3 minutes ago, qqwertzde said:

As for Skypark, I am extremely surprised that it doesn't even tell you the weight of your cargo.

Well not yet anyway but I think the development has potential.

I've had AH2 OnAir and now Skypark.

Here's my take on all 3, AH2's biggest downfall is that it's static, no matter how much you like it it's just a fact of it. With AH2 I can set it up with virtual pilots and it will make me $millions while not even playing if I wanted to. The other thing because it's static I can (to a point) just repeat the same run over and over for insane profits. The other issue I didn't like is that AH is based on calendar days. If you step away from it for a month then you'll get dinged for expenses and rents and so on. AH is good but as long as you understand those limitations.

If you're a hardcore pilot then OnAir is the best because it's live and it's persistent with special events but for that you pay a price. Even if you don't subscribe and come back your account will still be there and can resume your sub.

I sim and sometimes I don't and that's why I like Skypark if you want a reason to fly with simplicity and looking for a few contracts. Overall it's solid and since I'm a part time simmer it fits very well.

 

42 minutes ago, qqwertzde said:

1) I agree. I was disappointed when it was first launched, but in its current state, OnAir has probably the best flight tracking and economic simulation around. I only do not use it because the community is fairly small and I don't care too much about the "running an airline" part. Most importantly, I found it too real for me. I tried to simulate part 135 operations and had a hard time establishing my preferred routes. Plus, I was severely limited as to what and where I fly, very much like real 135 pilots. 🙂

I guess it isn't what I am looking for, but I would recommend it for anyone who likes to run an airline or uses it in a less restricted way than I did.

2) FSE is currently my go-to. I didn't care too much about owning the airplanes, but the FBO real estate part appealed to me 🙂

As for Skypark, I am extremely surprised that it doesn't even tell you the weight of your cargo. That would be the bare minimum what I would expect of a job-generating simulation. I guess that's another program I won't use much.

Have you updated your skill tree to get maximum enhanced queries? You should at that point get jobs going to whatever specific FBOs you want. Also technically you can fly wherever you want. The tracker doesnt care if you are doing a job or not. Sure you are just burning fuel not getting paid but you can still do it. Sometimes I do fly empty reposition flights to do a job originating from somewhere else. As far as the community size I dont think its as small as one might think as the discord is very active. Comparing it to some VAs ive been in where there really isnt much participation. AirHauler2 is more geared to solo play and I generally prefer that anyways and I suspect most of us are like that and stick to solo companies in OnAir.

 

Ironically I feel like OnAir is a tiny bit more tailored to 135 ops because I prefer airliner flying overall and there isnt much in terms of scheduled operations with OnAir "Airline Manager" I hope that can change going forward as the regular routes feature isnt tailored to what Im trying to do but Im sure its great if there is a group of friends working in a VA together. Overall I get the management part isnt for everyone and I think OnAir is doing a good job to try to find that sweet spot for everyone having freedom of where to fly but at the same time with some purpose.

12 minutes ago, environmental_ice said:

(a) Have you updated your skill tree to get maximum enhanced queries? You should at that point get jobs going to whatever specific FBOs you want.

(b) As far as the community size I dont think its as small as one might think as the discord is very active. Comparing it to some VAs ive been in where there really isnt much participation. 

(c) Ironically I feel like OnAir is a tiny bit more tailored to 135 ops because I prefer airliner flying overall and there isnt much in terms of scheduled operations with OnAir "Airline Manager" 

(a) I was pretty far along, but I played in Thunder. So, anything that increased the number of potential employees or their skill set was pretty much useless. I think I got most of the other skills, but not all.

(b) Nice comparison with the VAs 😄 You are right, OnAir Discord is about as active as a decent VA. I am used to FSEconomy, and there is a lot more interaction. Having said that, FSE is also getting a bit more quiet these days.

(c) On Thunder, 135 ops are brutal. What I wanted to do was to set up a few regular charter routes plus some random charters to other airports in the general area. It may have been a mistake to first lease a C172 because that chained me to a small airplane for the first three weeks. Only after that first period I started to make a bit more money. To set up the regular routes, you need to lease FBOs, and that is really expensive if you fly on your own with no minions to make money for you.

Bottom line: I won't return to Thunder, but if I'd go to Stratus, I would have to do all the airline management stuff. That's one point that keeps me from going back.

It sounds like you've had quite the journey navigating through those air hauling apps! Managing all those operations can definitely be challenging, especially with the constraints of Thunder. But hey, kudos to you for giving it a shot!

On 4/3/2024 at 6:02 PM, HugoWest said:

It sounds like you've had quite the journey navigating through those air hauling apps! Managing all those operations can definitely be challenging, especially with the constraints of Thunder. But hey, kudos to you for giving it a shot!

If you're ever on the lookout for something different, there are legit apps that pay real money out there which might offer a refreshing change of pace.