Delta Virtual Airlines Airline News

DATE	SUBJECT	AUTHOR
11/18/2008	Server Upgrades This Week	Luke Kolin
Due to the generosity of the supporters behind Global Virtual Airlines Group, the legal entity behind Delta Virtual Airlines and Air France Virtual, we have had our own dedicated server in a commercial-grade data center since November of 2005. GVA has had two primary objectives - providing first-rate technical infrastructure and data services at a price that shows respect for the generosity of our supporters. Over the past few months, we have repeatedly examined hosting packages available on the market. We are pleased to announce that we have negotiated a new contract with our existing hosting provider (1&1) for a new server. This upgrades us from a single Pentium-4 to a dual-core Opteron server, with redundant drives and an ever higher bandwidth cap per month. In the past few weeks, I've been working to set up the server, and use it as a test bed for performance enhancements such as custom mySQL builds and failure testing that cannot be reasonably done on a production machine. I am pleased to announce that our testing cycle is almost complete. Delta Virtual has an automated backup system which we have used to populate the databases on the new server, and each restore from backups has proceeded smoothly. I expect that some time this week, (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) I will be able to switch the servers over permanently. When this occurs, all deltava.org services will be shut down, so that a complete database snapshot may be taken. This process takes approximately half an hour to perform, and then another half hour will be spent copying over the data to the new server. (We have approximately 10GB of compressed data to move.) Once this is complete, we will restore the database from the snapshot, and do a brief data validation. DNS cutover will then occur. Depending on DNS propagation, I expect downtime to be in the order of four hours, probably less. The most likely date will be Wednesday, November 19th, at approximately 10AM Eastern Standard Time. My expectation is that by just after lunchtime, we will be operating on a server with approximately double the processing power of the old one, with redundant drives in case of hardware failure. The best part of this deal is that our new contract has a monthly charge of 10% LESS than the old one, allowing us to save the excess money or use it for new services we are rolling out like a FlightAware commercial data license. Please stay tuned for further news on the server migration.
11/04/2008	Northwest Schedule Available	Luke Kolin
In recognition of Delta Air Lines' recent merger with Northwest Airlines, I am pleased to announce that the entire Northwest Airlines flight schedule has been loaded into our schedule database. All NW flights are now available for operation by Delta Virtual Airlines pilots.
09/11/2008	Delta Virtual Airlines Newest Senior Captains	Jim Pray
Delta Virtual Airlines announced today that eight captains were promoted to Senior Captain. These eight individuals are an example of what dedication to their respective programs is all about. They are always willing to help and are constantly striving to make improvements in their abilities while giving of themselves. Congratulations to these individuals: Captain Eric Fisher (DVA483) Eric has logged 1034 flights since joining in 2002 with the majority of these be flown online. He is a stage 4 pilot Captain Armanti Fluence (DVA5480) Armanti has logged 223 flights with an impressive 1068 hours with virtually all of them being flown on ACARS. He joined DVA in January 2008 Captain Art Forsha (DVA5001) He has logged 221 flights with most of them on ACARS. He is a stage 4 pilot but flies many of our aircraft. Joined DVA in September of 2007 Captain Kris Goodrich (DVA5279) Kris is Captain MD-11 but also flies many of our aircraft. He has accumulated 252 flights with 1450 hours with almost all being flown on ACARS, joined DVA in December of 2007 Captain Lionel Holguin (DVA4583) Joined DVA June of 2007, since then Lionel has 590 flights with 2220 hours. He has flown most of the online as well as an active online flier Captain Vincenzo Musumeci (DVA3794) Joined DVA in December 2006. He has logged 304 flights with 732 hours. He also has flown most on ACARS and over half of his flights flown on VATSIM Captain Trevor Woolley (DVA3943) Began with DVA in January 2007. He has logged 437 flights with 507 hours. Most of his flights flown online. He also has flown many of our aircraft but likes the ERJ-145. Captain Mark Salter (DVA3787) Joined DVA in December of 2006. He has logged 150 flights with 315 hours. He is a stage 4 pilot but likes to fly a variety of aircraft. Congratulations to you all, it is well deserved.
09/03/2008	David Keech Returns to Manage Newly Created Dispatch	Terry Eshenour
We are pleased to announce that David Keech, former VP of Human Resources, returns to develop and manage the Dispatch feature of DVA ACARS. As Director of Dispatch, David will take Dispatch from Beta to fully operational. His role will be to organize, staff and manage the service. Please join me in welcoming David as he returns to support a new service of DVA's Operation. Terry Eshenour September 3, 2008
06/19/2008	Captain Marius Petrascu (DVA4589) New 757 ACP	Jim Pray
DVA is pleased to annouce our newest Assistant Chief Pilot Mairus Petrascu. He will be a welcome addition to our staff in this important and growing program. He brings dedication and a willingness to help that will be greatly appreciated and put to good use. Welcome aboard Marius!
