A
virtual airline (VA) is a dedicated
hobbyA hobby is an activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure or relaxation in one's spare time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
organization that uses
flight simulationA flight simulator is a system that tries to copy, or simulate, the experience of flying an aircraft. It is meant to be as realistic as possible...
to model the operations of an
airlineAn airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit.Airlines vary...
. Virtual airlines generally have a presence on the
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, similar to a real airline. There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of virtual airlines of significance currently active, with tens of thousands of participants involved at any one time.
Purpose
Virtual airlines were started to give a sense of purpose to activities conducted within a
flight simulatorA flight simulator is a system that tries to copy, or simulate, the experience of flying an aircraft. It is meant to be as realistic as possible...
. This basic premise has evolved over time, along with available technology, to provide increasing levels of immersion but always with the same core purpose. When combined with increasingly powerful personal computers, advancing flight simulation software, and communications networks, virtual airlines are often able to provide compelling, realistic, experiences similar to operations inside a real airline. Virtual airlines also provide an avenue for members to gain access to additional content, such as aircraft and scenery, for use with their simulator. The appeal varies; for younger members, virtual airlines provide a
sandboxSandbox may refer to:* Litter box, an indoor box for cats to relieve themselves* Sandpit or sandbox, a wide, shallow playground construction to hold sand often made of wood or plastic...
environment where they can experience the corporate environment of
commercialCommerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer. It comprises the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information, or money between two or more entities...
businessA business is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods and/or services to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, most being privately owned and formed to earn profit that will increase the wealth of its owners and grow the business itself...
in the airline industry, without the risk of financial loss. These organizations also provide an outlet for those who are interested in
aviationAviation is the activity involving man-made air-borne flying devices , including the people, organizations, and regulatory bodies involved with them.- History :...
but unable to fly themselves in real life due to financial, health, or other reasons.
Academics have stated that members of these groups can often show significant attachment and immersion in their activity, building strong relationships with those who they share their created "space" with. Participants can become unusually dedicated and committed to their group through the forging of their strong bonds and sense of identity, despite the construct being entirely (or nearly entirely) fictional. Some of the groups are run similar to real-world airlines, and members can get a taste for being a professional pilot by joining one of the organizations.
History
Virtual airlines are early examples of online
gaming communitiesIn computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is a group of players that play online games together and may play against other clans via matches or challenges, also known as scrims and wars...
, many of the first virtual airlines can be traced back to the early 1990s in
flight simulatorA flight simulator is a system that tries to copy, or simulate, the experience of flying an aircraft. It is meant to be as realistic as possible...
forums of services such as
AOLAmerica Online, LLC is an American global Internet services and media company operated by Time Warner. It is headquartered at 770 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City...
or
CompuServeCompuServe, , was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of information services such as AOL that charged monthly subscriptions rather than hourly...
, with some of these still in operation today. Since they were first formed, these organizations are often characterized by their highly organized and structured nature when compared with other virtual groups in the gaming community. It is possible that such organizations represent some of the earliest examples of organized gaming groups similar to the clans and guilds seen in modern video gaming. While at least the early history of virtual airlines is predominantly on the
WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces...
or
DOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is a shorthand term for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions Windows 95, 98, and ME.Related systems...
operating systems,
MacintoshThe Macintosh, or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced on January 24 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface rather than a...
users also took part in the mid 1990s. It has been proposed that virtual airlines have existed since the creation of the first flight simulators, therefore predating the
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
Rapid growth in popularity of virtual airlines was experienced just prior to and through the new millennium. During this time, they were considered to be an immensely popular hobby often noted for how seriously it was taken by its participants. Since the rapid development of the
Massively multiplayer online gameA massively multiplayer online game is a video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on personal computers...
genre, virtual airlines and online flight simulation in general have seen much greater competition for participation and membership.
Given their origins through the early
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, these organizations have often been early adopters of technology to enhance the online experience. This technology includes online databasing and multiplayer networks such as VATSIM or IVAO. Developments have tended towards more integration between Internet websites, the simulation software (such as those in the
Microsoft Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Flight Simulator is a flight simulator program for Microsoft Windows, marketed and often seen as a video game....
series), multiplayer networks, and flight recording systems. It is believed that increased integration across these mediums provides a more immersive experience that enhances gameplay, being the primary reason for people to join the virtual groups.
