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[Zombie0hour]

Recently I booted up a copy of "Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2004" and I was stunned. The game really caught my attention and soon the hours began to fly by. Flight simulators really captivate me, and have really sparked a interest in aviation for me. As I was looking around the web for more resources and tutorials on flying, I came across something spectacular! Something utterly amazing! A virtual airline! What is a virtual airline you ask? It is basically a group of flight simulator enthusiasts who gather together and create a virtual airline. With the use of team speak, and various other software they create a realistic portrayal of what it is really like to fly in an airline. Most of these virtual airlines are very old, and therefore has tons of tradition and such in them. I find it hard to get started in any of them becasue these people have been flying together for 10+ years. My fellow bay12ers, I propose a bay12 virtual airline! Would any flight simulator enthusiasts on these forums be willing to join and help form such an airline?

[BuriBuriZaemon]

I'm not a flight simulator enthusiast, but I'm interested in these virtual airlines. Do you get to become a passenger or just a pilot in them? Probably if you explain how these virtual airlines simulate real airlines, that would help to attract other flight simulator enthusiasts. 

[Sowelu]

Let's ask Wikipedia!

Technology has improved since the introduction of BBS-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 Control 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. [13]

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.[14] 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.[3] 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.[15] 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.[15]

Most virtual airlines have a specific ranking system for their pilots, that tend to involve restricting which airplanes the member is allowed to fly.[4] 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.[4]

Whoa.  So it's...kind of like...an MMO...

[Rilder]

Man I used to do so much flying in flight simulators...

Made me enthused with flying in real life, now if I can just get my real pilots license. 

[Cthulhu]

Sorry, but I only like flight simulators where you shoot other planes.  If I played one of these things I'd probably start doing barrel rolls in a fully-loaded 757 until the wings came off, just to slake my endless bloodthirst.

[Rilder]

I remember once on Flight Sim 98 I think I did a barrel roll in a Concord past some skyscrapers in some city. 

[Alexhans]

I had FS2000... HUGE dissapointment.  Planes DIDN'T have a damage model.  So each time you crashed the plane looked like a nail, stuck in a building or whatever...

Also, I had Combat Flight Simulator 2 and loved it.  Going from a game with guns to a game with just flight ended up being a bit boring.

[Itnetlolor]

Oh man, I had so much fun with FS. In the early days that a few gigs was a ton of space; I almost always flooded my computer with a bunch of planes I found throughout the web.

I think I remember someone named Captain Slug having quite a few awesome aircraft. I loved flying the V-22 Osprey, a skydiver, a flying pig, and all sorts of other craft, like X-Wings and Tie fighters. I think I even had Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang.

I also remember giving myself bizarre challenges like flying around a whole city upside-down, and returning at a minimum speed of 100 MPH. Or seeing how many city streets I can fly a passenger liner through before crashing. At as low an altitude as possible.

One other one was also seeing how many bridges I can fly under upside down with increasingly larger craft. And let's not forget; ever try to land a 737 on an aircraft carrier?