05/23/2008	New 757 Chief Pilot Announced...And A Big Thank You to Charly	Jim Pray
Congratulations to Chris Frasure in being promoted to Chief Pilot 757. Chris brings a great deal of experience to this position. Anyone that has been around has been helped by Chris in some fashion. He is anxious to step in to this position as he has big shoes to fill. With these changes we need to really give a special thank you to Charly for his dedication to the 757. He has worked very hard to make this a great program and he will be missed. We will still see him in the DVA skies as he will be flying. Thank you for all you have done you are truly appreciated. Thank you to you both.
04/29/2008	Riley Myers Accepts Assistant Director Of Events Position	Jim Pray
Please join me in congratulating Riley Myers as the new Assistant Director of Events. He brings great ideas to the table and will be a great asset to Tony and the events department. Welcome aboard Riley.
04/18/2008	Mark Springsteen Appointed Assistant Chief Pilot 737	Jim Pray
Please join me in congratulating Mark as the newest ACP 737 program. He joins a great staff with the 737 program and will be a great asset to DVA. Welcome aboard Mark.
04/15/2008	Senior Captain Derek Bradley (DVA2750) and Captain Justin Taylor (DVA3119) named ACP B757	Jim Pray
Senior Captain Derek Bradley (DVA2750) and Captain Justin Taylor (DVA3119) have been named ACP 757. They both bring a tremendous amount of knowledge to this very valuable program and will be a welcome addition. Congratulations to you both.
04/14/2008	Alan Cluff (DVA4965) Appointed Assistant Chief Pilot 737	Jim Pray
Please join me in congratulating Alan Cluff (DVA4965) as our newest ACP 737. Alan has accumulated almost 300 flights with almost all of them flown on ACARS and is almost always flying VATSIM. He will be a welcome addition to the very busy 737 program. Welcome Alan.
03/10/2008	Andrew Kaufmann (DVA3931) Named Chief Pilot DC-6	Jim Pray
Please join me in congratulating Andrew as he steps into the role of Chief Pilot for our DC-6 program. Andrew is no stranger to DVA and will bring great knowledge and skill to this valuable and great program.
02/14/2008	Lewis Gregory (DVA1427) Accepts MD-88 Assistant Chief Pilot Position	Jim Pray
It is with pleasure that I announce the appointment of Moose to the position of ACP MD-88 program. Moose has been a part of DVA since 2003 and in that time became very involved in the 727 program, is a member of the Triple Century Club, and a PPL graduate. He has been a terrific help to those pilots willing to try their hand with the Mighty 722. He has now graciously taken on the ACP position of another great aircraft the MD-88. We welcome him back and congratulations.
02/11/2008	Captain Gideon Sober (DVA3768) Named Chief Pilot 727	Jim Pray
Congratulations go out to Captain Gideon Sober for being named Chief Pilot 727. Gideon is a graduate of the Flight Academy in both the Private Pilot Course and the Commercial course. He is anxious to assume the duties of the Mighty 722 Chief Pilot and will bring great experience to this historic program. Welcome aboard
02/10/2008	Two New Promotions To CP and ACP 727	Jim Pray
Congratulations go out to Captain Gideon Sober for being named Chief Pilot 727. Gideon is a graduate of the Flight Academy in both the Private Pilot Course and the Commercial course. He is anxious to assume the duties of the Mighty 722 Chief Pilot and will bring great experience to this historic program. Welcome aboard. Congratulations to Senior Captain Eugenio Gomez as he has accepted his new position of Assistant Chief Pilot 727. He, along with Gideon will make a great team in their new positions and we look forward to having Eugenio ACP in the Mighty 722. Welcome aboard!
02/05/2008	Don Baker (DVA4165) Named Chief Pilot L-1011	Jim Pray
Please join me in congratulating Don Baker on his new position as Chief Pilot L-1011. Don is a real world Flight Simulator Technician for Delta Air Lines and brings a lot of experience to his new position. Welcome Don!
01/31/2008	Senior Captain Chuck Gehman (DVA650) Newest ACP 767	Jim Pray
Congratulations to our newest ACP, Senior Captain Chuck Gehman (DVA650). Chuck joined the Joined Quadricentenary Club and has the experience and dedication for this position. He was promoted to Senior Captain in 2007. Welcome Chuck.
