Delta Virtual Airlines Airline News

DATE	SUBJECT	AUTHOR
07/21/2020	BoG of VATSIM announces new start date of August 18 2020 for their new pilot rating system	Scott Clarke
The BoG of VATSIM announced today that their new pilot rating system is to go live on August 18, 2020. Additionally, VATSIMs new user experience and website, myVatsim, will be launched before August 18th. VATSIM new pilot rating system was previous scheduled to go live September 1st, so if you are trying to complete your P1, P2 or P3 rating course in our Flight Academy, you must complete by August 17, 2020. We will no longer be able to issue the old VATSIM P ratings after August 17, 2020. On August 18th, any Flight Academy course not completed will be removed from the Flight Academy. For those pilots that have previously completed our Flight Academy P1, P2 or P3 courses and awarded the VATSIM ratings, VATSIM will reissue your P rating to a P1 rating (P1 will become P0). The Flight Academy will continue to honor the ratings and courses that you have successfully completed under the old VATSIM rating system.
04/09/2019	Flight Academy VFR Advanced On Line Pilot course now available	Scott Clarke
Delta Virtual Airlines Flight Academy is pleased to announce the opening of our VFR Advanced On Line Pilot course which qualifies you for the VATSIM P3 rating. This course is available to our members who have completed our On Line Pilot and VFR On Line Pilot courses and received the VATSIM P1 and P2 ratings. This new course will challenge your VFR knowledge and flying skills. It has new prop aircraft, three check rides, a VFR flight planner and some interesting airports. Go to the document library and read the Flight Academy VFR Advanced Online Pilot (VFRADV) course manual and if you want a challenge, sign up for the course.
03/30/2019	Delta Virtual Airlines Celebrates 18 Years!	Terry Eshenour
This month marks 18 years of continuous service as Delta Virtual Airlines to our pilots. Can you believe it? With Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 gaining in popularity and 2002 on the horizon, our programmer, Luke Kolin, crafted an amazing dynamic web site and place for flight simmers to gather to emulate a real-world airline. Since that time we have seen 13,641 virtual pilots enter our doors. While we focused primarily on content, we are proud of our 988 active pilots today flying an average of 4,700 flights per month and all the contributions they make to our group. Our goals remain to offer a safe location for likeminded aviation enthusiasts to gather, learn, share and access information to enhance their enjoyment of flight simming while maintaining everything as a free service. Services include learning real-world piloting skills through our flight academy, providing online events on VATSIM for online pilots to fly together, keeping a staged advancement program structure so less experienced pilots can enter using less complicated aircraft and work their way up as they gain experience, and as a VATSIM certified ATO offering courses and ratings. We are pleased to continue to add to our historical flight database of over 17,000 current and historical flights including codeshares, and some atypical charter type flights to mix it all up. Our 42 volunteers continue to add content and new experiences to the virtual airline as we continue to grow and expand. A significant recent accomplishment has been Luke and Salem Gbian's efforts to adapt the code for DVA ACARS to work with X-Plane 11 and Lockheed Martin's Prepar3d v4, both 64-bit programs. This represents a massive undertaking that has resulted in keeping DVA on the cutting edge of the flight simulation hobby. Our Flight Academy which is run by real-world former pilots and a CFI is about to release the VFR Advance Online Pilot course (VATSIM P3). It is our goal to not just cover the bare minimums for a rating but to teach virtual pilots how to actually pilot the aircraft. Whether you've been here 18 years or 18 hours, thank you for being a part of Delta Virtual Airlines! Terry Eshenour President
01/06/2019	Jim Rose has joined DVA Operations	Andrew Vane
Delta Virtual Operations is pleased to announce the addition of Jim Rose to the Operations crew. Jim will be helping Soonho, Kevin and I provide better service to our pilots. In 7 years, Jim has amassed 6800+ flights while running the Events Department and serving as 737 ACP. To say Jim is actively involved here is surely an understatement! Please join me in welcoming Jim to this new role. You will see him becoming involved more and more in Ops over the next few weeks. DVA Operations -Andrew Vane -Kevin Lundy -Soonho Lee
10/28/2018	Yahoo and AOL Registered Pilots	Terry Eshenour
Attention pilots with registered email using Yahoo and it’s affiliated services like Ymail, AOL, Verizon and possibly others, Yahoo is blocking messages from our server because they incorrectly classified us as a bulk mailer. This means that you are not receiving notifications, flight report reviews, password resets and email verifications from our mail server. While we are attempting to correct this with Yahoo, it is necessary for you to change your email address to Gmail, the only dependable free email service. Some ISP services are dependable, like Comcast, ATT, Earthlink,but occasionally without warning reject our mail. Note, Microsoft’s domains, Outlook, MSN, Live, Hotmail, are not dependable. Should you experience difficulty updating your address, send the new email address to info@deltava.org Staff will contact you using private email. We apologize for the inconvenience this causes, but we need to be sble to communicate with you. A working email address is critical. Thank you for your understanding. Terry Eshenour President
