ISSUE 02/2003 VOL.07
JUBILEE ISSUE: NORDIC AIR GROUP 6 YEARS, ON 04 AUG 03!
SIX YEARS OF EXCELLENT SERVICE TO THE VA COMMUNITY!
PROBLEMS OF MAINTAINING AND DEVELOPING VA´S -
A PHILOSOPHIC APPROACH 16 YEARS AFTER USING FIRST TIME FS
SHORT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMTS, NEWS ABOUT STAFF AND VACANCIES AT NOR.
SIX YEARS OF EXCELLENT SERVICE TO THE VA COMMUNITY! OUR NEWEST VA´S UTA VA´S B747-300 AT LILONGWE, MALAWI, AFTER INAUGURATION FLIGHT BY UTA COO JEAN LUC BONNET NORDIC AIR GROUP has reached the age of six years. In the world there is only a handful of VA´s that are older. This shows that our concept has been good throughout the years, even if the concept has changed twice. The first year we were a Scandinavian only "invented" carrier, and also the first SATCO divsion outside USA, from 1998, we were a wet-laese company that flew other companies routes, and since 1999 the current and so far the best concept which brought our members to a maximum of 350, has shown the road to success. The concept is to have as many VA´s under one roof, that all pilots can fly with, but also fly if so wish with only one, which is reflected by the fact that each pilot chooses an operatinal center to fly from. Now we have 63 VA´s, and we need a couple more to cover all the network we once planned, but at the same time we need to start an upgrade of several of the "older" VA´s, to bring them up to date either by schedule, route and fleet means, or by the newest high standard approach the latest companies has got. There might be even a question arising to just end activities with some companies that doesn´t attract anyone. I do not want to specify which, but I think the fourth stage starting now with our 7 th operational year, will focus on the big "main airlines", and some odd will be phased out or then a re-caterigazation of the airlines will take place. Of the last idea is that such as JVAL Group, UTA, LAN, Austrian VFS, and some others will get a more independet status, and others will be under the tradtional subgroups. But to reach this, it requests lot of work, not only from the current management, we need new workforce, and especillay ideas from You, dear members. So please do not hesitate to contact the management with even the most "odd" idea of developing NOR! PROBLEMS OF MAINTAINING AND DEVELOPING VA´S - A PHILOSOPHIC APPROACH 16 YEARS AFTER USING FIRST TIME FS My first group of "VA´s", was on paper in 1977, and on an early FS -version in 1988 flying between Boston, New York JFK and Chicago O´Hare, but these were of course not net-versions. When the internet came, the VA´s were much invented such in the early years of VA´s history (1994-1996) , then in the last years of the 1990´s a big boom to copy real airlines became the main concept. As director of World Virtual Airline Register I see all applications, and today again the majority are invented, perhaps a ratio 60/40, if we look at the amount of VA´s, not the amount of members or routes or aircrafts they each have. One reason is that several real airlines have not understood the extra free advertising a good VA can give, but also it has been understandable that such has happened as many "fast made" VA´s have just copied the real airlines logos and other copyrighted material, such as slogans. The routes or timetabels are not copyrighted as they change, and the designators are the property of IATA and ICAO. Originally the VA´s were very much a place for the FS pilot to get good repaints, odd aircarfts, but especially also to get flight plans and other info. With FS2002 came the first built-in ATC (earlier had the ATIS serivce available). Thus also VATSIM and IVAO made a good complement to flying with a VA. The current ATC in FS2002 is not the best, ie. the ILS frequencies have disappeared from the ATIS messages, but as announced in FS2004, it will have at least for a selected amount of airports even SID´s and STAR´s. That will diminuish the need of VATSIM and IVAO, but also for the VA´s, which doesn´t need anymore offer any real look-a-like FPL´s. Also a lot of freeware that was easily made for FS98 and earlier versions, in small files has also vanished. Now we need files of 15 Mb, for one aircraft, and the number of repaints and freeware has dramatically diminuished. On the other hand on the market is lot of payware offering like "29 airlines liveries". These paywares often include flight plans and even some timetables, so they are in a way "purchasable VA´s". And as most of the real airlines have also on the web their timetables, in contradictory to autumn 1997 with the relaese of FS98, a FS pilot can choose his own flights and fly alone with all major companies of the world. What can then a VA offer. Training? Of that issue there are several levels, depending on the VA in use, but also FS2002 and 2004 has training courses to "ATPL", so even that is not anymore needed necessarily. Why then VA´s? The major factors for still running VA´s and joining them is to join a group of other people, with whom You can share a common hobby, if You wish can exchange opinions, but even more important, You get Your asignements like in a real company, You can make specific questions about real or simulated flying to the management who will take care that such questions get an answer, and You are able to log Your hours, like with NOR´s new NORPMS database system devloped by SVP Hristo Grigorov. In addition You will find the aircrafts easier than through searching at several sim sites, they are mostly tested in advance, and You can like in NOR also get the real data of the aircraft You are asigned to fly. So there is a demand still for VA´s, and at NOR we are answering to all these demands, and also to the different categories of VA´s by having such that operates now, and by defunct ones, which are operated as historical sites, also meant for those who prefer an "invented" VA. So I think NOR has all what needs to have it running at least the six or sixteen next years. The