Delta Virtual Airlines Airline News

DATE	SUBJECT	AUTHOR
12/18/2006	DVA Pilots Survey	David Keech
Fellow Aviators, I have created an online survey that I would like each pilot to complete. It is to record how you view the VA and what you would like to see done in the future. It should only take you a few minutes, as there is only 10 questions. Please click or go here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=777552923824. You can complete as an anonymous person or use your name. Only one response can be made per pilot. Thanks and I look forward to your feedback.
11/30/2006	ACARS Build 82 Available	Luke Kolin
I am pleased to announce that Build 82 of ACARS 2.0 is now available for download in the Fleet Library. This build fixes numerous issues including internationalization, flight restoration and automatic reconnection to the ACARS server in cases of connection loss. If you are using ACARS 2.0, please download this version as soon as possible since Builds 80 and 81 will be deprecated and unable to connect to the server as of tomorrow morning.
11/12/2006	Andrew Vane Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
It is my pleasure to announce that Andrew Vane, Captain in the 727 program, is promoted to Senior Captain. Andrew's logbook reads like a novel. He has tried every airframe we have and settled on the 727, passing over the mighty 777 for this unique bird. As if that wasn't enough, Andrew took over duties from Andrew Dalrymple as Director of Events. He has done a wonderful job in this capacity creating new and challenging events that everyone enjoys. He is a regular contributor in the cooler and is respected by all his peers. He is the interim editor for Delta FLY! magazine and give him time he will take over as Chief Pilot for a every program....LOL. There is no stopping this guy. He is a very valuable asset to DVA! Please help me in congratulating Andrew on his promotion.
11/12/2006	Horacio Meza Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
It is my pleasure to announce that Horacio Meza, Captain in the MD-11 program, is promoted to Senior Captain. Every program has its own unique league of gentlemen. But the biggest group at DVA with a passion for the airframe has to be the three holler club, more exactly the MD11 class. Horacio has added his own special flare to the program that makes DVA proud. He is a regular in the cooler, knows the airframe in the MD11 and helps our newbie fliers in S. America get around. Heres to the old ladies' newest SC, Senior Captain Meza Please help me in congratulating Horacio on his promotion.
11/12/2006	Steve Pickle Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
It is my pleasure to announce that Steve Pickle, Captain in the 767 program, is promoted to Senior Captain. Steve has been in the program for a little over a year and has been a contributor to the water cooler and his fellow 767 drivers. He is a big asset to the program. Please help me in congratulating Steve on his promotion.
11/12/2006	Ryan Gardner promoted to Senior Captain!	David Keech
It is my pleasure to announce that Ryan Gardner, Captain in the 767 program, is promoted to Senior Captain. Ryan is one of those versatile flyers, that few VA's have. He can not only pilot the 767 with ease, he can also control on VATSIM with as much ease. His tireless efforts toward the hobby and DVA has not gone unnoticed. We are fortunate to have Ryan as a resource who dedicates himself to excellence. Please help me in congratulating Ryan on his promotion.
11/01/2006	Technical Department Changes	Luke Kolin
Delta Virtual has had a sophisticated technical infrastructure since its founding in 2001. To better meet the IT needs of the world's largest virtual airline, we are in the process of making changes in our Technical department. As part of this reorganization, Matt Young is retiring as our Director of Flight Test, having served the airline well in the development of our custom SB3 modelsets, and prior to this acting as our 757/767 Chief Pilot. Please join me in thanking Matt for his fine efforts supporting our community. As part of these changes, we are focusing more on client software development. I am pleased to announce the appointment of William Jerla as the Director of Client Development. Bill has been working on version 2.0 of our ACARS client, porting it from Visual Basic to C# and is now working on a number of gauges to assist us in making our fleet FSX-compatible with a minimal loss of features. I am delighted to welcome William to the staff.