09/04/2018	Delta FLY! Publication to Resume with a New Editor - Shane Reilly	Terry Eshenour
After 6 years absence, the publication of Delta FLY! will resume with Shane Reilly as Editor. Initially, we are hoping to publish at least two editions annually with the first one by year's end. The publication experienced several updates over its history. There are many factors attributable to its sporadic publications mainly it is lack of content. We are excited that Shane volunteered his time and is enthusiastic about taking on a new challenge, it is important that our members provide him with stories, articles and other content relevant to Delta Virtual Airlines and flight sim. There are more than 1,000 active pilots. Each of us has stories to share with our like-minded aviation enthusiasts. Write a few sentences to share with your buddies. Don't be concerned if your latest epistle did make the New York Times bestseller list, we can assist in getting your thoughts in presentable form. Take advantage of this opportunity to get your story published. If you need ideas, refer to prior Delta FLY! Newsletters that can be found in the Pilot Center. You will learn more about Shane's plans in the forthcoming weeks. Drop him a line at Editor@DeltaVA.org Enjoy! Terry
02/11/2018	Delta Virtual Airlines FAQ updated	Andrew Vane
We are proud to announce that we have updated our FAQ. Hopefully this document will help prospective and new pilots find answers to basic questions about our organization and how we operate. DVA Operations
10/06/2017	Support For X-Plane and Lockheed Martin Prepar3d Users	Andrew Vane
Delta Virtual Airlines includes staged programs based on pilot's skill and experience with advancement accomplished via exams and check rides. Our ACARS program, check ride structure and flight academy are focused around FS2004, FSX and FSX Steam Edition. At the present time, we are working to improve and implement more functionality of these facets of our virtual airline for pilots who use Lockheed Martin Prepar3d and Laminar Research X-Plane. We welcome all new pilots but want to be clear that presently, your pathway may be limited in the short term if you use X-Plane 10 or use Prepar3d v1-3. Since X-Plane 11 and Prepar3d v4 are newly released simulator platforms, functionality with these platforms within our programs and opportunities to advance through stages are more limited at this time. Staff are making significant progress with our own ACARS program and in our Flight Academy courses in this regard but the work will still take some time. Check the Water Cooler for future announcements especially with regard to aircraft compatibility. Thank you all for being a part of our Virtual Airline, now in its 16th year of existence. We continue to see new pilots join us daily and are putting forth our focus and efforts to continue to grow and serve this great hobby that has brought us together. We appreciate your support and involvement. Stay tuned for more developments announced in the water cooler. Sincerely, Delta Virtual Airlines Operations Department
06/25/2017	Stage 2 B737 and A320 Programs Now Accept X-Plane for Check Rides	Andrew Vane
Thanks to the hard work of Salem Gbian and Luke Kolin, we are pleased to announce that we can now accept X-Plane (version 11) as a simulator for check rides in the B737 and A320 programs. The default X-Plane 11 737 may be used for the 737 program check rides and the payware X-Plane 11 JarDesign 320 and A330 may be used for check rides in the A320 and A330 programs, respectively. The latest version of ACARS v3.2 (Build 120 as of 6/24/18) can be obtained in the fleet library via the pilot center. We realize that one of these aircraft is payware requiring financial investment but we're working on the freeware versions as fast as we can. This is too good news to keep to ourselves and an amazing accomplishment given the absence of support from the developer. Please keep in mind that all necessary data must be captured during the check ride by ACARS in order for the Chief Pilots to evaluate the check ride, regardless of the simulator version used. If for some reason not enough data is captured by ACARS which is essential to evaluate the flight, the check ride cannot be approved. We are continuing to add more aircraft as we go through the testing phase. We are also working to get ACARS to acknowledge enough information to accept x-plane aircraft in the Flight Academy and to verify it works with XP10. This addition to DVA opens up a huge opportunity for our DVA pilots to advance and we're very appreciative of the efforts of Luke and Salem to bring this feature to our virtual airline. Stay tuned for more announcements in the X-Plane channel of the water cooler including what hopes to be a growing list of compatible x-plane aircraft. We will also be updating the DVA Pilot's Manual in the near future. Please also used the x-plane channel of the cooler to share screenies, ask questions, and provide general feedback on ACARS so we can continue to improve upon it. DVA Operations (on behalf of A330 Chief Pilot Salem Gbian and DVA Web Programmer Yoda Luke Kolin)
05/10/2017	Delta Virtual Airlines Announces Completion of 1,000,000th Flight	Andrew Vane
