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MDF86

Has anyone else created their own "virtual" airline?

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No, I don't mean a VA in the convential sense of the term (i.e. a community of simmers signed up to an "airline") but I mean actually created a fictitious airline just for your own pleasure?

 

Allow me to explain....

 

I don't like flying unrealistic equipment/airline/route combinations, so for example I wouldn't enjoy flying a Ryanair B737 from Bristol to Paris CDG because I know they don't run that route in real life.

 

Which brings me on to the "problem"...

 

I have just purchased the PMDG 777 and I must say I absolutely ADORE it. So much so that I can't imagine me jumping back to the NGX for quite a while.

 

But this presents me with a problem, as I wouldn't feel "right" operating flights across the USA (for example) using a United/Delta 777 as they wouldn't use that equipment in the real world.

 

So I came up with a plan....

 

I've "created" (read : dreamt up!) a fictitious airline, and charted out their route network based on my own personal preferences of the addon airports that I enjoy flying in and out of.

 

This fictitious airline is a cargo-only operator which just so happen to have taken delivery of two new B777F (one to be based in Europe and one in the US) - how convenient :lol:

 

I have chosen my 5 favourite airports in the US and my 5 favourite in Europe as my "bases", and created a route network with every flight operating either in or out of one of these 10 "hubs", connecting to various other locations within Europe and the US which I have payware scenery for.

 

It was actually really great fun coming up with this "business" and mapping out this, purely for my own pleasure. I'm hoping to learn to repaint aircraft soon so that I can create my own repaint for the 777 to use to make my flights more authentic, at the moment I'm just using the PMDG house livery.

 

Of course this business model would crash and burn in the real world, but that's just part of the fun! Because I have devised this airline and it's routes/equipment are "real" (to me!) it feels like I'm operating authentic routes. In reality there are very few 777 routes between the airports I wish to fly between, so this solves the "problem"!

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But this presents me with a problem, as I wouldn't feel "right" operating flights across the USA (for example) using a United/Delta 777 as they wouldn't use that equipment in the real world.

 

Hi, MDF86,

 

There are some real world flights flown by 777-200LRs that are of shorter duration, including Delta from Atlanta to LAX (then goes on to Sydney) and back, Air Canada Toronto to Vancouver (also on to Sydney) and back, Air Canada from Toronto to London and Toronto to, I believe, Frankfurt (longer but not ultra-longhaul).  There are threads about this in the PMDG forums. 

 

Mike


 

                    bUmq4nJ.jpg?2

 

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I hear what you're saying and I say what ever motivates one to simfly more all the power to you!

 

I sometimes use a defunct airline livery on a plane to simulate the route that is no longer in the real world and assume they are still operating and how the routes might change.

 

For example, CYUL-KMDW I would use the CP Air livery in the NGX. It was never a real world route but *might* be if they were still operating. Makes the unrealistic route/livery/type a little easier to swallow.

 

Maybe TWA (if still operating) would be flying 777's KJFK - KORD?

 

(BTW, UAL does fly the 777 between KORD-KIAD at times)

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Hi, MDF86,

 

There are some real world flights flown by 777-200LRs that are of shorter duration, including Delta from Atlanta to LAX (then goes on to Sydney) and back, Air Canada Toronto to Vancouver (also on to Sydney) and back, Air Canada from Toronto to London and Toronto to, I believe, Frankfurt (longer but not ultra-longhaul).  There are threads about this in the PMDG forums. 

 

Mike

 

Thanks Mike, I'll check that out for sure!

I hear what you're saying and I say what ever motivates one to simfly more all the power to you!

 

I sometimes use a defunct airline livery on a plane to simulate the route that is no longer in the real world and assume they are still operating and how the routes might change.

 

For example, CYUL-KMDW I would use the CP Air livery in the NGX. It was never a real world route but *might* be if they were still operating. Makes the unrealistic route/livery/type a little easier to swallow.

 

Maybe TWA (if still operating) would be flying 777's KJFK - KORD?

 

(BTW, UAL does fly the 777 between KORD-KIAD at times)

 

Sounds good!