10/05/2006	ACARS Usage and Promotion	Luke Kolin
ACARS usage among Delta Virtual Airlines pilots is reaching new levels - over 60% of all flights are now logged using this system. This is an excellent training and recording tool for our pilots, and makes flight report approval that much faster. To encourage ACARS usage and to strengthen our promotions policy, we are requiring ACARS usage for the 10 flights that are required before becoming eligible for promotion to Captain in the B727, MD-11 and DC-8 programs only. Non-ACARS flights may still be filed; they merely will not count towards the 10 leg requirement for promotion. We are using these programs initially, but our goal is to eventually expand this requirement across the entire airline. If you have questions regarding this change, please do not hesitate to ask in the Water Cooler, or ask your Chief Pilot. We strongly encourage all of our pilots to use ACARS whenever possible to explore the benefits it provides; by requiring further ACARS usage we place a responsibility upon ourselves to deliver high-quality software which we aim to meet.
09/15/2006	Randy King is Promoted to Senior Captain	Terry Eshenour
It is my pleasure to announce that Randy King, Captain in the 737 program, is promoted to Senior Captain. Shortly after Randy joined Delta Virtual Airlines 3 years ago he showed interest in turbo prop aircraft, specifically the ATR. His interest shortly was directed to creating a turbo program, also known as the EMB-120. He became the Chief Pilot as he nurtured a small following that eventually evolved into a 30 plus group of faithful followers. We are fortunate to have Randy as a resource who dedicates himself to excellence. Please help me in congratulating Randy on his promotion.
09/07/2006	DVA Makes Changes In the Events Department	David Keech
September 7, 2006, Atlanta, GA – Delta Virtual Airlines announced today the addition of two new staff assignments. Andrew Dalrymple, announced several weeks ago he was stepping down from the position of Events Director. DVA staff has performed an internal search for a replacement and has made the following statement “Effective today, September 7, 2006 Andrew Vane, a captain in the B727 program will be assuming the duties of Events Director. We expect Capt. Vain to work closely with our outgoing Events Director to make the hand off smooth. Capt. Vain has a long list of events already in the planning stages. We expect the VATSIM servers will once again shut down due to the heavy volume of traffic online.” David Keech, Vice President and Director of Human Resources. Captain Vane has been a presence in planning some VFR events this past summer, so he is no stranger to planning. His job will become more complex when planning an event on VATSIM. We wish Captain Vain luck in his new position. Also, DVA has established a new position to back up the Events Director. The Assistant Events Director will help the ED coordinate events, do most of the follow up legwork and tweak any plan that needs tweaking. This position has been assigned to Manuel Hernandez, Captain in the 757 program. Manuel has been with the VA for almost two years. We also wish him luck in his new assignment.
09/01/2006	ACARS Technology Preview Edition Released	Luke Kolin
I am extremely pleased to announce the release of ACARS Technology Preview Edition. This is version 1.9 of ACARS, and is designed to be the last major revision of ACARS using VB6. It is designed to implement many of the features planned for ACARS 2.0, including Failure simulation, fuel loading and panel/gauge integration. Users of the existing ACARS client (Build 71) do NOT need to upgrade. Build 71 will continue to be supported for the indefinite future. In order to take advantage of the gauge/panel integration, you will need to manually add a gauge to your panel as described in the updated ACARS manual, or by downloading one of the new Fleet Library installers. We have updated the 727, 737, 757, 767 CRJ, CV-880, DC-8, MD-88 and MD-90 installers, as well as the A320, A330, B707 and CV-990 installers on the AFV side of the house. This is a "beta" release and may have issues. Please post any feedback in the Water Cooler and/or the Issue Tracker.
08/13/2006	Andrew Musselman promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
It is my pleasure to announce that Andrew Musselman, Captain in the 767 program, has been promoted to Senior Captain. Andrews' tireless efforts in supporting Delta Virtual, here at the website and on VATSIM has not gone unnoticied. As many know, Andrew is also a controller in the Atlanta ARTCC. Hearing Andrews voice on the radio, gives us at DVA an assurance of quality controlling and when he is behind the yoke, an excellent pilot whose passengers have always praised. Please help me incongratulating Andrew on his new promotion.