Delta Virtual Airlines is proud to announce that after about 16 years as a virtual airline with over 12,000 pilots passing through our doors, we recently have reach 1,000,000 logged flights. The 1,000,000th logged flight was achieved by Alex Pal flying a Boeing 717 and the flight report was approved by Boeing 737 Assistant Chief Pilot Peter Lund. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the history of Delta Virtual Airlines. We are proud of this achievement and grateful to all of our pilots and staff, past and present, who were all a part of our success, making us who we are today. We are also thankful for the support of VATSIM, IVAO and their controllers who make our flight simulation experience more enjoyable. We look forward to continued success and fun moving forward as we grow and implement more programs and features for our pilots. DVA Senior Staff
01/05/2017	737 Airman ATP Rating And Training Course Open	Andrew Vane
You will find in the document library a new document for the newly released 737 Airman ATP Rating and Training Course. This course is designed to test a 737 pilot’s knowledge and skill above and beyond the basics. It is designed to teach pilot proficiency in the aircraft and help the pilot “know” the aircraft inside and out, its limitations, abilities and how to handle it in various situations. This course was designed to mimic the training real world 737 pilots receive in the simulators. Once successfully completed, a 737 pilot will receive the 737 Airman ATP designation. This designation will be attributed to the pilot for one year. To maintain this 737 airman rating, the pilot will be required to take and pass a refresher check ride each subsequent year. If interested in signing up for the course, please read the new document in the Document Library, accessed via the Pilot Center. If you feel you meet the qualifications and would like to take the course, go to the flight academy link and sign-up. This course is extremely challenging and only open to pilots in the 737 program. The document explains in detail what requirements must be met in order to take the course. We will be evaluating interest in this course as a determining factor of whether or not to roll it out for other programs in the future. This course has been almost two full years in the making and we hope you'll all enjoy it! Delta Virtual Operations, DVA Flight Academy and the DVA 737 Program *Updated 10/19/17
01/03/2017	Document Library Addition: DVA's Propliner Operations Manual	Andrew Vane
Delta Virtual Airlines Senior Staff and the DC-6 Chief Pilot are pleased to announce the release of the DVA Propliner Operations Manual. This manual can be downloaded from the Document library accessed via the Pilot Center. Author Jim Daigneau, the DVA DC-6 Chief Pilot and real world commercial pilot, has developed quite an extensive, one-of-a-kind manual on how to fly historical propliners. The manual highlights most of our propliner fleet, how manifold air pressure (MAP) works, and even includes a detailed tutorial of a typical flight. Even if you're a jet lover, you'll gain valuable knowledge from this manual on how the piston props of yesteryear worked back then and still today. Props to Tom Gibson of California Classic Airliners (www.calclassic.com) for his contribution (pun intended). Much thanks also to Terry for editing and final publication of the document. We hope you'll enjoy this 77 page encyclopedia of piston props Jimmy has put together! DVA Operations
05/31/2016	DVA Pilot's Manual Updated	Andrew Vane
An updated version of the Pilot's Manual has been released and is now in the Document Library. This document may be accessed via the Pilot Center. Recent edits to the Pilot Manual include updating the equipment list as well as the addition of guidelines on code of conduct when flying on VATSIM or IVAO. The Pilot's Manual explains how we do things here at DVA and is recommended reading for all pilots. Answers to most of the common Help Desk questions are in the Pilot's Manual. ~DVA Operations
02/18/2016	DVA DC-6 Airline Operations Manual Version 2 Released	Andrew Vane
We are pleased to announce the release of the latest version of the DC-6 Airline Operations Manual. This updated manual was almost completely rewritten by DC-6 Chief Pilot Jim Daigneau wtih assistance from Tom Gibson of Calclassic propliners, Adam Marion, and senior staff. This new manual covers the DC-4, DC-6, DC-6B, DC-7, and DC-7B. Many thanks to Jim and his team who contributed so much for this effort! The latest edition of the manual can be obtained from the Document Library in the Pilot Center. You will also find in the document library a printable checklist for the DC-6. DVA Operations and Senior Staff
10/13/2015	Document Library Additions	Andrew Vane
The DVA Pilot's Manual has been updated to Version 13 and released to the Document Library. Revisions include some minor corrections and clarifications as well as the addition of two new aircraft to the DVA fleet which will be released shortly. In addition, with 737 Chief Pilot Scott Simmons' assistance, we've created a document that will show you how to edit your config file for the PMDG 737 so that the DVA ACARS program will capture all the necessary data. This is essential for check rides and Flight Academy courses. The document is titled "737 Modifying PMDG NGX Configuration File" and can also be found in the document library. Thanks, DVA Operations and Senior Staff
07/13/2015	DVA Pilot Manual Updated Ver 12	Andrew Vane
