I've tried various virtual airlines (both based on real airlines and on fictional airlines - Noble, NWVA, Westwind, Meridian, BA Virtual, etc.) and all of them, so far, seem a bit lacking, for me.Is there a single VA that offers *all* of the following?1. Based on a real(istic) airline (e.g. either a real airline, or a fictional airline that is realistically operated.)2. A set of company routes and/or advanced flight planning capabilities that allow me to not have to spend hours planning out a route, only to find out that the controllers on VATSIM are no longer online for my route.3. A bid system vs. pick-and-choose routes.4. A *FLEXIBLE* requirement for how many flights must be completed for a given time period (e.g. I want to fly 3 routes in one week and then not do *any* for the next two months.)5. No stringent check-flight requirements (I'm more into flightsim for the systems simulation than the flight experience itself).6. The ability to hop between aircraft (e.g. flying a Dash-8 one flight and a triple-7 for the next).7. Advanced options for calculating profit/loss based upon on-time arrivals, passenger or cargo fares, and trip costs.

Wow -- pretty touch criteria you got there ;-)I can't say ATA Virtual offers all of those, but I can definetly say, proudly :-), we offer the first part. ATAv is operated with full consent and knowlage from the real-world ATA (www.ata.com). Our requirements for flights are very very flexible. Basically, we ask that you fly at least 1 flight a month, BUT - that is only to ensure that we keep a clean roster. We maintain that if your to busy to fly a flight that month or just forgot about it, all you need is to email your Hub Manager and tell him that, and we are okay. What we don't like is pilots joining and then just leaving without letting us know, because then it "clogs" the roster.No check requirements at ATAv. In the future, we are going to be working on having an optional "checkflight" award. This is strictly optional -- you would simply takeoff from an airport, fly around manually, vector yourself through VOR's, and land safely. Then once you submit the flight video to your Hub Manager, and they approve it, you get a little "epaulet" saying you are certified in that aircraft. To be honest, the epaulet means nothing, but it looks nice to have in your profile :-)We let you hop between aircraft, but in all honesty, not totally. In fact, if your really interested in how we run, you can read our short Pilot Handbook at www.atavirtual.com/Handbook.pdf :-)Hope you find that VA for you;-)

Hmm...I've looked at tons of VA's (including all that you mentioned) and honestly don't know of any that are going to meet all of your criteria. I think, though, that two of the VA's I currently fly for would fit your needs fairly well.1) Midcontinent Airlines (http://www.midconair.com/)--This VA was based on a merger between USAir and America West (hmm...isn't that interesting?). They are probably the most realistic VA currently operating. As far as flight planning, all flights are given a dispatch release prepared by FAA certified dispatchers. This includes a company routing. You then get an online weather brief through our system and prefile the fp automatically with VATSIM. They're pretty lenient about how much you have to fly; you can fly as often as you like and take an LOA easily if you'll be gone for awhile. Right now, flights are assigned, but I understand a bid system is in the works. As far as check flights, there is a line check required for hire and one required if you wish to upgrade to captain. And, unforunately, you're type rated in only one plane, and that's what you fly. And, we have no finance model at this time, but we do have a really good ACARS system that tracks flight data, including times and fuel, and also allows you to automatically file reports and use text comm with dispatchers.2) Delta Virtual (http://www.deltava.org/)--Obviously, this one is based on Delta. They provide many resources for flight planning (FAA preferred routes, charts, etc), and I understand that a dispatch system is a real possibility for the future. Unfortunately, there are no bids. They are EXTREMELY flexible on how often you have to fly too. There are only check flights to upgrade to bigger planes. The promotion structure, though, is really unique. When you sign on, you tell them about your experience and they place you in an aircraft program. You don't necessarily start in little planes; I, for example, started in the 757 and since moved to 767. There is no checkride for upgrade to captain, either--it's just a written test. You can also be rated in lots of different planes, so hopping around is perfectly acceptable. Cheers,Marc

I was with Delta Virtual for a while, but I left because I didn't really feel like a virtual pilot as much as I did just a name. I felt to much like it was all automated, and I didn't really get to interact much with the staff, and only with other pilots on the Forums.But I gotta hand it to them, their Pilot Control Panel is fantastic! :-)

Nick, I do see where you're coming from about DVA. I think you're right in saying that the forum is the only real "personal" form of communications, other than group flights if you're into that sort of thing. I find, though, that it's one of the most active VA forums I've ever seen, so that's definitely a plus.PS: I've not seen your ATA VA before, are you guys new?-Marc

"PS: I've not seen your ATA VA before, are you guys new?"

We've been around since Dec. 24, 2004. We may be young, but far from inexperianced ;-) Little info about us:Based off the real-world ATA (American Trans Air) and we have ATA's approval :-) which we are very proud of!We've got hubs in Chicago Midway (MDW) and Indianapolis (IND)...We use a fleet of Boeing 737-800's, 757-200 & -300's and Lockheed L1011's. Also, we have an "ExecuJet" (corperate charters) fleet of Learjet 35's, Citation's and Bell LongRanger's.If you've followed ATA's progress in the past few months, you'll now they sold Chicago Express. Chicago Express was a subsidary, a feeder airline for ATA, and due to *cough cough* money problems...;-) ATA had to sell them. However, they're a favorite to some of us here at ATAv, so we decided to still keep the Chicago Express flights (and the aircraft the operate; the Saab 340).We're now moving toward our 7th-month in operation and we've got over 275 pilots :-) Looking toward the future -- in fact next week -- we will be opening the door for ATAv pilots to participate in SWA/ATA codeshare flights. And looking off into the horizon, we plan to start a "Legacy" division, which would have flights all the way from the 80's and 90's at ATA -- making the DC-10, 727 and more available to fly!Come check out the site (www.atavirtual.com) and definetly join the Forums. Its a really great way to get to know fellow pilots, and basically talk about anything/ask questions. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions at all -- you can email me at [email protected] Look forward to hearing from you Super 27!