I just thought I'd let the membership know that as a new pilot in real life, I thought it would be interesting to join a good VA and have some fun, and maybe learn a few things. I've been simming for 20 years, so this was a natural extension of the hobby. After a lot of research, British Airways VA looked good. They are a Vatsim partner, been around awhile, and they let you fly my beloved freeware David Maltby BAC 1-11. When I applied, I learned that there is a waiting list. I asked how long it would take, the reply was a week or two as people leave, because they have a membership cap. Well, almost 3 weeks later, I had risen to the mighty ranking of 47th on their list, and I was shocked to finally get an email from their "HR" saying I'm rejected because I entered the wrong IVAO code... However, their email states that this can be corrected, just contact them.

 

Well, I did just that. The HR told me I would have to re-apply, period, and go to the very end of the line, which was now 137. Considering it had taken nearly 3 weeks to go from 80 something to 47, I was not pleased. I pleaded with the HR and CEO, telling them I was a pilot in real life, had a lot to contribute, and had friends who were interested in joining who were very experienced pilots, one of whom was an instructor and one of whom was an ATC for the military. I also told them I would be working on a repaint of a BA BAC 111 with an extremely talented designer (who has several thousand downloads here) and we were looking forward to offering this photo real paint to their membership. They sent me back stern replies basically telling me to go rub salt. When I appealed to their better natures, and told them I thought this was terribly unfair, the CEO sent me back an email, mocking me, telling me that I was rude, and presumed that I was "influencial" (and thus somehow worthy of being treated with a bit of dignity I suppose). Needless to say, that was the end of that experience.

 

BA enjoys treating applicants extremely rudely by;

 

-making people wait months, but saying it only takes a week or so

-jerking people around (with an initial email saying a totally insignificant error was correctable if you contacted HR right away (which I did), and then tossing my application and making me re-apply because I entered one number of an IVAO code incorrectly)

-by mocking me when I appealed to their better nature. I simply asked them to let a guy who was serious about this hobby stay where I was on the waiting list with the error corrected. I was told I was presuming that I was influencial, and made to feel rather stupid for asking to be treated with a bit of fairness.

 

Stay away from these people my fellow simmers. And if anyone knows a good VA, preferrably one that lets me fly the BAC 111 and would love some free repaints, please let me know.

 

Regards,

Lorne Jordan

Try Airsource..No mucking about ,masses of flights in all the major real world airlines (you are not just limited to a single VA livery)

British Airways is definitely catered for .(cant say whether the 1-11 is of the top of my head , I will check for you.)

Don't waste valuable flying time trying to deal with self -important prats.

If you would prefer a more European feel to your flights then EuroHarmony are also a good choice.Very friendly ,good flight software ,lots of choices.no Prats!

Cheers ANDY

 

UPDATE

Have just checked Airsource for 1-11 and indeed there are flights.

 

BEA

CLASSIC DAN AIR

BRITISH CALADONIAN

etc etc

Click on my signature for Airsource, so many airlines you won't know what to do. Plus a general aviation division and humanitarian division.

could also try Cyber-Air. been around forEVER. I used to fly with them and Mid-Con-Airlines, but MidCon is in process of rebuilding and presently doesnt have a presence online. :(

 

However CyberAir does, not sure how "disicplined" you need your VA to be, But CA is a good group.

Hmmm, this seems a trifle odd. I've just checked the website for 'British Airways Virtual Airlines' and am surprised you found there to be a waiting list, as they seem to have only three members.

 

http://britishairwaysvirtualfsx.webs.com/

 

Of course, if their responses to your application were truly as bad as you've detailed above, that might explain why there are so few members.

 

The virtual airline of which I'm a member is a professionally-run outfit with high standards and many members - and a number of real-life airline pilots amongst its admin personnel (all of whom provide great support and advice to our members). It's perhaps because of this that there is (1) a significant waiting list to join and (2) an extremely content membership base that apparently finds none of the arrogance and impoliteness you discovered at that other outfit "British Airways Virtual Airlines'.