The DVA Pilot's Manual has been updated and released to the Document Library. Revisions include some minor re-organizing of Equipment type programs for secondary equipment and grammatical corrections. Thanks, DVA Operations and Senior Staff
06/10/2015	New Stage 1 Aircraft Achievements	Andrew Vane
While many if not most of us started in Stage 1, very few have chosen to stick around, moving onward and upward into the larger jets with FMC's that can fly across the ponds to places far and wide. DVA Operations is pleased to announce a new series of accomplishments focused specifically towards those flying our fine Stage 1 aircraft. We've created Century Club, Double Century Club and so forth for both Stage 1 primary aircraft programs. Secondary ratings in the stage 1 programs won’t count towards these accomplishments. Stage 1 Turboprop Century Club: ATR-72, B1900, DHC-8-100, DHC-8-Q400, EMB-120, S340 Stage 1 Jet Century Club: BAE-146, CRJ-1000, CRJ-200, CRJ-700, CRJ-900, DO-328, ERJ-135, ERJ-145, F100, F70 For those of you flying these wonderful aircraft which are the bread and butter of DVA, we salute you with these new achievements. Pilots do not need to be in the Stage 1 programs to obtain these accomplishments, they merely need to be rated and fly the aircraft indicated above to count . We hope you'll enjoy striving for these new accomplishments here at DVA! DVA Operations
06/10/2015	Updated DVA Pilot's Manual Released	Andrew Vane
We are pleased to announce the release of the latest version of the Pilot's Manual. The manual has been updated to clarify guidelines regarding flight diversions, pilot conduct, staff responsibilities, updated aircraft stages, and criteria for flight report approval. We encourage pilots to refer to the Pilot's Manual as a reference for how DVA operates. As with all our publications, we are always open to and appreciate constructive feedback and recommendations. The updated Pilot's Manual can be obtained via the Document Library in the Pilot Center. DVA Operations and Senior Staff
05/05/2015	New Channels Added to the Water Cooler	Andrew Vane
DVA Senior Staff announces the addition of three new channels to the water cooler. These channels are for sharing information and troubleshooting issues with Steam FSX SE, PREPAR3D by Lockheed Martin, and X-Plane. DVA has always been a place where pilots have helped each other with issues and provided support to one another. We greatly value our pilot's participation and hope these new channels will provide easy to locate channels for these specific flight simulation software programs.
04/22/2015	Boeing 737-800 Airline Operations Manual Updated	Andrew Vane
The Boeing 737-800 AOM has been updated and released. The new version corrects some inconsistencies within the tutorial and checklist sections and also corrects some of the emergency procedures. Pilots can obtain the newly updated manual in the Document Library via the Pilot Center. As always, we appreciate feedback and comments on the manuals in our efforts to improve them. Feel free to email any comments to ops@deltava.org. DVA Operations
01/15/2015	Historical Airlines Added	Andrew Vane
A rich part of Delta Air Lines’ history is the merger and acquisition of other airlines. We have already added many historical fights into the NW and DVH schedule database (with more to come) which were real world routes flown in the past. To grow our schedule database, you will notice that in the near future, additional historical airlines and their flights will be added. These will include Northeast Airlines Historical (acquired by Delta in 1972), Western Airlines Historical (1987), and Pan American Airways Historical (1991). You should see these airlines show up and the schedule for each slowly begin to populate with flights. Flights will be able to be accessed via Find-A-Flight and Browse Schedule in the Pilot Center. They will show up as NEH, WAH and PAH respectively. As with all flights in the database, a pilot may log a flight for any route provided he uses an aircraft that he is rated in and the aircraft can reach the destination with legal fuel reserves. The aircraft profiles section of the Pilot Center provides the range of aircraft in our fleet. We hope you enjoy these new additions to DVA. DVA Operations Department
12/30/2014	DHC-8-Q400 Added to the Hangar	Andrew Vane
Please be informed we have modified the DHC-8 in our hangar into Q100 and Q400 versions. All pilots who already have the DHC-8 rating now have the rating for the Q100. To obtain the rating for the DHC-8-Q400, go to the Pilot Center and Request Additional Ratings in any Stage 1 through 3 program.
12/12/2014	Flights added to the Northwest Historical Flight Schedule Database	Andrew Vane
We’ve added a bunch of additional Northwest historical fights to/from Memphis from a NW 2001 timetable I acquired with Jim Daigneau’s assistance. Most are real flights Northwest flew using A319, A320, DC-9-40, DC-9-50 and Boeing 727-200 aircraft. You can find them via the Pilot Center. More to be added in the future.
12/08/2014	Boeing 377 added to the DVA fleet!	Andrew Vane
As if two new propliners added in one week wasn’t enough, we are adding a third which also happens to be the third double decker aircraft available in the DVA hangar: The Boeing 377. Both Northwest Airlines and Pan Am flew this double-bubble propliner in the post WWII era. Originally developed in 1947 and capable of carrying 100 passengers over 4100 miles, the B377 is added as part of DVA’s DC6 program. California Classic Propliners (Calclassic.com) has an FS2002/FS2004 model. We hope you’ll enjoy this new addition to the fleet!