07/27/2006	Changes in the 777 Program	David Keech
There has been some recent changes in the management structure in the 777 program. Trevor Fenimore, the Chief Pilot for the program will be leaving in a few short weeks to attend college. Trevor has decided that he cannot maintain a college schedule and CP duties at the same time and has elected to step down as 777 CP. He will continue to be a presence with the VA. As a result of Trevors stepping down, Adam Gaweda, 777 ACP is being promoted to Chief Pilot for the 777 program. With Adams skill and knowledge of the airframe, we know that the program is in good hands. Congratulations Adam. As a result of Adam moving the CP, this leaves the ACP slot open. As is our procedure, when a staff position opens, we open it up to existing staff before we move to the general pilot population. As a result of this, we are appointing David Schaum as the Assistant Chief Pilot in the 777 program. Dave is our former Events Director and creator of the infamous Musketeer flights. Dave also once held the position of ACP for the 767 program. Dave will be leaving his management position with the VA to become the ACP. Dave has the same sort of obsession with the 777, that Adams does and loves to fly her over the pond. We believe Dave will make a great ACP. Everyone join me in congratulating each one of these fine examples of what DVA is all about.
07/18/2006	David Keech Promoted to Vice President and Director of Human Resources	Terry Eshenour
David Keech was appointed to the position of Director of Human Resources on January 20, 2006filling the position left by Ralph Snyder. David has performed admirably since accepting the Human Resources position instituting new policies and operating procedures. He addressed several human resource items that were resolved beneficially. With David’s professional approach to carrying out his role and his proactive input to management, it was decided to promote David to Vice President and Director Human Resources. David will be joining the senor management team. Please join me in congratulating David for a job well done and for his promotion to Vice President.
07/13/2006	Andrew Logan named CFI for the DVA Flight Academy	George Lewis
Vince Carlo, DVA 2614, Captain in the B738 Prorgram, has resigned as a CFI for the DVA Flight Academy. I want to recognize and thank Vince Carlo for his behind the scenes work getting the Flight Academy initially up and running, as well as his contributions to the Flight Academy newsletter. Thank you so much Vince! His replacement is Andrew Logan, DVA2301. Andrew is a real world pilot who will be bringing his skills, talent and energy to the students in the DVA Flight Academy as a DVA CFI (Certified Flight Instructor). Andrew flies with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida and is a real world Flight Instructor. The entire Flight Academy staff has flown with Andrew in the simulator in a flight instructor/student setting and we are quite certain that the students will benefit greatly from his teachings! Please join me in congratulating Andrew Logan on his assignment!
06/26/2006	Sean Mullan promoted to Senior Captain 737 Program	David Keech
I would like to announce the promotion of Sean Mullan to Senior Captain in the 737 Program. Sean has been with Delta Virtual for almost a 2 years. Sean is constantly flying or helping his fellow DVA pilots in a number of fashions. Please join me in congratulating Sean to his new assignment.
06/26/2006	Greg Sumner promoted to Senior Captain 767 Program	David Keech
I would like to announce the promotion of Greg Sumner to Senior Captain in the 767 Program. Greg has been with Delta Virtual for almost a year. Greg is an active participant in the cooler and ACARS. He can be found a lot online flying the Delta colors. Please join me in congratulating Greg.
06/26/2006	Joe Porter promoted to Senior Captain 737 Program	David Keech
I would like to announce the promotion of Joe Porter to Senior Captain in the 737 Program. Joe has been with Delta Virtual for almost a year. Joe holds a private and commercial pilots license in the real world and knows the 737 better than anyone. Please join me in congratulating Joe to his new assignment.
06/26/2006	Tim Fox promoted to Senior Captain 767 Program	David Keech
I would like to announce the promotion of Tim Fox to Senior Captain in the 767 Program. Tim has been with Delta Virtual for almost a year. Tim is dedicated and can be found in the air most of the time or helping pilots in the cooler. Tim is a valuable asset to the program. Please join me in congratulating Tim to his new assignment.
06/26/2006	Quinten Crossley promoted to Senior Captain 727 Program	David Keech
I would like to announce the promotion of Quinten Crossley to Senior Captain in the 727 Program. Quinten has been with Delta Virtual for a few months shy of a year. Quinten is dedicated and can be found in the air most of the time or helping pilots in the cooler. Like most 727 pilots, Q is fanatical about his 3 holer and is a valuable asset to the program. Please join me in congratulating Quinten to his new assignment.