 

Joining my virtual airline was a simple task that went through quickly and problem-free - although I was perhaps lucky in managing to give them my correct VATSIM number (having been alerted to the importance of this by the message in prominent red letters on their joining page, stating that an incorrect IVAO or VATSIM number would result in my application being rejected).

 

The airline of which I'm a member? British Airways Virtual - but that would be a totally different outfit from the one your post is warning us of, wouldn't it?

 

http://www.bavirtual.co.uk/administration/joining

"I pleaded with the HR and CEO, telling them I was a pilot in real life..."

 

Of course, as a REAL LIFE PILOT you should have been given special treatment and been put to the top of the wauiting list.

I'm a believer in FIFO, first in - first out. AKA no cutting in line. Real world pilot? Wow, good for you. But the line starts at the rear. Go to the supermarket, get in line for checkout and realize you forgot something? Great, go get it and take your shopping cart with you. Line starts at the rear.

 

The OP reminded me of an email received from a friend, late one night. The term primadonna was used in describing some problem people that they had to deal with. Don't know why that popped into my head :Monkey:

Of course, as a REAL LIFE PILOT you should have been given special treatment and been put to the top of the wauiting list.

 

Thank you for saying this. :Peace:

Try CatFish, they let you fly anywhere with any plane.

 

http://www.catfishair.com/

I'm a believer in FIFO, first in - first out. AKA no cutting in line. Real world pilot? Wow, good for you. But the line starts at the rear. Go to the supermarket, get in line for checkout and realize you forgot something? Great, go get it and take your shopping cart with you. Line starts at the rear.

 

The OP reminded me of an email received from a friend, late one night. The term primadonna was used in describing some problem people that they had to deal with. Don't know why that popped into my head :Monkey:

 

There is a big difference between the situations you're describing IMO. This is not at all like forgetting an item; it's more like having a problem with a credit card not being accepted and being forced to go to the back of the line instead of being able to just use a different one. A VA does not need to be that bureaucratic, especially considering how much of their own time they just wasted.

 

I'm not saying being a real world pilot entitles OP to being first in line, but that's not really the point here that I can see. I also find it a bit odd that one would address the OP rather than the OP's argument.

@LorneJordan.

Please state which British Airways Virtual you attempted to join. As a Board member of British Airways Virtual www.bavirtual.co.uk i would be interested to find out. I do have an opinion on your post and will answer if it is us.

 

John Barnes Speedbird7

Director of Training

British Airways Virtual.

 

www.bavirtual.co.uk

This triggers a question I keep asking myself - what is the point of a virtual airline? Perhaps I just don't get it, but there's nothing to stop the OP getting in his BAC-111 and virtually flying any RW British Airways flight. What added value does a virtual airline offer, apart from being on the pseudo-roster list of an organisation that can only be a pale mimicry of the real thing?

This triggers a question I keep asking myself - what is the point of a virtual airline? Perhaps I just don't get it, but there's nothing to stop the OP getting in his BAC-111 and virtually flying any RW British Airways flight. What added value does a virtual airline offer, apart from being on the pseudo-roster list of an organisation that can only be a pale mimicry of the real thing?

 

Quite simple really. For you it seems there is no point. For others there is. Tea or coffee which do you prefer? Its all down to personal choice.

Hi.

 

I've been following this thread out of an academic interest. The original post was pretty strong, and equalled by the treatment suffered by the original poster.

 

I say academic because I have no internet connection at home (this is my lunch break at work) so I can happily sit on the fence and watch. I do think, though, that treating people courteously (which includes being prompt, and giving gentle notice of high-lit front page information) doesn't cost anything. I do hope the OP returns to clarify which VA upset him, just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

On which subject... what are the attractions of joining a VA? I can ask this one on the fence too but since I broke both my PCs a week ago I've been thinking about assembling something more versatile (like with a connection to the outside world...) and rather fancy the community aspect of a VA though I'd be more likely to opt for farm or bush flying than a large multinational.

 

Cheers,

D

There are always two sides to a story.

 

Post counts usually mean nothing, but in this situation, I'd like to hear the other side of the story.

 

But in listening to the other side of the story, it might flame bait some more and turn this thread into something other than civil.

 

Whats done is done and im sure the 1240 other members of BAv are very happy with the VA that they joined.