01/29/2008	Congratulations Ster Widmer (DVA3698) Newest CRJ Assistant Chief Pilot	Jim Pray
Please join me in congratulating Ster on his new position as ACP of the CRJ program. Ster brings over two years of dedication to DVA. He will be a great addition to a very important part of DVA with many pilots flying the CRJ being new to DVA. Welcom Ster!
01/24/2008	Senior Captain Bruno Pinto (DVA3054) Named Chief Pilot DC-8	Jim Pray
Congratulations go out to Bruno for accepting the position of Chief Pilot of the DC-8 program. He has moved from the CP of the L 1011 where he was also Senior Captain. He has the experience and dedication to make the DC-8 program grow. We welcome Bruno to his new position.
01/22/2008	Senior Captain Anthony Piasecki (DVA950) Named Assistant Events Director	Jim Pray
Congratulations go out Anthony Piasecki for being named to the Assistant Events Director. Tony is a long time member of DVA and has been involved with staff positions in the past and has come back to work in the demanding events department. He brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to this position. Welcome back Tony.
01/10/2008	Senior Captain Robby Chiste New Director of Events	Jim Pray
Congratulations go out to Senior Captain Robby Chiste (DVA3280). He has accepted the Director of Events position. This is a challenging position and Robby will have his hands full but he is up to the task. He is very involved with Delta Virtual Airlines and always willing to help. We are excited to have Robby in this position.
12/26/2007	Bryan Gandall Newest Chief Pilot MD-11	Jim Pray
Congratulations to Senior Captain Bryan Gandall on accepting the position of Chief Pilot in the MD-11 program. Bryan brings a tremendous amount of experience and dedication to this very valuable program. We wish you all the best.
12/26/2007	Rob Morgan Newest Chief Pilot EMB-120	Jim Pray
Congratulations to Rob for accepting the position of Chief Pilot in the EMB-120 program. The EMB-120 is the starting point for some of our newest pilots and a very demanding position. Rob will be working with, for the most part, pilots new to FS and new to flying in general. We wish you all the best and know you will do very well.
12/26/2007	Rob Morgan Newest Chief Pilot EMB-120	Jim Pray
Congratulations to Rob for accepting the position of Chief Pilot in the EMB-120 program. The EMB-120 is the starting point for some of our newest pilots and a very demanding position. Rob will be working with, for the most part, pilots new to FS and new to flying in general. We wish you all the best and know you will do very well.
12/19/2007	Chris Williams Newest ACP	Jim Pray
Chirs Williams is the newest ACP working in the very demanding 737 program. Chris is not a newcomer to our staff and is always eager to help out. He will bring great energy to the program. Congratulations Chris.
12/17/2007	Roger Pilgrem logs his 2,000 flight!	George Lewis
Senior MD-88 Captain Roger Pilgrem, DVA1428, logged his 2000th flight in the CRJ-700, flying from Manchester, NH to Atlanta, GA in FSX. This is an amazing accomplishment and one worthy of recognition! Please join us in congratulating Roger on being the first at DVA to achieve this MAJOR milestone!
12/13/2007	New Assistant Director of Human Resources	Jim Pray
It is with pleasure that I announce the appointment of Manuel Hernandez as Assistant Director of Human Resources. Manuel is no stranger to DVA he was formerly in the Events Department and did a terrific job and will bring his knowlege and insight to the HR department.
12/12/2007	CRJ Chief Pilot Changes	Jim Pray
Joshua Clement has decided to step down from the duties of Chief Pilot in the CRJ program. Thank you for all you have done for the program it is truly appreciated. Congratulations go out to Jim Warner as he has been promoted to Chief Pilot in the CRJ program. Jim brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to the CRJ. He will be busy with his duties in the Flight Academy and now stepping into an additional role as CP. We wish you the best
12/07/2007	Flight Academy Update	Jim Pray
Jim Warner and William Bunn have been named Flight Academy Examiners, as such they can administer Flight Academy check rides and award certifications. The Flight Academy has expanded its operations with the addition of Cedric Danel, Flight instructor on the west coast. Located in Hawaii, Cedric is positioned to handle West Coast USA and Pacific Students. Mamadou Kebe, flight instructor in Mali, is positioned to handle European, and Africa students. Congratulations to these individuals and it is terrific to see the Flight Academy growing!