12/05/2014	DC-7C and L1049 Super Constellation added to the Fleet	Andrew Vane
Two fierce competitors in the history of Delta’s fleet development were Lockheed and Douglas Commercial. These two manufacturers competed against each other to re-engineer their aircraft to fly longer ranges and carry more passengers. We have added to our fleet the culmination of the DC-7 and Constellation battle: L1049 Super Constellation and the Douglas DC-7C Seven Seas. Both have over 4,000nm ranges. Ratings for these aircraft can be obtained via the DC-6 program. We will be adding more historic routes in the future that feature these aircraft of yesteryear. Models can be obtained from Calclassic Propliners (www.calclassic.com) among other flight sim web sites. Much thanks to DVA pilot Jim Daigneau and to Mr. Tom Gibson of Calclassic Propliners for their assistance.
12/04/2014	Alaska White-Out: More Pacific Northern Airlines Historical Flights Added	Andrew Vane
Pacific Northern Airlines (PNA) was acquired by Western Airlines in 1967 and subsequently by Delta Airlines. We have updated the schedule database (DVH) to include some of the regional PNA flights within Alaska. These include flights to Kodiak, Yakutat, Nome, Barrow and points in between. Most legs originate at Fairbanks (PAFA) or Anchorage (PANC). Many of these were flown by the Constellation with some by jetliners later on. Pilots should be informed that most of these regional airfields have short runways and larger aircraft in the DVA fleet will not be able to land or take off. Check the capabilities of your aircraft and the runway lengths prior to choosing an aircraft to fly. We hope you'll enjoy these historical destinations! Be sure to bring your dogsleds and tobaggans! Warmest Regards, DVA Operations
11/21/2014	DC-7 and Constellation Historical Schedule Database Update	Andrew Vane
The DC-7 and Constellation were long range stalwarts of Delta Airlines prior to the introduction of jets (and for a period thereafter). We’ve added additional historical flights to the schedule which were actually flown by these aircraft in the past. They may be accessed in the Pilot Center under Find A Flight as Delta Historic (DVH) airline. Approximately 60 entries have been added so far with more to come. Much thanks goes out to Captain Jim Daigneau (DVA5643), a real world Delta 767 pilot and instructor who volunteered his time to research timetables for these great propliner historical flights! May the piston props fly on!
10/25/2014	DNS Maintenance in Progress	Luke Kolin
DNS and system backup for Global Virtual Airline Group properties is handled by Amazon Web Services, the world's largest public cloud computing provider. AWS provides redundant global services at a very economic rate for a variety of groups beyond GVA, including Netflix and weather.com. To facilitate prompter system updates and maintain continuity of service, we are transferring our AWS services from a personal account to a GVA-funded AWS account. No data should be changing as part of this process beyond the master DNS services, and service interruptions are not expected.
10/23/2014	DVA Flight Schedule Updated	Terry Eshenour
The DVA flight schedule is updated quarterly. The most recent update valid for the next 18 months occurred October 23, 2014. The update includes true codeshare flights. Airlines frequently change schedules. Our schedule is dynamic with daily updates. Check the schedule before each flight to insure that the flight is on our schedule.
10/07/2014	New Accomplishments Announced	Andrew Vane
Please be informed we have added 4 new accomplishments. Some of these accomplishments will require advancement to higher/lower stages or requesting additional ratings. For information on this process, please see the Pilots Manual. Past flights logged in these aircraft will count towards the accomplishment. It is recommended pilots fly these aircraft at least 200 miles to experience them although this is not a firm requirement. Also, not all aircraft are included in the DVA fleet installer page so pilots may need to obtain them from other free download web sites such as flightsim.com or avsim.net. A brief description of each new accomplishment follows: Piston Prop Professional: Complete and receive approval for PIREP’s for at least one flight in all of the following aircraft: Constellation, DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, L-10, L-100. Tri-Jet Triumph: Complete and receive approval for PIREP’s for at least one flight in all of the following aircraft: B727-100, B727-200, DC-10-10, DC-10-30, DC-10-40, L-1011-100, L-1011-500, MD-11. Flying a 4 engine aircraft with only 3 engines operating does not count. Commuter Conquest: Complete and receive approval for PIREP’s for at least one flight in all of the following aircraft: ATR-72, Avro RJ-85, B1900, BAE-146, CRJ-1000, CRJ-200, CRJ-700, CRJ-900, DHC-8, EMB-120, ERJ-135, ERJ-145, ERJ-170, ERJ-175, ERJ-190, ERJ-195, F70, JS41, S2000, S340. Quad-Jet Quartermaster: Complete and receive approval for PIREP’s for at least one flight in all of the following 4-engine aircraft: A340-200, A340-300, A340-600, A380-800, B707-320, B720, B747-100, B747-200, B747-400, BAE-146, CV-880, CV-990, Comet, Concorde, DC-8-11, DC-8-21, DC-8-33, DC-8-42, DC-8-51, DC-8-61, DC-8-62, DC-8-63, DC-8-71, DC-8-72. We hope you enjoy these new accomplishments. DVA Operations Department UPDATE: In addition, I have added as of 10/10/14 the DVA Fleet Master accomplishment which pilots can achieve by flying at least once in all aircraft in our hangar.