06/13/2006	Updated Schedule Data	Luke Kolin
One challenge we have faced since our inception a half decade ago has been obtaining up to date schedule data, especially in a changing world where new services are being commenced weekly, and services to other destinations being dropped. Because of this, we have been extremely flexible in using route data obtained from the Delta Air Lines web site, and the PDF and electronic timetables. Several months ago, we started negotiations with Innovata, LLC - the same company that produces the Delta Air Lines electronic timetables. Innovata is a data aggregator in the travel industry, and receives up to date schedule information from major airlines on a daily basis. We are extremely proud to introduce to you the fruits of this relationship - up-to-date Delta, Air France and codeshare flights, updated on a weekly basis. In many situations, our schedule data is more accurate than anything Delta Air Lines publishes to the public, with the exception of their web site. Because of this accurate schedule, please be aware that our schedule database is the ONLY acceptable source for flight routes, and routes not found in the schedule are unlikely to be approved. We have also made some changes to our Flight Report and Find a Flight forms as part of this change; please feel free to report any issues you discover with the new functionality. Please join me in welcoming our new partnership with Innovata and the benefits it provides to our members.
05/21/2006	Jim Warner named CFI for the DVA Flight Academy	George Lewis
Chris Williams, Assistant Chief Pilot for the B767 Program, has resigned as a CFI for the DVA Flight Academy. Chris will still be doing his duties as ACP in the Boeing 767 program however. I want to thank Chris for all of the work he has done for the Flight Academy! His replacement is Jim Warner. Jim is a real world pilot who will be bringing his skills, talent and energy to the students in the DVA Flight Academy as a DVA CFI (Certified Flight Instructor). I have personally flown with Jim in the simulator in a flight instructor/student setting and am quite certain that the students will benefit greatly from his teachings! Please join me in congratulating Jim Warner on his assignment!
05/20/2006	Daniel Shaw promoted to Senior Captain by Delta Virtual Airlines!	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Daniel Shaw to Senior Captain 757. Daniel is active not only in the air but on the scopes as well being a controller on VATSIM. His knowledge and contributions have been a great benefit to DVA. Daniel has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He also has joined us on many group flights across the world. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Daniel on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Daniel!
05/20/2006	Jimmi Cranford promoted to Senior Captain by Delta Virtual Airlines!	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Jimmi Cranford to Senior Captain MD-11. Jimmi hails from across the Atlantic, but doesn’t let that stop him from being a huge asset to DVA. Jimmi has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Jimmi on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Jimmi!
05/20/2006	Scott Clarke Promoted to Senior Captain by Delta Virtual Airlines!	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Scott Clarke to Senior Captain 767. Scott is one of the first instructors for the DVA Academy. Scott has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He also has joined us on many group flights across the world. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Scott on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Scott!
05/20/2006	Andrew Rogers Promoted to Senior Captain by Delta Virtual Airlines	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Andrew Rogers to Senior Captain 777. Andrew was one of the first graduates from the DVA Academy. Andrew has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He also has joined us on many group flights across the world. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Andrew on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Andrew!
05/03/2006	Andrew Rogers First Graduate of the Flight Academy	Terry Eshenour
Congratulations to B777 Captain Andrew Rogers who completed the Private Pilot License course following a 2 1/2 hour check ride this evening with George Lewis, Director of Training and a Certified Flight Instructor. Andrew Rogers becomes the first PPL and the first Flight Academy graduate. Please join me in extending a warm and hearty congratulations to Captain Andrew Rogers.
04/19/2006	Scott Clarke named CFI for the DVA Flight Academy	George Lewis
Mad Dog Chief Pilot Larry Foltran has stepped down as a DVA CFI in the DVA Flight Academy due to other DVA and real world committments. He is still available for help with his Mad Dog pilots however. His replacement has been found. I am proud to announce that Scott Clarke has been named as a DVA CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) for the DVA Flight Academy. Scott has his real world Commercial Multi-Engine and Instrument rating. He will bring great value to the DVA Flight Academy. I have personally flown with Scott in the simulator in a flight instructor/student setting and was quite impressed with Scott's wisdom, experience and knowledge. Please join me in congratulating Scott Clarke on his assignment!