12/06/2007	Delta Virtual Airlines Newest Senior Captains	Jim Pray
Delta Virtual Airlines announced today that eight captains were promoted to Senior Captain. These eight individuals are an example of what dedication to their respective programs is all about. They are always willing to help and are constantly striving to make improvements in their abilities while giving of themselves. Congratulations to these individuals: Michael Badger..Joined in February of 2007 and is a Captain of the 777. He has flown 315 flights with most of them online and on ACARS. In his "spare" time he is building a full size cockpit of a 737 for sim use and is a professional Graphics Designer. Don Baker...Captain L-1011 and joined us in March of 2007 and has accumulated 209 flights. He is a "real" Flight Simulator Technician at Delta Air Lines. Very dedicated to the L-1011 aircraft. Cedric Daniel...Joined in July 2006 and also is a captain of the 777. Has earned his PPL and COMM designations. He has accumulated 314 flights. As most 777 drivers he likes the long haul flights. Clarke Duarte...Flies the 737 from the left seat as well. Clarke joined DVA in September 2006. He has in excess of 400 flights with almost all of them flown on ACARS. He earned his PPL designation in November 2006. He is very dedicated to the 737 program. Sid Dudley..Captain 757 and joined DVA November 2006. He has also earned his PPL and COMM designations. He has been involved with FS going back to 2004. He was also an instructor with the Flight Academy and was always will to help out. Bryan Gandall...Is a MD-11 Captain. Joined DVA in March 2007 with over 200 flights, Cooler and ACARS contributor. He is an avid MD-11 flier and is dedicated to the program. Bryan is a "real" Flight Simulator Technician at Delta Air Lines. Chuck Gehman..Joined in June of 2002 has accumulated 386 flights with and impressive 221 of those flown online. He has a total of 1717 hours. He flies the left seat 767 and will bring a great wealth of knowledge to the program. Ster Widmer...Flies left seat of the CRJ-200. He joined DVA November 2006. He is also stage 4 rated and likes some of those long haul flights as well. He has 280 flights under his belt with most flown on ACARS and online.
11/06/2007	Human Resource Department -- Personnel Changes	Terry Eshenour
Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, Fargo, ND -- After serving as Director of Human Resources for almost two years, David Keech tendered his resignation to return to Senior Captain B727 and enjoying a bit free time. David as many of you know, is a professional HR person in a corporation. He is pursuing a variety of career development initiatives including responsibilities in an industry organization. DVA benefited considerably from his input, deliberations and policy making. David, we thank you for your contributions that advanced DVA as a professionally managed organization. We will miss his humor as we attend to business, but know that he will be participating in group events and putting time in as Controller at Salt Lake. It is with pleasure that I announce the appointment of Jim Pray as Vice President and Director Human Relations effective immediately. Jim is not a newcomer to DVA's staff. Since March 2006 he has been a flight instructor in the Flight Academy. When David Keech indicated his intentions to return to service on the flight line, we asked Jim to work alongside David and Chris Williams. Jim finds the position fun, challenging and at times demanding. Please join me in extending a warm DVA welcome to Jim.
10/18/2007	Events Department News	David Keech
For over a year, Manuel Hernandez has been the Events Director for Delta Virtual Airlines. He has done an outstanding job and created new and innovative events on VATSIM. But, due to real world constraints, Manuel has decided to step down as the ED effective immediately. His work will be missed. Ian Hamilton has accepted the handoff from Manuel to be the new Events Director. Ian has been the Assistant for the several months and has done a great job. This was an easy promotion for Senior Staff. Everyone help me give thanks for Manuel for his efforts and congratulate Ian on this promotion.
10/18/2007	Approach Charts Updated	Luke Kolin
The generosity of our Global Virtual Airlines Group contributors has allowed us to purchase a quarterly subscription to MyAirplane's United States approach charts. We have updated our US approach chart collection with the latest charts, and expect to continue doing so on a quarterly basis going forward. If you have PDF, JPG or GIF format approach charts for international airports that you believe should be added to our database, please contact me.
10/11/2007	Staff News	David Keech
As many pilots know, Andrew Logan has been the standing Chief Pilot for the EMB120 program. Andrew is a real world pilot and has been going to extensive training here lately. He has been accepted to a flight position with Piedmont Airlines, owned by US Airways, flying Dash 8's. Andrew will be out of pocket while he conducts training in Charlotte. For this reason, Andrew has decided that it was time to step down as the CP. DVA Senior Staff is working on a solution and will be staffing this position soon. In other news, Jim Pray, our resident CFI for the Flight Academy is going to start wearing a new hat. Jim is being named as Assistant HR Director; complementing the current staff of David Keech, VP of HR and Chris Williams, Assist. Director of HR. All three working together will help keep the VA safe and sound for years to come. Andrew, thanks for your service and Jim, welcome to the working side of staff :)
09/25/2007	New Assistant Chief Pilot for the 777 Announced.	David Keech
September 25, 2007, (Atlanta, GA), Delta Virtual Airlines (DVA) would like to announced the promotion of Senior Captain Kenneth Rodriguez to the position of 777 Assistant Chief Pilot. SC Rodriquez comes to this position after spending the last 4 years in the 777 program. He brings fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the transatlantic fleet. DVA would like to congratulate ACP Rodriguez on this great accomplishment.
