Flight Club/Flight School - Input Asked!

[Robbie Nauffts 1045788]

Hi Everyone!

 

I have been toying with an idea the last few days and am finally ready to post it on an open forum for some discussion, criticism (of the constructive kind) and input. So here goes:

 

I want to start a flight club.

 

You can see in the “Come Fly with Me” forum I have launched a thread called the “FS World Tour” and this is in hopes to find that niche of GA pilots looking for a new challenge. Most people may look at that challenge and say “Too much” and that’s fine. However, some of those people may be inspired to do their own little road trip.

But before I get off track, I want to state some of the reasons for starting a flying club.

 

First and foremost, they are a great place to relax and build your skills. Flying just stick and rudder can improve even your flying in a 737. It gets you back to the basics!

Also, they can be a place you log hours in a private aircraft or two. Also they bring more general aviation traffic to the VATSIM network. The only thing they lack…is that they are lacking.

 

The New York Flying Club is a great example and has a great area to operate in. I flew with them for a while and have had a great time.

 

What I would like to do, is open a flight club in an area that has great scenery, challenging weather and is known to have ATC regularly. Members would register with a unique aircraft registration number and have the ability to fly with others. No flying A to B like an airline. Also, I would like to work a flight school into the Club so members could request ratings and even have it recognized on VATSIM.

 

As some of you may know, I was with the Virtual Canadian Air Force for over two years and in the end was running their training program. I had hundreds of hours instructing on the entry level aircraft, the CT-156 Harvard II and King Air 300. A large portion of my time was also spent in the Bell 412. I enjoyed helping people who came into the VSOA with limited knowledge of VATSIM and its workings and even experienced members who were looking to try something new.

If there was enough interest, I could work with VATSIM to also build in a type of VSOA program where pilots could learn aerobatics in a T-6 II.

 

Restrictions would be to GA aircraft and possibly a few turboprop aircraft open to renting, ie a King Air 300 or Twin Otter. Nothing larger then those as they start to open the door to more requests.

 

I would be able to do the site work in HTML and use Google docs to initially keep track of hours. But I would like to have someone help make that process automated if we do move forward with this

 

Anyways, the floor is now open, have your say!

[Wycliffe Barrett]

Robbie

 

how you doing, the prospect of constructing any VA is daunting enough but you have done that once before so should be a fun thing to get involved in. Perhaps you could have a look at cix http://www.cixvfrclub.org.uk/ to see how they have done things. cix is well known throughout the uk and further afield and they are an ATO also.

 

I'm sure any conversation you might have with their membership manager or founder will only bring you plenty of ideas and things to think about.

 

All the best

 

Wycliffe

[Robbie Nauffts 1045788]

Thanks Wycliffe,

 

Looking through their site I am definitely seeing a few ideas I like and a few I will build on. I like the realism, which is something I like replicating and the sense of community you get going through their forums.

 

I did my own VA a few years back, Canadian Express and within a few months pressure from several other groups forced it closed. It was cool having a very small fleet of two Twotters and a King Air 300. But as I said with that VA, I'd rather have smaller numbers with people who fly and have fun then a large VA where people just fly the routes and don't have that sense of community. So this is definitely going to be a merge of what Canadian Express was, Virtual Flight Group (that I helped with) and a flight club.

 

Basically, I want to see other guys and girls that like flying general aviation and private charters. People could have their own level of realism that they wish to simulate.

[Brian Sommers]

I might be interested depending on the area you are thinking of..

[Robbie Nauffts 1045788]

Well that's the point of this forum, getting others input!

 

I'm thinking of these areas:

 

Vancouver - CYPK

Toronto - Hamilton or Buttonville

Los Angels -

Miami -

 

These areas are central to some busy areas and can also be great stepping off locations for events or even regular flights.

[Brian Sommers]

CYPK? Yes, I'm in! Great location and great airport.

[Robbie Nauffts 1045788]

CYPK? Yes, I'm in! Great location and great airport.

 

It gives you the traffic from Vancouver and a gateway down the west coast of the continent. Only thing is though out of all the areas listed, they usually have the least ATC coverage online.

[Blake Gray 841141]

Hello,

 

I think it is a good idea - what about the Alaska small fleets? I think they have some small GA fleets one or 2 on Vatsim - I dont know how active they are but I think they are - like bush pilotting etc.

 

Now I may get some criticism as I usualy do, but I think as a GA club you would not normally fly out of major airports. I know that there are those who do, I just dont think it is the best area to get into, and in fact there may be limitations.

 

The thing is now even with fictitious VA's, and the way things are on Vatsim, that probly doesnt matter, and the added traffic mite be welcome; just something to look into.

 

For example I would not want to start a GA club and have it out of LA when there are so many other more 'beautiful' places to place one. But having trips to major airports for say, repairs, special maintenance, some VIP tours - now that rocks!

 

I have a Virtual NOAA Fleet with zero pilots at the moment but the idea is there and it takes time - I also wish to have fewer more dedicated pilots. In this fleet we have a Twin Otter - very easy to fly in FSX; it wouldnt be a problem to have 'our' members be a member of other VA's or GA VA's, and flying clubs are the best way to get future pilots in the air.

 

One other thing I hate to say it but I think this thread is for existing VA's - but I hope they can add this to VA 'XO's trying to get established. If I am wrong then great.

 

Adm Gray - "XO" Virtual Naval Aviator Flight Training on Vatsim

[Robbie Nauffts 1045788]

I had no intentions to put the group at an international or major airport, but close enough that ATC supports smaller satellite fields close by. CYPK is minutes from Vancouver and gives great scenery. Another place could be somewhere in Vegas but like I said, I am not 100% sure where the popular fields are in the US.

 

As for the forum here being for existing VA's this thread has been up for over a week or so now with no mods asking to move it, and the "Top Gun" discussion thread when on for months lol.

 

I like flying in Alaska, but GA flying can be very low during the winter months with the weather closing in. Same reason I didn't want to start one in my home area.

 

Even if this thing doesn't get in the air, maybe seeing the discussion and input required before starting a VA will show some others what it is going to take, rather then the guys who decide that they can do it in a weekend

 

 

Thanks for the input Blake!

[Kyle Ramsey 810181]

Two best choices for Las Vegas are North Las Vegas, KVGT, north of the strip but coming in from the east you aim at the Stratosphere tower and hang a right, puts you on the downwind, and there is a shuttle bus to haul you to the casinos for free sponsored by the city. The other is Henderson, KHND, south of the city. Both are hot GA fields in rl.

[Blake Gray 841141]

Ya, Casinos.... Las Vegas was pretty awesome in FS9; I think I looked at it in FSX at night too.

 

I was just thinking more in terms of wooded scenery and mountain flying; maybe even a glider club because and correct me cause I have not verified this, you can pull a glider; then again we would have 2 pilots in close proximity and it would have to be a VSOA to pull a glider then release it? Wonder if that even works in multiplayer?

 

So maybe a mix of the woods and the 'highlife' (!); I would send my members to the 'club' for sure for some badly needed time off from the rigors of virtual navy jet training lol!