03/31/2006	Delta Virtual Airlines Flight Academy officially opens	George Lewis
Delta Virtual Airlines is proud to announce that we have officially opened the Flight Academy! The Flight Academy features pilot training with not only flight training manuals but also flight instruction in the airplane with the students, teaching them proper the flying techniques! To sign up for the Flight Academy, simply log into the Delta Virtual Airlines website and go to the Pilot Center and find the Flight Academy. You can currently enroll in the Private Pilot (PPL) Course. More courses will be available shortly. There are no pre-requisities to enroll in the Private Pilot course. Once enrolled in a course, you can download the ground school material, request flight instruction and ask questions to the instructors. Flight instruction will require voice capability. If you require more information, please email George Lewis at training@deltava.org or post a question on the Water Cooler.
03/28/2006	Andrew Harris anointed the Senior Captain Status	David Keech
With unanimous approval, Andrew Harris will hereby be referred to as Senior Captain of the 737 Program. Andrew joined the VA in November of 2004. Through trials and tribulations, Andrew has mastered the art of balancing his love of flying and helping his fellow pilots when they are in need. He is a true example of what a DVA strives to be. Also, he is a DVA devotee who just happens to have a PPL. Please join me in congratulating Andrew on a well deserved, if not past due promotion!
03/20/2006	Chris Williams named Assistant Chief Pilot 767 Program	David Keech
Everyone help me congratulate Chris Williams who has been named the Assist Chief Pilot for the 767 Program. We had many candidates apply and all had certain qualities that DVA could use. But overall, Chris has the experience in the airframe and take charge attitude that makes an ACP into a CP. Chris and Will hold to bring new and exciting changes to the 767 program, so those in that program be ready for anything. Good luck Chris (your going to need it), and congratulations!
03/12/2006	Delta Virtual Airlines 5th Anniversary	Luke Kolin
Already in parts of Europe and Asia, March 12th has arrived and our 5th Anniversary is here. You are encouraged to spend some time Sunday online using the VATSIM network to celebrate a half decade of Delta Virtual Airlines. We are aiming to have an entire day's worth of presence on VATSIM, so please find a good (or not so good) excuse to abandon family, friends or job for a little bit of time with your colleagues at Delta Virtual. Because of the free-flowing nature of the event, you can spend as much or as little time as you like flying tomorrow. If time is at a premium, please consider a short-hop from BOS to LGA or CVG to DTW. You can also do a long-haul across the Atlantic or Pacific, or stretch your plane's legs from ATL to LAX. I hope to see a lot of familiar names tomorrow as we celebrate a great five years, with many more to come.
02/27/2006	Gaston Doval named Chief Pilot MD-11 Program	David Keech
With the resignation of Pablo, Gaston Doval, has been promoted to the new Chief Pilot position for the MD11 Program. Gaston has an undying love for the MD-11, some would say a little too much. It is rare to find someone who will count each and every rivet on a plane, know the flight deck like the back of his hand and can tell you the specs for a KATL to SAEZ flight down to the last liter of fuel. Everyone please join me in congratulating Gaston for this promotion!
02/21/2006	767-300 Program Changes	Matt Creed
It is with sadness that I must announce the resignation of Mark Mestre as the Chief Pilot of the 767-300 program. As the Chief Pilot of the combined 757/767 program, Mark was instrumental in the successful seperation of the two programs, as well as helping to develop the DVA test question bank and the DVA Flight Encyclopedia. Please join me in thanking Mark for his efforts to better DVA. Consequently, William Chambers has been promoted to Chief Pilot of the 767-300 program, effective immediately. As you know, William is no stranger to the Chief Pilot role, having served for some time as the chief of the combined 757/767 program. Please join me in extending congratulations to William on his return to the Chief Pilot position. A search for a new 767-300 Assistant Chief Pilot will begin soon. An announcement on the search for the new ACP will be forthcoming.