08/30/2007	DC-8/DC-6 Staff Changes	George Lewis
Mike Evans has tendered his resignation as DC-8/DC-6 Chief Pilot. Mike has been instrumental in leading the program to where it is now. The program is very successful due to Mike's hard work and dedication. He has been a great leader for the program and we wish to thank him for his service as Chief Pilot and we are delighted that Mike will still be part of Delta Virtual Airlines. Robert Tally (the current DC-8/DC-6 Assistant Chief Pilot) has been offered and has accepted the DC-8/DC-6 Chief Pilot position. Robert was a CFI in the Flight Academy and has a strong passion for the DC-8 and DC-6 programs. We congratulate Robert on his promotion and look forward to him taking the program even further.
08/23/2007	Delta Virtual Airlines Promotions List	David Keech
Atlanta, GA - Delta Virtual Airlines announced today that seven Captains were promoted to Senior Captain. Senior Management made the announcement in a press conference held at the corporate offices. "These individuals personify what true dedication to a program is. They are highly regarded by their peers and mentor those that need help. It gives me great honor to bestow this recognition upon these fine pilots" David Keech, Vice President of Human Resources. The individuals chosen are: Ian Hamilton - Ian is the company's Assistant Events Director who also flies the left seat in the B767. With over 330 flight legs to his credit, Ian has shown how someone can drive through the ranks and put DVA on the map. Congrats Ian. William Bunn - Mr. Bunn is not only a 737 Captain but also a Flight Academy CFI. William started out, oddly enough, in the B757 program. His true love was the 737 though. With over 250 flights, William is truly dedicated. It is very rare that a Stage 2 pilot becomes a Sr. Capt., as most speed through the programs to get to the heavy iron. This makes this designation that much sweeter. Congrats William. Mamadou Kebe - Residing in the island of Mali, Mamadou has worked his way up from a CRJ pilot to the B777. His knowledge of the airframe and his drive to help others has made him a perfect candidate for the B777. Just goes to show, you don't have to be in the States to prove to the world DVA is the best. Alex Henni - Emerging out of the B767 comes a person who is well known, and at times sought out for the B767 experience. Alex is a stable in the water cooler and lurking in ACARS. Starting out in the MD88 program, he has found a home in the B767. Congrats Alex. Kusan McGill - Another B767 driver who started out driving the EMB-120. Kusan has been a powerful force in the Water Cooler. Always willing to help another pilot, Kusan brings attention to himself as a B767 elite. Congrats Kusan Jon Farabee - Jon is one of those rare breeds that enjoys the old birds, must be all that high altitude living up in the mountains of N.C. Jon has helped Gaston in the MD-11 program and brings new life to the old bird. His knowledge of the airframe is unsurpassed, almost as maniacal as Gaston's. Jon is always willing to help out in the cooler and as of recent, ACARS. A designation, a long time coming. Great job Jon! Steven Tynes - Capt B777 program. He has over 330 legs flight and they keep coming. Steven is very active in the cooler and helps out any new B777 pilot. Steven is what makes the B777 program work. Congrats to Steven! Daniel Hodnik - B777 King of crossing the pond. Daniel only has 609 flight legs but has over 3,000 hours of flight. Daniel loves to cross the pond and it shows. He gives the B777 a work out and almost always on ACARS helping out others. When you think long haul, like Oliver McRae, you think Daniel. Congrats on the promotion, keep those 8 hour flights coming.
08/07/2007	757 Chief Pilot changes	George Lewis
Craig Davidson has tendered his resignation as 757 Chief Pilot. Craig cited real world obligations as reasons for his resignation. Craig has truly been an asset to Delta Virtual Airlines and to the 757 program. He's been head of the program for as long as I can remember and has really helped the program to succeed. In addition to his 900+ flights with DVA, he is a real world pilot and will be starting college later this fall. We wish Craig continued success and are thankful he'll be sticking around as Senior Captain in the 757 program. Charly Azcue has been offered the 757 Chief Pilot position and has accepted. In his short time as a 757 ACP, Charly has made an immediate positive impact to the program. No doubt, Charly will continue the success that Craig had with the program. We look forward to even more exciting things for the 757 program in the coming future.