09/30/2014	Boeing 777 Aircraft Operations Manual Updated	Andrew Vane
The latest edition of the Boeing 777 Aircraft Operations Manual was recently updated in the Document Library. Pilots can access the updated manual via the Pilot Center. The new 777 AOM is oriented around the Boeing 777-200LR version since this is most widely flown by DVA pilots. In addition, the 777 related examination questions have been updated accordingly.
09/17/2014	Delta Virtual Airlines Announces Operations Department Personnel Changes	Terry Eshenour
Sterling Widmer leader of Operations for more than 5 years resigned because of real world time constraints. Sterling's efforts over the years built a strong organization serving its pilots with excellence. As a member of senior staff, we will miss his endless contributions and calm reasoning when addressing issues. Sterling will continue as a Senior Captain flying as time permits. Andrew Vane an 8 year veteran and staff member is Sterling's replacement. Drew is an accomplished aviator, a student of the Flight Academy with demonstrated leadership skills. For the past two years he has worked on revising our manuals. A huge work assignment that he pursues with great patience in pursuit of refining our written materials. Please join in congratulating these gentlemen on a job well done and offering support for new challenges that they face.
09/15/2014	MD-88 Aircraft Operations Manual Released	Andrew Vane
The Third Edition of the MD-88 Aircraft Operations Manual was recently updated in the Document Library. Pilots can access the updated manual via the Pilot Center. The Director of Manual Services would like to thank all those that provided screenshots, to Senior Staff, and to Chief Pilot Joe Porter. This new AOM features additional information for the MD-90, Boeing 717 and DC-9-50. We hope you'll like it. As always, we appreciate your constructive input in developing these manuals.
06/12/2014	DVA Flight Schedule Updated	Terry Eshenour
The DVA flight schedule is updated quarterly. The most recent update valid for the next 18 months occurred June 12, 2014. The update includes true codeshare flights. Airlines frequently change schedules. Our schedule is dynamic with daily updates. Check the schedule before each flight to insure that the flight is on our schedule.
05/25/2014	Staff Changes in Airbus programs	Sterling Widmer
Mark Springsteen has made his way back to the A330 program as the Chief Pilot. Mark was the first CP in the then new A330 program at DVA over 3 years ago and is now back. Welcome Home Mark! Jeremy Jurman has accepted the position of A320 Chief Pilot. We are excited to work more closely with Jeremy in this position.
05/14/2014	Flight Academy Updates	Scott Clarke
We are pleased to announce some new and exciting appointments at the Delta Virtual Airlines Flight Academy. Chris Hannigan will remain as Director of the Delta Virtual Airlines Flight Academy. Jim Warner and Michael Brown will return to the positions of flight instructor. The support staff, to help develop new training programs, VATSIM approved P-rating programs and new training courses and events are George Lewis-IT Department, Sean Zarella-Technical writer for manuals/programs and video production. Daniel Hodnik and Dean Schultz are on board as ATC advisers to keep us up to date on ATC changes. Andrew Logan and Charles Carter, as professional pilots, will be advising the flight academy on real world commercial aviation. Welcome to them all and we thank them all for working with us. On the Air France/KLM Virtual Airlines side, Karem Yogurtcugil is Director Air France/KLM Virtual Airlines Flight Academy with James Lightbody as instructor. We have renewed and posted on the VATSIM Pilot Training ATO page, the combined name of Air France/KLM Virtual Airlines-Delta Virtual Airlines and our logo. We have updated the page to reflect our new logo presentations for both virtual airlines, which are part of the Global Virtual Airlines Group. The new Pilot Training Department (PTD) Web Application is available for more information at http://ptd.vatsim.net . With all of the work that Michael Brown and Chris Hannigan have already done, our group is hard at work to complete the Advanced VFR Pilot course that will meet all of the requirements needed to award the VATSIM P3 rating. New and exciting programs are coming! Scott Clarke Vice President of Training Global Virtual Airlines Group Delta Virtual Airlines Air France/KLM Virtual Airlines
05/12/2014	Michael Brown Steps Down as VP Training; Scott Clarke Returns	Terry Eshenour
Michael Brown reluctantly resigned Vice President Training role because of real world time constraints. Michael will continue as a Flight Academy Instructor. We are grateful for his many contributions including streamlining exams, creating several core training videos, and starting the next level of VATSIM coursework, the P-3. He and his organization assisted AFV/KLM, our sister airline, with their flight academy. Scott Clarke returns to the Flight Academy to take over the training role. He returns energized and with a bundle of ideas. Be on the lookout for more news from Scott on his organization and plans for the future. Please reach out to Michael and Scott. They are dedicated volunteers making a difference to our airline. Both deserve standing ovations for their commitment and accomplishments past and future. Regards, Terry
05/05/2014	Bob Donovan Appointed Editor Delta FLY!	Terry Eshenour
It is my pleasure to announce that Bob Donovan was appointed to the staff position of Editor Delta FLY! magazine. Bob has extensive aviation (real world and virtual) knowledge and experience that he can draw on to publish our magazine.