01/31/2006	Stephen Faison Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Stephen Faison to Senior Captain 727. It is a rare opportunity that someone reach the status of Senior Captain in the 727 progran, the qualifications are that strict, Stephen has met and surpassed those quals. Stephen has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He also has joined us on many group flights across the world. He is a great asset to the 727 program always looking to improve things. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Stephen on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Stephen!
01/31/2006	Eugenio Gomez Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Eugenio Gomez to Senior Captain 727. It is a rare opportunity that someone reach the status of Senior Captain in the 727 program, the qualifications are that strict, Eugenio has met and surpassed those quals. Eugenio has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He also has joined us on many group flights across the world. He is a great asset to the 727 program always looking to improve things. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Eugenio on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Eugenio!
01/31/2006	Oliver McRae Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Oliver McRae to Senior Captain 777. Oliver has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He also has joined us on many group flights across the world. He is a great asset to the 777 program and very rarely is Oliver ever on the ground. His callsign is almost always on ACARS and/or in the air. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Oliver on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Oliver!
01/31/2006	Andrew Dalrymple Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Andrew Dalrymple to Senior Captain 767. Andrew has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He is instrumental in the creation of all DVA online events. He is a great asset to the 767 program always looking to improve things. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Andrew on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Andrew!
01/31/2006	Curtis Young Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Curtis Young to Senior Captain 737. Curtis has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He also has joined us on many group flights across the world. He is a great asset to the 737 program always looking to improve things. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Curtis on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Curtis!
01/31/2006	Joe Shikany Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Joe Shikany to Senior Captain 737. Joe has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He also has joined us on many group flights across the world. He is a great asset to the 737 program always looking to improve things. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Joe on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Joe!
01/31/2006	Chris Williams Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Chris Williams to Senior Captain 767. Chris has contributed a great deal to DVA both in and outside of the water cooler. He also has joined us on many group flights across the country. He is a great asset to the 767 program always looking to improve things. We are looking forward to more great things to come from him. Please join me in congratulating Chris on his well deserved promotion. Congratulations Chris!
01/31/2006	Christopher Gagnon Promoted to Senior Captain	David Keech
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Christopher Gagnon to 737 Senior Captain. He is a frequent flyer and always flies connected to Vatsim. So if you see him around, dont hesitate to throw him a line! Please join me in congratulating Chris on his well deserved promotion, and we are all looking forward to further accomplishments from him. Congratulations!!
01/26/2006	Delta Virtual Airlines Announces the Promotion of David Keech to Director of Human Resources	Terry Eshenour
David Keech is our newly appointed Director of Human Resources. He is no newcomer to DVA joining us in June 2002. David is a constant force in the Cooler, online events and an accomplished aviator. His knowledge of our organization coupled with professional human resource experience will enable David to come up to speed quickly. You can expect to hear from David in short order. Please join me in a big welcome to David in his new assingment.
01/26/2006	Ralph Snyder Has Resigned as Director of Human Resources	Terry Eshenour
Ralph Snyder after 2 years of faithful and tireless work, often out of sight, as Director of Human Resources tendered his resignation due to personal time pressures. Ralph you've done an outstanding job of hiring new pilots, filling staff openings and supporting the organization as we made policy changes. We are going to miss your kind and fair input but know how to reach you when we need assistance. I understand that we can expect to see you soon back in the air on a group flight. I for one look forward to sharing the clear blue with you soon. Please join me in extending our gratitude to Ralph Snyder for his many contributions.
01/21/2006	Delta Virtual announces several new Staff members	Matt Creed
It is with great pleasure that I announce the promotions of Tyrone Weston to MD-88 Assistant Chief Pilot and Matt Whitaker to 757 Assistant Chief Pilot. Tyrone is a former MD-88 program Chief Pilot who brings a wealth of experience to the position. Matt is one of our most active pilots and a frequent contributor to the water cooler. Please give both of them a warm welcome in their new positions. Additionally, I will be relinquishing my roles as Chief Pilot of the DC-8 and DC-6 programs, effectively immediately, so that I can better focus on my duties as Vice President. I am pleased to announce that Mike Evans will be taking the reigns of both programs. Mike is one of DVA's most senior members, as well as a real world commercial pilot. Mike is dedicated to enhancing and growing DVA's legacy aircraft, and I have full faith in his abilities to manage the programs. As such, Will Chambers will be stepping up to the plate as the new 767 Assistant Chief Pilot. Will is a former Chief Pilot of the combined 757/767 program who also has a long history with DVA. Please join me in extending congratulations to all our new staff members, and good luck to them in their new positions.