07/23/2007	System Restored	Luke Kolin
The staff at 1&1 have managed to revive our server, and full site functionality has been restored. You can now file Flight Reports, log into ACARS and participate in the Water Cooler. Please be advised that there may be some additional downtime in the future - we believe that there may be an issue with the server that may necessitate further maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience.
07/11/2007	Chief Pilot and Assistant Chief Pilot Changes	George Lewis
In June, 2007, Matthew Whitaker tendered his resignation as 757 ACP (Assistant Chief Pilot) due to real world obligations. Matt was a valuable asset to the 757 program and we thank him for the hard work he did to make the 757 program better. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. Charly Azcue is the new 757 ACP. Charly is no stranger to a majority of the pilots here. He not only brings an artistic side to Delta Virtual Airlines but also a wealth of knowledge of the 757. We look forward to him helping Craig and Steve grow the program even more. Jared Angstadt has tendered his resignation as CRJ Chief Pilot. We wish to thank Jared for his many years of service. Jared is very knowledgeable when it comes to the CRJ and has been very active in helping pilots in the program. Thank you for all your hard work Jared! We wish you the best. Joshua Clement has been promoted to Chief Pilot of the CRJ Program. In his short time as ACP, Joshua has proven he has what is takes to be a Chief Pilot. We wish him luck in the new role. Joshua is Supervisor with VATSIM and DATM at ZLC. Joining Joshua as ACP (Assistant Chief Pilot) is Jim Warner. Jim is no stranger to DVA as he's been a CFI for quite some time now. Jim is a real world private pilot and has been an asset to the Flight Academy in helping develop programs that will teach our pilots even more. Please join us in congratulating Charly, Joshua and Jim and thanking Jared and Matthew. George Lewis Vice President of Operations Delta Virtual Airlines
06/09/2007	Management Changes	Terry Eshenour
Matt Creed resigned as Vice President of Operations following 2 years of dedicated service. Matt is responsible for the revised promotion and development policy that we put into effect in January 2006. He championed various operating manual, exam, and reference material revisions. I appreciated his fair, levelheaded input and advice when making policy changes. We appreciate his numerous contributions and wish him all the best in his real world aviation pursuits. George Lewis is appointed to the position of Vice President of Operations. George devoted the last year and one-half to creating and implementing the Flight Academy. In his spare moments he edits Delta Fly!, tweaks aircraft cfg files, produces videos, writes songs and instructs pilots. Lately, he has taken on assignments related to training but more in the operations area, like exam question review, managing the Help Desk and reference material updates. As our organization has grown the need for additional staff has increased. George will assist in assuring a uniform allocation of tasks so as to not over burden individuals. He will continue to be a CFI in the Flight Academy and will work closely with his successor since training and operations have important links. Scott Clarke Director of the Flight Academy is promoted to Vice President of Training and Director of the Flight Academy. A real world pilot who gets a lot of enjoyment instructing pilots in the PPL and Commercial course, Scott brings a high level of energy, professionalism, knowledge and a wonderful sense of humor to our organization. Scott has a top notch Academy staff that he leads. His students leave with enhanced piloting skills and a litany of one-liners. Please join me in thanking Matt for his service and congratulating George and Scott on their new assignments and promotions. Terry Eshenour President Delta Virtual Airlines
05/31/2007	DVA takes Steps To Ensure Success!	David Keech
To help ensure the smooth operation and conduction of business, Delta Virtual Air Lines has decided to limit the number of pilots at one time operating in DVA's pilot base. This is a first for the airline and we feel a positive step in maintaining that high level of service we are so famous for. Earlier this week, Delta Virtual reached is operating maximum of 2,500 active pilots. We will maintain that level from now on. As pilots leave us, new pilots will be brought on. Those aviators that apply now will be held in a queue and as we have an opening, the oldest applicant in queue will be hired. Additionally, we are lowering our period of inactivity to 45 days, down from 90 days previously. The inactive pilot will receive an email after a period of 30 days of inactivity and on the 45th day, be placed on inactive status. Those pilots who wish to return to the VA will also be placed in the queue of returning pilots. We feel this will enable our Chief Pilots and Assistant Chief Pilots the opportunity to develop their programs without becoming too bogged down with a constant flow of incoming and outgoing pilots. Technologically speaking, we are way far ahead of the curve and this suspension on hiring has nothing to do with that. The VA is on solid ground, has the best staff in the virtual skies and is always looking toward tomorrow and beyond in providing the best experience a virtual pilot can get without actually entering with wild blue. Happy Flying! David Keech Vice President and Director of Human Resources Delta Virtual Airlines
05/23/2007	ACARS 2.03 Available	Luke Kolin
I am pleased to announce the release of ACARS 2.0 Build 85. This includes a number of bug fixes and enhancements, most prominently a fuel planner that includes the entire DVA and AFV fleet. This package works with FSX SP1, FS9 and FS2002. ACARS 2.0 requires the Microsoft .NET 2.0 framework to operate.