05/04/2014	CRJ-200ER Aircraft Operations Manual, Version 6 Released	Andrew Vane
The CRJ-200ER Aircraft Operations Manual, Version 6 was recently updated in the Document Library. Pilots can access the updated manual via the Pilot Center.
04/15/2014	Sun N Fun 2014 Lakeland, Florida Report	Scott Clarke
On April 1, 2014 Jim Warner and I visited Sun N Fun. A report was prepared including photos The report can be accessed here http://goo.gl/CZ7cjZ
03/29/2014	EMB-120ER Aircraft Operations Manual, Version 5 Released	Andrew Vane
The EMB-120ER Aircraft Operations Manual, Version 5 was recently updated in the Document Library. Pilots can access the updated manual via the Pilot Center. The Director of Manual Services would like to dedicate the most recent version of this AOM to Messrs. Scott Clarke, Jim Warner, and George Lewis whose vision, time and dedication to Delta Virtual Airlines ultimately led to the development of the DVA Training Academy.
03/22/2014	Dylan Neidorff steps down, Scott Simmons named 737 Chief Pilot	Sterling Widmer
Dylan Neidorff has tendered his resignation as Chief Pilot of the 737 program to focus his time more fully to his career with the United States Air Force. We are thankful to him for his leadership and service. Scott Simmons will succeed Dylan and the 737 Chief Pilot. Scott is well versed in the 737 and will prove to be a great asset to pilots in our largest program.
03/05/2014	Rob Morgan named 777 Assistant Chief Pilot	Sterling Widmer
It is my pleasure to announce that Mr. Rob Morgan has graciously accepted the position of Assistant Chief Pilot in the Boeing 777 program. His experience and tenure as a staff member will be great in this important program.
02/22/2014	DVA Flight Schedule Update	Terry Eshenour
The DVA flight schedule is updated quarterly. The most recent update valid for the next 18 months occurred February 21, 2014. We update the schedule quarterly using a commercial service. The update includes true codeshare flights. Airlines frequently change schedules. Our schedule is dynamic with daily updates. Check the schedule before each flight to insure that the flight is on our schedule.
03/15/2013	Delta VA Flight Academy Releases VFR Online Pilot Course	Scott Clarke
The Delta VA Flight Academy has released the VFR Online PIlot course. This course can be flown either VFR or IFR and requires the pilot to hand fly the aircraft. It includes an online written test program and a flight checkride. Upon successful completion of this course, the pilot is awarded the course certificate and the VATSIM P2 rating. This course is one part of a series of virtual simulation training courses for members of Delta Virtual Airlines and Air France Virtual Airlines.
01/30/2013	ACARS 3 Released	Luke Kolin
I am pleased to announce that after several years of effort, we have released version 3 of our industry-leading Aircraft Communication and Reporting System, or ACARS. ACARS 3 builds upon the functionality of previous releases, and includes a number of new features including payload loading, voice support, FSX multi-player capabilities and integration with new payware offerings from PMDG. ACARS 3 is available in the Delta Virtual Airlines Fleet Library, and existing ACARS3 beta users should be prompted to upgrade. Please note that Delta Virtual Airlines will continue to support ACARS 2 for the indefinite future.
10/07/2012	Don Baker joins Operations.	Sterling Widmer
Alan and I are excited to welcome Don Baker as an Assistant Director of Operations. Don has been a great asset to DVA as a pilot and as Chief Pilot of the L1011 program. Since joining in 2005' he has flown over 2300 flights and has approved thousands of PIREPS. He will continue as the L1011 chief pilot in addition to his new role in operations. Please visit the cooler post at http://www.deltava.org/thread.do?id=0x1b2c3 to welcome him.
10/05/2012	Luke Kolin Announces His Retirement	Terry Eshenour
A Water Cooler entry was made earlier today informing both airlines that Luke Kolin plans to retire by the end of the year. For details visit the Cooler http://www.deltava.org/thread.do?id=0x1b29c
09/06/2012	Sterling Widmer Steps Up to Vice President Director of Operations Position	Terry Eshenour
Sterling Widmer, after 3 years as an Assistant Director of Operations accepted the position of Vice President Director of Operations. Sterling spends a great amount time working in the Help Desk answering pilot questions and correcting issues with their logbook or pilot profile. He is a veteran and accomplished simmer with 17 years of experience. The last 6 years with DVA. Thank you Sterling for your willingness to step up and take on more responsibilities.