01/06/2006	Delta Virtual announces the promotions of Larry Foltran and Craig Davidson	Matt Creed
It is with great pleasure that I announce the promotions of Larry Foltran to MD-88 Chief Pilot and Craig Davdison to 757 Chief Pilot. Both pilots have been the Assistant Chief Pilots of their respective programs for some time and both have been very active in DVA. Please join me in congratulating these gentlemen on their promotions, and I look forward to great things from them in the future. Please also join me in wishing Senior Captains Matt Sisson and David Shartzer the best in their future endeavors. Both served DVA admirably during their tenure as staff members, and I look forward to flying with them in the future.
01/03/2006	Delta Virtual Airlines Announces the Promotion of George Lewis	Terry Eshenour
George Lewis distinguished himself with the creation of the Flight Academy program and materials. The students he mentors recognize his contributions to the organization. He is an active participant in the Water Cooler and organizes the Flight Academy newsletter. Behind the scenes George is active in suggesting strategic development changes that affect the future of our airline. As recognition for his contributions it is with great pleasure that I inform you that George Lewis is promoted to Senior Captain. Additionally as the Flight Academy becomes a reality and to further recognize George’s input in creating the Flight Academy and his demonstrated management skills, he is promoted to Vice President and Director of Training. Please join me in extending a warm, well-deserving congratulations to George Lewis for his many contributions.
11/09/2005	Delta Virtual Server Upgrade	Luke Kolin
Approximately two months ago, Delta Virtual moved from a personally hosted machine to a shared server in a data center as part of our web application upgrade. The past 60 days have proven the continually increasing reliability of our new site software, but have also exposed weaknesses in our server hosting. We handle over 40,000 requests every day, serving 2GB a day. Our database has approximately three quarters of a million rows, and is continualy increasing in size. A shared database server is inadequate. As part of our shift to a community funding model, we obtained the resources to rent our own dedicated server. It is a top of the line 3Ghz Pentium IV SuSE linux server, with 2GB of memory and 100GB of storage space. We've spent the last week setting up the server, tuning it and testing it out. I think it's safe to say that it looks to be several times faster and more responsive than what we currently have today, and at $20/month more expensive it is clearly far better value for the money. Accordingly, the web site will be down from approximately 1030 EST to 1130 EST tomorrow while we dump the databases on the existing server and copy them to our new machine. We anticipate this to be a brief interruption in service, with a superior site available for your enjoyment.
09/19/2005	Fleet Library Updated	Luke Kolin
The Fleet Library installers were not properly updated during the DVA2006 transition. I have refreshed the entire Fleet Library to fix issues downloading sounds and manuals. Should you continue to experience problems, please fill out a new issue in the Issue Tracker. The DVA2006 Fleet Library includes our custom 757 paint scheme, some additional aircraft types and a few minor fixes. The only aircraft package that has yet to be updated is the 737, which is waiting on an oil pressure fix in the 737-200.
09/14/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines promotes Ryan Wilson to Senior Captain	Matt Creed
Please join me in congratulating Ryan Wilson on his promotion to 777 Senior Captain. Ryan is a very active pilot, having recently joined the DVA Double Century Club and is a frequent contributor to the Water Cooler. Ryan is also one of a handful of pilots to start off "on the ground floor" as a CRJ First Officer, then progressed through the ranks into a Stage 4 Captaincy. Congratulations on a job well done, and enjoy your well deserved promotion!