05/09/2007	Joshua Clement Named Assistant Chief Pilot	David Keech
With the departure of Daniel Edwards, Senior Management has gone into recruiting mode looking for an appropriate replacement for Daniel. We feel like we have found that in Joshua Clement. Joshua is dedicated to helping fellow pilots, flys the CRJ whenever possible and is available to fly online at anytime. Joshua is also a supervisor on VATSIM, bringing his skills of online flying to new heights. Joshua will be helping Jared in one of the toughest programs DVA has, as most of the pilots coming into the program are raw talent that they get to mold into DVA pilots. Please join me in congratulating Joshua on the fine accomplishment!
05/09/2007	Derek Bradley awarded Senior Captain rank	David Keech
Hereby awarded on this date the rank of Senior Captain status to Derek Bradley of the 767 program. Derek brings with him that special 767 passion only a certain number of pilots posess. His knowledge of the airframe, willingness to help out a fellow pilot and assist the program makes his a special breed. It is my pleasure to call Derek Senior Captain.
05/09/2007	Cordell Hadeed awarded Senior Captain rank	David Keech
Effective this date Cordell Hadeed is hereby awarded the rank of Senior Caption in the 777 program. His ablity to fly the airframe and continued contributions help make the 777 program strong. It is my pleasure to award Cordell the rank of Senior Captain. Congratulations Senior Captain Hadeed
05/09/2007	Hector Roberts Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
Effective today, Hector Roberts is here by awarded the rank of Senior Captain in the 777 program. His tireless efforts and dedication has not gone unseen. Hector is always helping pilots in the cooler and online. Congratulations Hector for a job well done!
05/04/2007	West Coast CFI's Needed	David Keech
The Delta VA Flight Academy is looking for a couple more Chief Flight Instructors, but looking for those in the Mountain or Pacific Time zones. We have pilots in that area but due to the fact most of our current CFI's are on East Coast Time, it makes it difficult to meet up. We need pilots that are PPL certified, preferably with Real World experience to meet up online with pilots and instruct. Must be willing to work long hours, no pay but enjoy instructing pilots on how to properly fly, i.e. not pull up, gear up, autopilot on. If interested email HR or Scott Clarke, who can be reached at scottdfacfi@gmail.com. Thanks and good luck!
05/02/2007	William Bunn named Flight Academy CFI	George Lewis
William Bunn, DVA2376, B738 Captain, has been named CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) for the DVA Flight Academy. William has real world pilot experience and has teaching experience in the real world FAA Academy. William will be teaching the PPL course. Please join me in congratulating William on his assignment as Flight Instructor for the Flight Academy!
04/25/2007	Ronald Ward named Flight Academy CFI	George Lewis
Ronald Ward, DVA4147, B738 Captain, has been named CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) for the DVA Flight Academy. Ronald has real world pilot experience and will be teaching the PPL course. Please join me in congratulating Ronald on his assignment as Flight Instructor for the Flight Academy!
03/09/2007	Andrew Kaufmann, Rob Morgan & Jim Pray named Flight Academy CFIs	George Lewis
Andrew Kaufmann, DVA3931, MD-88 Captain, has been named CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) for the DVA Flight Academy. Andrew has real world pilot experience and will be teaching the PPL course. Andrew has prior instructing experience in the virtual world and is a welcome addition to the instructor staff. Rob Morgan, DVA2784, B727 Senior Captain, has been named CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) for the DVA Flight Academy. Rob has real world ATC experience and was instrumental in helping put together the ATC portion of the commercial course. Like any 727 pilot, he can fly well and we are happy to have him on board. The addition of Rob brings our ATC teaching capabilities to a whole new level. Jim Pray, DVA2570, B727 First Officer, has been named CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) for the DVA Flight Academy. Jim was one of our early PPL graduates from the Flight Academy and it was there that we discovered Jim's natural talents to fly and also teach. He's been groomed for the CFI position and he has accepted our invitation to help teach fellow DVA members the PPL course. Please join me in congratulating Andrew, Rob and Jim on their assignments as Flight Instructors for the Flight Academy!
