can only fly if an aircraft is on the>location you are based at the time of your booking>- Location control. No aircraft at your location, you cannot>fly>- 190 Destinations>- A large group of Airlines - One login>>Join SkyOne Group of Airlines now>>www.airswitzerland-va.ch>>c you there ;)>>Martin>Air Switzerland CEO>SkyOne Group Leader>>Yes Come Join Air Switzerland we have over 150 flights throught Our Various Partners!BradCEOAUSTRALIAN VIRTUAL AIRLINEShttp://www.ausair.org

Have a look at www.midconair.com If you want realism and structure, this is the airline for you. As in real life, pilots are type rated in a certain airplane, at MidContinent Airlines, same is true. You're hired and complete a checkride for a certain type, and that's what fleet you fly for. We offer FAA-certified Dispatchers who work for real world airlines, they assign and complete a dispatch for you to fly that matches your type rating. Use the dispatch to complete your pre-flight planning, use MCACARS to load your fuel and inspect the fuel slip that comes with it, also MCACARS allows you to speak to dispatch via text, allows you to get wx info., and records all your pertinent times. When it's time for your checkride, a flight examiner will "ride along" with you (if able) to examine all parts of your flight. After your flight, MCACARS will send your data and automatically update your logbook. Then kick back and relax in the pilot forums, talking about flying issues, MSFS add-ons, or reading training issues our Instructor Captains are discussing with the pilot force.Feel free to email me at [email protected] or visit us at www.midconair.com to submit an application.Captain Joe GatesAssistant Chief PilotMidContinent Airlines

Ryan,It really depends on just how structured you're looking for. For the ultimate in realism, Joe's right, Midcon is the best way to go. It really is the closest you'll get to commercial airline operations without, well, being a commercial pilot in the real world. The Midcon staff is constantly working to make things even better--they just put out a great new Flight Operations Manual (100+ pages of new reading material for us pilots), and are working on new features including expanded training and a regional division. That said, if you're not looking for something quite that structured, there are other choices that offer a sort of middle-ground. American Airlines Virtual (http://www.aavirtual.com/) is pretty cool. They offer a challenging series of checkrides and ratings for you to progress through in your career. They don't assign flight like MidCon; instead you choose a "line" of up to 10 flights at a time (you can do this by picking from the schedule or use an automated system that assigns you 7 flights based on your rank and hub). They also offer a sort of ACARS system, although not quite as advanced as MidCon's, simply because their focus isn't as much on realism. Delta VA (http://www.deltava.com/) is also a good choice. They have a fairly structured system of type-ratings and promotion based not just on hours, but also on skill, participation in the airline, and written exams. At present flights are not assigned, but there is talk of putting in some kind of flight bidding system, which would be similar to what real airlines use for scheduling. I think all of these are very fine VA's. They all offer a different focus and level of structure, it's up to you what you're really looking for. Good luck with your search!-Marc