Platforms
A video game is required for the actual conduct of operations by organization members. There are several platforms that are typically used to conduct simulated operations, although by definition almost any flight simulation video game could be utilized by such an organization. Common video games utilized include:
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a flight simulator program for Microsoft Windows, marketed and often seen as a video game....
- X-Plane
X-Plane is a flight simulator for personal computers produced by Laminar Research. It runs on iPhone/iPod Touch, Linux, Mac or Windows-based PCs. X-Plane is packaged with other software to build and customize aircraft and scenery, offering a complete flight simulation environment...
- Fly!
Fly! is a flight simulator for PC and Apple Macintosh computers developed by Terminal Reality and published by Gathering of Developers. It included simulation of air traffic control features as well as aircraft's on-board systems, and was acclaimed for its highly detailed fully-working interactive...
- Flightgear
FlightGear is a free, open-source multi-platform flight simulator developed by the FlightGear project since 1997.The project had its first release in 1997 and continued in development, culminating in the latest major release of 1.9.1b in January 2009, with specific builds for a variety of operating...
- YS Flight
Types
Virtual airlines may be organizations that are created with no ties to any real world entity. These organizations are fictional constructs of the participants, who use the roleplaying environment of the group to add a sense of immersion to the gaming activity. These types of virtual airlines are indeed the most commonly seen. Without basis on a real world entity, fictional virtual airlines are varied in their scope of both route and aircraft fleet.
Real-world
Other virtual airlines are based on real airlines, from major carriers to small operators. These virtual airlines tend to closely follow their real world counterparts in terms of aircraft fleet and routes offered. While there are examples of controversy over copyright issues, the real airline companies tend to allow similarly named virtual airlines and to participate within player communities.
Military
Virtual
militaryA military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military...
and
paramilitaryA paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force, but which is not regarded as having the same status...
organizations often operate in a similar way to virtual airlines, but using military aircraft and ranking systems. Organizations such as VATSIM have strict regulations around the operation of such organizations within the network. Virtual militaries often specialize in one area, such as naval aviation, although there are some organizations that extend across multiple areas of military aviation and sometimes into other areas such as land and maritime operations. Virtual flying clubs are less structured and generally smaller than other forms of virtual airlines, operating in much the same was as real world Flying Clubs operate. It has been proposed that such clubs have a smaller scale than others and place a heavy emphasis on social interaction.
Operation
Technology has improved since the introduction of
BBSA Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
-operated virtual airlines, allowing a wider variety of tools and resources available to virtual pilots, enhancing realism of flight simulation. Pilots can now fly online using networks such as VATSIM or IVAO. While connected to the network, pilots can see other aircraft, hear and respond to
Air Traffic ControlAir traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
and see weather conditions that parallel the real-world weather at their plane's location. Using these services, most virtual airlines regularly host online events where virtual pilots can participate in group flights with hundreds of other pilots.
While virtual airlines are not real, since the flights only happen inside of a computer, they are considered a serious hobby that has appeal among a very wide age range of participants, with the average age of participants increasing. Some even simulate real-world airlines to the point where flight dispatching and fictional salary are part of the virtual airline's basic operations, as well as calculating operating costs and the full range of financial data used to manage airlines in the real world. It is common for the virtual airline to offer its members set flight routes to operate, with the offer of receiving awards and promotions as a result. It is also common for pilots to be given custom aircraft files and repaints with customized livery of the imaginary carrier, usually made internally by virtual airline members.
Most virtual airlines have a specific ranking system for their pilots, that tend to involve restricting which airplanes the member is allowed to fly. Pilots complete flights for their airline, using their simulator, either online (using a network such as VATSIM) or offline, and then file a pilot report. A key aspect of these pilot reports is logging the number of hours flown, which directly affects the members promotion to other ranks.