only problem I see, is that many younger pilots join and then leave without a notice a VA, like they would enter a super-market choose soome goods (like downloading aircrafts), and then "pay without saying a word to the cashier", in the context of a VA meaning just leaving it, and never reporting with a PIREP or sending an e-mail to the management. To send a PIREP, is a kind of a memebrship fee, that shows that the pilot is active, and cares about his hobby. This problem with "no-shows" is very common with all larger VA´s, the smaller just phase out them after one month, and have all the time only 15 to 20 pilots as maximum. So my kind request is, please send Your PIREP´s, our system have forms in english and spanish! I wish You a good anniversary of NOR and wish to have You all on board for a long time to come! Hans Peter von Knorring CEO, Nordic Air Group REORGANIZATION PROJECT IN SCANDINAVIA A major restructuring of the airlines of the nordic countires will take place. KAR AIR FINLAND, will se the inauguration of all it´s real historical routes, and fleet, a huge project that includes research in the archives of Finnish Aviation Museum. Transwede will cease to operate certain routes, Nordic East Airways, will cease all international routes, and dispose all it´s L1011´s. Air Nordic will start F27 regional operations, and most charter flights from Sweden will be under Blue Panorama VA. Finally we will reintorduce as a low fare carrier the defunct Goodjet of Sweden as Goodjet Sweden VA. In Finland Spearair VA will be introduced for charters flights, also after a historical reasearch which is currenlty going on, and will be named Spearair VA, operating two DC-8-32´s. READ HERE LAST YEARS FIVE YEAR JUBILEE ISSUE IF YOU MISSED IT! |
SHORT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMTS: PABLO GALLEGUILLOS APPOINTED VP SOUTH AMERICA 
As new VP for South America and all communications in spanish, with our members has been appointed on 01.07.03
Pablo Galleguillos of Santiago de Chile. He will be in charge of LAN, AVSA and LACSA groups. Personally he is most involved in LAN Chile VA, and we
wish him all luck to bring it back to to the glorious days it was under COO Roberto Pontiggia, now our VP Arabian Group.COO Matias Fuenzalida is appointed COO Qatar Airways, under supervision of VP Roberto Pontiggia, VP of the whole group. Matias will help developing the Arabian group together with Roberto, a real life CPL pilot. JEAN LUC BONNET APPOINTED COO UTA VA AND AÉROMARITIME 
Jean Luc Bonnet of France has been appointed COO of our to newest excellent companies, serving primarily in french, but also in english. UTA and Aéromaritime
serves both a vast African newtork and also the Pacific, together with a combined round-the-world service via Nouméa, New Caledonia. Also the longest flight in "total travel time",
a cargo one of UTA with a 747-200F of over 46 hours is included in the vast schedule. Cher pilotes, soyez le plus bienvenue sur les vols UTA et Aéromaritime!VACANT POSITIONS IN NOR -MANAGEMENT HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER NEEDED URGENTLY! Nordic Air Group requests the applications for a Human Resources Manager to be sent to our e-mail address, not later than by 15 AUG 03. The suitable candidate should be flexible, communicative, innovative, and posses excellent communications skills, in as many langauges as possible. At least knowledge of English and at least one of the other of the five offical langauges of NOR is requested. The task include updating and maintaining NORPMS system with pilot info, maintaining communcations with pilots both on a daily basis and with different capmpaigns, handling daily rostering, and approving of pireps. The suitable candiadate must have knowledge of real world airline operations, especially rostering of pilots and must have knowledge of basic HTML skills. Other skills are aknowledged as merits. Minimum age is 21 years by the date of 01 SEP 03. Candidates noth meeting appropriate qualifications will be neglected. Only the appointed candidate will be informed, through an E-MAIL NOTAM sent to all members of NOR, and posted on WVAR site on date of appointement. For further requests please contact the CEO. VICE- PRESIDENT - FLEET, NEEDED URGENTLY! A new position as over all resonsible, reporting to the CEO only, is FLEET MANAGER NORDIC AIR GROUP. The task is very demanding, in aspect of organizational and good communication skills. Also enough of time to test fly all the new equipment is needed. The main duty is to have all the time up-to-date our fleet of over 400 different aircrafts to the latest FS standards, or if using models of older versions of FS such that meet enough good handling and visual capabilities on the newest versions of FS, now and in the future. The position does not necessarily request that the person choosen is a painter himself, but a genuin knowledge of possibilities on how to minimize the file amount, now over 1,5 Gb, is requested. The person choosen will have to go through all major FS sites, read carefully the legal parts of the files for download, and use if possible such aircrafts that can be redistributed freely, to be uploaded on the NOR server, to which the person choosen will be granted access, requesting also an update of the fleet pages, and/or a central download area to be handled by him/her mosty independelntly and together wiht the CEO and SVP. Furthermore the person has to write copyright and download permission requests, to organize repainting of aircarfts to NOR airline colors, and hanlding all the communication needed to obatin legal permission for such acitivies. An active communicating with NOR FSpaints and FSSweden sites residing under NOR, is also requested. Minimum age is 21 years by the date of 01 SEP 03. Candidates noth meeting appropriate qualifications will be neglected. Only the appointed candidate will be informed, through an E-MAIL NOTAM sent to all members of NOR, and posted on WVAR site on date of appointement. |