02/21/2007	Robby Chiste Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
Delta Virtual Airlines is proud to announce that Robby Chiste as been promoted to Senior Captain in the B767 program. Robby is one of those rare individual who is more mature than his age will show. He is at every VATSIM event, he is always in the cooler and offering assistance to not only his fellow pilots but staff as well. Help me congratulate Robby on his promotion!
02/21/2007	Rob Morgan Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
Delta Virtual Airlines is proud to announce that Rob Morgan as been promoted to Senior Captain in the B727 program. Rob has gone over and beyond what we expect of a pilot. He is also Luke?s test subject in regards to bringing our fleet up to FSX standards. He has been working diligently and his promotion to Senior Captain is awarded. Help me congratulate Rob on his promotion!
02/21/2007	Manuel Hernandez promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
Delta Virtual Airlines is proud to announce that Manuel Hernandez as been promoted to Senior Captain in the B757 program. Manuel stepped up to help Andrew Vane in the events department and has been become more and more involved in the events planning. This promotion seems to be a little late, but well deserved Help me congratulate Manuel on his promotion!
02/21/2007	Chris Koth Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
Delta Virtual Airlines is proud to announce that Chris Koth as been promoted to Senior Captain in the B767 program. Chris makes regular contributions to the water cooler and offers to help pilots be it there, ACARS or offline. Senior Captain status is well deserved here. Help me congratulate Chris on his promotion!
02/21/2007	Adam Seiferth Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
Delta Virtual Airlines is proud to announce that Adam Seiferth as been promoted to Senior Captain in the B767 program. Adam?s contributions to the water cooler helping fellow pilots and his desire for the 767 makes him an outstanding choice for Senior Captain. Help me congratulate Adam on his promotion!
02/21/2007	Bruno Pinto Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
Delta Virtual Airlines is proud to announce that Bruno Pinto has been promoted to Senior Captain in the DC8 Program. Bruno has been highly involved in the VA and is always willing to help his fellow pilots, rather it be online even in a controller capacity or offline. Bruno is a fine example of what makes a Senior Captain. Help me congratulate Bruno on his promotion!
02/16/2007	Sid Dudley named CFI for the DVA Flight Academy	George Lewis
Sid Dudley, DVA3710, has been named CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) for the DVA Flight Academy. Sid has real world pilot experience and will be teaching the PPL course. As many of you are aware, our flight instruction calendars are booked solid and the addition of Sid will help us be able to handle the number of students seeking flight instruction at DVA. We have flown with SID, who is also a DVA Flight Academy PPL graduate, and we are pleased with his teaching abilities and we know that the students will benefit greatly from his experience, wisdom and teaching! Please join me in congratulating Sid Dudley on his assignment as Flight Instructor for the Flight Academy!
01/25/2007	Robert Tally named CFI for the DVA Flight Academy	George Lewis
Robert Tally, DVA3799, has been named CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) for the DVA Flight Academy. Robert is on the west coast and is an IT professional who will be helping Jim Warner with the PPL pilot training and initial setup. We have flown with Robert, who recently completed the PPL course and we are quite certain that the students will benefit greatly from his experience and teaching! Please join me in congratulating Robert Tally on his assignment!
01/21/2007	Scott Clarke promoted to Director of the Flight Academy	George Lewis
Scott Clarke, DVA Flight Academy CFI, has done an outstanding job and as has been promoted to the position of the Director of the Flight Academy, where he will run the day to day operations of the Flight Academy and oversee the flight instructors. He reports directly to the Vice President of Training. Scott has been instrumental in development of the EMB-120 and CRJ in the flight academy and the soon to be released commercial course, as well as teaching nearly every night of the week. Scott is a real world pilot with lots of experience over the years and is also a vatsim ATC controller at ZLC. Please join me in congratulating Scott Clarke for a job well done and for his promotion to Director of the Flight Academy.
01/01/2007	New Year, New Senior Captain	David Keech
It is my pleasure to announce that Jim Warner, Captain in the 757 program, is promoted to Senior Captain. If you're looking for Jim you can find him most nights at the Flight Academy, teaching students how to fly. Jim is the "go to" guy who helps get student's computers and software working properly as well as teaching the regular flight lessons. Jim is a DVA Flight Academy Flight Instructor, real world pilot and a member of the Century Club. He also contributes to the Delta Fly and assists pilots in the DVA Helpdesk. Please help me in congratulating Jim on his promotion.
PAGE UP PAGE DOWN

For flight simulation purposes only. Not a commercial website. In no way are we affiliated with Delta Air Lines, its affiliates, or any other airline. All logos, images, and trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. Delta Virtual Airlines is a non-profit entity engaged in providing an avenue for flight simulation enthusiasts.