09/06/2012	Ken Nesbitt Resigns as Vice President Director of Operations	Terry Eshenour
Ken Nesbitt Vice President Director of Operations after 4 years of distinguished service voluntarily offered his resignation due to real world time conflicts affecting his ability to carryout his role for DVA. Ken, a real world pilot, has job demands that affect his availability. Additionally he and his wife are expecting the birth of their first child within a month placing further time constraints on him. His resignation was reluctantly accepted. Ken will remain on staff as Chief Pilot of the DC-8. Personally, I am deeply indebted to Ken for his years of leadership. He shared his professional knowledge and skills with the organization advancing it in the process. Thank you Ken for all of your many contributions.
08/08/2011	Alan Cluff joins the Operations Team!	Ken Nesbitt
Please join me in welcoming Alan Cluff back to the staff as an additional Assistant Director of Operations. Alan was a long time Chief Pilot in the 737 program and now he will be joining the operations team alongside Sterling and myself. We are very excited to have him back and know he will do a great job! Please drop by the cooler and welcome him back! http://www.deltava.org/thread.do?id=0x1917c
08/01/2011	ACARS 2 Build 99 Released	Luke Kolin
I am pleased to announce the release of ACARS 2.2 Build 99. This is intended to be the final release of the ACARS2 series, and introduces a number of important stability and reliability fixes in response to user data and feedback. All ACARS2 users are encouraged to upgrade to Build 99 as soon as possible, which can be downloaded from the Fleet Library. Delta Virtual Airlines wishes to thank the numerous users that participated in the Build 99 beta program, whose feedback and suggestions were critical to this release. As part of the release, all Build 99 betas prior to beta 12 will be deprecated by August 3rd. Betas 12 and 14 are planned to be deprecated on August 15th.
07/04/2011	New 737 CP announced...and with that, a huge debt of gratitude to its former leader	Ken Nesbitt
Don Thomas has been named the new 737 Chief Pilot as Alan Cluff exits the office. Don has been an Assistant Chief Pilot of the 737 since 2009 and now it is his turn to lead Delta Virtual Airlines largest program. We know he will do wonderful things with the program and look forward to his leadership. With Don stepping in, we would like to especially thank Alan Cluff for his long tenure as the CP to the 737 program. Alan was a great leader who had earned respect from not only his assistants and 737 program, but the entire Delta VA family. We would like to thank you for all you have done Alan, and we look forward to hopfully working with you again somewhere down the road. Please stop by http://www.deltava.org/thread.do?id=0x18e34 and give them both a hand!
01/05/2011	Delta Virtual Airlines receives VATSIM ATO Certification	Jim Warner
Delta Virtual Airlines announces that our newest Flight Academy course, VATSIM Online Pilot (P1), is now available on line. After a course review by VATSIM, Delta Virtual Airlines is certified as a VATSIM Approved Training Organization (ATO). Those completing this course will be awarded the certificate of VATSIM Online Pilot (P1) at Delta Virtual Airlines and VATSIM. The VATSIM Online Pilot (P1) course is designed as a self-study course with 8 sections including online tests and a check-ride to be flown on the VATSIM network and using our ACARS program. Students will study the required documents and take the tests at their own pace. Then students will fly the check-ride after passing all 8 sections. Upon completion, the student will be awarded the VATSIM Online Pilot (P1) certification. Delta Virtual Airlines is one of the first virtual airlines to meet the VATSIM requirements for the new ATO certification and continues to be a leader in the world of virtual aviation.
10/18/2010	DVA says Aloha to the 717-200	Sterling Widmer
In conjunction with the Hawaiian Airlines Codeshare, we are excited to announce that the Boeing 717-200 rating is now available as a Secondary Aircraft type for the MD-88 program. Please refer to NOTAM 34 and the Water Cooler announcement for information on obtaining this rating.
10/15/2010	Updated Senior Captain Promotion Policy	Luke Kolin
We have modified our Senior Captain promotion policy to include pilot nominations, to include our membership in the process. Please see NOTAM #37 for further information.
05/12/2010	Sid Dudley is the new DC6 ACP	Horacio Meza-Velarde
I am proud to announce that Sid Dudley has accepted the post of DC6 ACP. We are very sure that he would enjoy greatly to fly low and slow!!! Congratulations!!!
05/05/2010	JT Coston is the new 757-200 ACP	Horacio Meza-Velarde
On behalf of DVA, I am pleased to announce that JT Coston has been appointed the new 757-200 ACP. We are certain that he will do his best to keep this program in the successful trail it is already in!!! Congratulations, JT!!
04/15/2010	A380 Rating now Available at DVA	Sterling Widmer
We are excited to announce that the Airbus A380 rating is now available as a Secondary Aircraft type for the 747 and 777 programs. Please refer to NOTAM 34 and the Water Cooler announcement for information on obtaining this rating.
04/05/2010	New MD88 ACP	Horacio Meza-Velarde
It is my pleasure to announce to our community that Mr. Trevor Woolley has graciously accepted to become the new MD88 ACP. This is a very important program within DVA and we know that he will contribute greatly to the success of the Mad Dog Program!!! Congratulations!!
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