 

What I like about having devised my own fictitious airline is that I get to play many roles! I design the entire route network (based purely on what I want to do) and fly the aircraft, and I even make the coffee that I drink while flying :lol:

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Is the coffee still crappy even when you make it?

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Is the coffee still crappy even when you make it?

 

The coffee is never crappy on my airline :P

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The coffee is never crappy on my airline :P

Sounds like you are keeping the immersion full tilt then, well done! :lol:

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I bought FSCaptain a while back and building your own "private VA" is one of the things you can do with it. You can either use a provided schedule, a converted schedule from WOAI, a generated list of flights for a hub, or create you're own from scratch. If you take the time to build it from scratch, you can choose a flight at the gate. You could also skip all of that and just set any destination when you start the program in FSX. When you set up the VA, you decide (and can later change) which of the rules, if any, to follow. The rules include things like using landing lights, sending position reports, and on-time arrivals. Each flight is graded based on the specified rules and logged at the end.

If you want more of a company approach, you could check out FS Passengers. The only problem with that program is it may not be supported much now and may not run well on some newer systems. I did try it once and could not complete a flight without blowing a tire or crashing, so I gave up on it. It also wouldn't allow "warping" (clicking the plane on the map and dragging it closer to your destination) which I sometimes have to do to finish a long flight. FSCaptain does allow for that. 

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Used to have one on FSAirlines before they introduced premium accounts (and downgraded the standard ones).

Had a couple of VAs on Airline-Empires, but it was too easy for others to just swamp my routes.

 

Now I'm flying real routings and use FSPassengersX to keep track of the monetary side of flying. It has amortized its one-time investment over the years.


7950X3D + 6900 XT + 64 GB + Linux | 4800H + RTX2060 + 32 GB + Linux
My add-ons from my FS9/FSX days

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I have created my own VA for personal use, as I do not wish to be constrained to routes of a mass VA.

 

I am Global Air and have created my own paint scheme:

 

AtFdE.jpg

 

BXSvF.jpg

 

Also the cargo side:

 

K60s4.jpg

 

il3Yn.jpg

 

737 cargo:

 

ZLkaq.jpg

 

Plus I have the 777, 757, and for local use a Be146 Quiet Trader and Twin otter..

 

I enjoy planning my own destinations and flying them at my own pace.. :)


James (jaydor)

"Let me X-Plane where I fly in 2020"



 

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Looks great James!

 

My "private cargo airline" is called Horizon - and we have a very unrealistic business model, but we don't care :lol:

 

Basically I have one 777F based in the USA and one in Europe - I have chosen my 5 favourite payware airports in both the US and Europe, and every single flight I operate goes in or out of one of these airports. All 5 in each continent operate to and from each other, with all 5 also serving a number of other destinations. And of course there will be trans-continental flights.

 

I have mocked up how I want my livery to look in Photoshop, I'm in conversations with a chap on here who may be painting it for me!

 

4ae5aa6af954724d43756ca3d00bd0af.png

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What you're describing is very close to Platinum Airways. We apply the Open Skies principle, which means that you can fly any mission of your choice with the AC of your choice at the time of your choice. In addition, we have a cargo division with some non-real world missions, as well as a military division. We have a destination of the week series that focuses on a monthly theme. We have five hubs with (non-real world) schedules, but you don't have to use them and can in any event switch between them as you please. We don't mind our pilots flying AC in non-Platinum livery. We have two rules: 1. Pilots must be minimum 18 years of age. 2. Pilots are required to have fun.

 

Stijn

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She's finally here, climbing out of a stormy Denver for the inaugral pilot training flight! :wub:

 

e03e0c0aa900d44cfb9db46e65d6e909.png

 

Much, much kudos to the incredibly talented Brian Robinson for the repaint

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She's finally here, climbing out of a stormy Denver for the inaugral pilot training flight! :wub:

  

Much, much kudos to the incredibly talented Brian Robinson for the repaint

_________________________________________________

 

That is a very good livery and suits the T7 admirably. Good to see you flying..  :Clown:  :Drooling:


James (jaydor)

"Let me X-Plane where I fly in 2020"



 

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