Common elements
There are several elements that are common across many virtual airlines:
- A website
A website is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address in an Internet Protocol-based network...
as the focal point of the community
- Internet forum
An ', or message board, is an online discussion site. It originated as the modern equivalent of a traditional bulletin board, and a technological evolution of the dialup bulletin board system. From a technological standpoint, forums or boards are web applications managing user-generated content...
where discussion and social interaction can occur
- Customized livery
A livery is a uniform or other insignia or symbol worn in a non-military context on a person or object to denote a relationship with a person or corporate body, often by using elements of the heraldry relating to that person or body, or a personal emblem, and normally given by them. It derives...
that users can download together with aircraft and install in their flight simulator
- Route schedules for members to fly in their simulators
- Multiplayer events, often on a game network such as VATSIM or IVAO
- An Online database
An online database is a database accessible from a network, including from the Internet.It differs from a local database, held in an individual computer or its attached storage, such as a CD....
for recording and reporting flights and membership statistics
- Award, rank and recognition systems
- Voice over Internet Protocol (such as Teamspeak
TeamSpeak is proprietary Voice over IP software that allows users to speak on a chat channel with other users, much like a telephone conference call. A TeamSpeak user will often wear a headset with an integrated microphone...
) servers for members to communicate freely by voice
Less common elements include:
- An ACARS server
- Dedicated game server
A game server is a remotely or locally run server used by game clients to play multiplayer video games. Most video games played over the Internet operate via a connection to a game server.-Game server hosting:...
hosting to provide private areas for members to complete flights
Copyright Issues
When a virtual airline is created in the image of a real world airline legal issues can arise out of copyright violations. In 2003, a real world airline, Qantas Airways Ltd, announced a new low-cost carrier by the name of
Jetstar AirwaysJetstar Airways is a low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is a subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by low-cost airline Virgin Blue Airlines. It operates an extensive domestic network as well as regional and international services. Its main...
. However, a virtual airline named Jetstar International Airlines already existed, complete with a web site. As part of their startup promotion, Qantas sold 100,000 airline tickets at a discount price, and the virtual airline's web site was swamped with would-be customers, job-seekers, and prospective vendors. The virtual airline sued Qantas, claiming that Qantas stole the virtual airline's livery and trademark.
Association with terrorism
Claims have been made of the use of both flight simulators and virtual airlines as training devices for terrorist activities, although to date no conclusive link has ever been provided to indicate a situation where a virtual airline has provided flight simulation training to anyone involved in a terrorist activity.
Jermaine Lindsay, one of the four
7 July 2005 London bombingsThe 7 July 2005 London bombings, also known as 7/7, were a series of coordinated suicide attacks on London's public transport system during the morning rush hour...
, may have used flight simulators to practice flying an airliner, with an accusation that he was registered with a virtual airline. A person of the same name listed his nearest major airport as Heathrow and clocked up 30 hours in two months with SimAirline.net. The website later denied the member's linking with the bombing, and indicated it was working with the Metropolitan Police to establish whether its former member was the bomber. The website stated that it provides information about airlines and free add-on software for
Microsoft Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Flight Simulator is a flight simulator program for Microsoft Windows, marketed and often seen as a video game....
and does not provide flight instruction to its members.
The
9/11 CommissionThe National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002 "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks", including preparedness for and the immediate response to...
in the US concluded in 2004 that those responsible for flying the planes into
World Trade CenterThe World Trade Center was a complex in Lower Manhattan in New York City whose seven buildings were destroyed in 2001 in the September 11 terrorist attacks...
and
PentagonIn geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. A pentagon may be simple or self-intersecting. The internal angles in a simple pentagon total 540°.- Regular pentagons :...
had used PC-based flight simulators for training. Despite the initial concerns of the involvement of virtual airlines in these terrorist activities, largely little has come from these claims to date and no changes have been noted as occurring in their operation as a result.
See also
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a flight simulator program for Microsoft Windows, marketed and often seen as a video game....
- VFSN
- IVAO
- VATSIM
- Virtual Military
A virtual military organization is a dedicated hobby organization that uses simulation to model the operations of the military. Virtual military organizations generally have a presence on the Internet, similar to real military organizations. There are less than 25 VMOs of significance currently...
External links