09/14/2005	Congratulations Roger Pilgrem on another DVA milestone	Matt Creed
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines I'd like to congratulate Senior Captain Roger Pilgrem on the occasion of his 1,400th flight leg. Roger continues to set the bar for the rest of the airline as he reaches levels unattained by any other pilot. As of this posting, Roger has logged 1,428 legs and flown 2,441 hours. Please join me in congratulating Roger, and we look forward to the big 1,500th leg!
08/29/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines congratulates Ryan Wilson	Terry Eshenour
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am extremely pleased to welcome Ryan Wilson to our "Double Century Club". Ryan recently completed 200 flight legs with Delta Virtual Airlines, an accomplishment only a select few of our pilots have achieved. Please join me in congratulating Ryan on outstanding commitment to Delta Virtual Airlines, and we all look forward to more great achievements in the future!
08/25/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines congratulates Isidoro Attie	Trevor Fenimore
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am extremely pleased to welcome Isidoro Attie to our "Century Club". Isidoro recently completed 100 flight legs with Delta Virtual Airlines, an accomplishment only a select few of our pilots have achieved. Please join me in congratulating Isidoro on outstanding commitment to Delta Virtual Airlines, and we all look forward to more great achievements in the future!
08/24/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines congratulates Oliver McRae	Terry Eshenour
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am extremely pleased to welcome Oliver McRae to our "Century Club". Oliver recently completed 100 flight legs with Delta Virtual Airlines, an accomplishment only a select few of our pilots have achieved. Please join me in congratulating Oliver on outstanding commitment to Delta Virtual Airlines, and we all look forward to more great achievements in the future!
08/18/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines congratulates David Shartzer	Daniel Ward
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am extremely pleased to welcome David Shartzer to our "Triple Century Club". David recently completed 300 flight legs with Delta Virtual Airlines, an accomplishment only a handful of our pilots have achieved. Please join me in congratulating David on outstanding commitment to Delta Virtual Airlines, and we all look forward to more great achievements in the future!
08/18/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines congratulates Matthew Whitaker	Larry Foltran
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am extremely pleased to welcome Matthew Whitaker to our "Quadruple Century Club". Matthew recently completed 400 flight legs with Delta Virtual Airlines, an accomplishment only a handful of our pilots have achieved. Please join me in congratulating Matthew on outstanding commitment to Delta Virtual Airlines, and we all look forward to more great achievements in the future!
08/11/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines congratulates Stephen Faison	Trevor Fenimore
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am extremely pleased to welcome Stephen Faison to our "Century Club". Stephen recently completed 100 flight legs with Delta Virtual Airlines, an accomplishment only a select few of our pilots have achieved. Please join me in congratulating Stephen on outstanding commitment to Delta Virtual Airlines, and we all look forward to more great achievements in the future!
08/11/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines congratulates Jeremy Atkins	Terry Eshenour
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am extremely pleased to welcome Jeremy Atkins to our "Double Century Club". Jeremy recently completed 200 flight legs with Delta Virtual Airlines, an accomplishment only a select few of our pilots have achieved. Please join me in congratulating Jeremy on outstanding commitment to Delta Virtual Airlines, and we all look forward to more great achievements in the future!
08/10/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines Milestone Day	Terry Eshenour
Today is a milestone in Delta Virtual Airlines history, for the first time we have 900 active pilots. While our purpose is not one of size or being the largest, it is gratifying to note that we grew to such a significant size. Our approach to business and the staff of dedicated volunteers is evidenced in the development of this community. Obviously we are meeting the needs of many while retaining the ability to offer personalized service and care. Thanks goes to all who came before in having the vision to establish and structure a wonderful community of virtual aviators and to those who participate daily in flying flights, filing PIREPS, posting messages, and sharing family moments.
08/07/2005	Delta Virtual Airlines congratulates Anthony Piasecki	Larry Foltran
On behalf of Delta Virtual Airlines, I am extremely pleased to welcome Anthony Piasecki to our "Quadruple Century Club". Anthony recently completed 400 flight legs with Delta Virtual Airlines, an accomplishment only a handful of our pilots have achieved. Please join me in congratulating Anthony on outstanding commitment to Delta Virtual Airlines, and we all look forward to more great achievements in the future!
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