Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler - Skipping over a stage? possible?

Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | Airline Operations | Skipping over a stage? possible?

DVA6135
Captain, B757-200

Joined on July 12 2008
Everett Century Club
50 State Club
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Double Century Club
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"Real World Airline Captain - AMA"
Vero Beach, FL

236 legs, 718.4 hours
3 legs, 6.1 hours online
234 legs, 714.3 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on July 12 2012 23:34 ET by Chris Kennedy

Hello fellow DVA pilots.

Im new here to the airline and i have a question. I was wondering if it is possible to skip stage two if i did a certain (assuming high) number of hours in stage 2, going to stage 4.

the reason i ask this is because none of the aircraft interest me in stage 3, and im pushing to get into the 747/Md-11 program as an end goal, and wouldn't mind spending a lot of extra time in stage 2. You are all probably thinking "but the 767.....level-D...." well i admit, its a great aircraft, but ive been simming for over 14 years now (FS98 veteran lol) and im very very good at flying the NGX, i love every second of it, but other than that, i would like to go from that to the 747 or MD-11, mainly because they are PMDG products, and the 747 and 737 are my most familiar aircraft after 14 years of non stop simming.

Im fairly picky about the VC nowadays in this time period, seeing as this isnt old FS anymore, having a flat overhead panel on the LDS 767 makes me cringe.......yes i may be spoiled with the NGX and 747X but at the same time, i am also very familiar with these aircraft, and cant imagine finding the time to learn the LDS 767. Also if it makes a difference, im studying to be a real world pilot which for those of you who are too, would know it is very time consuming.

In all honesty, if you fellow pilots are going to tell me this cant be done, i might just end up staying in the 737 program for quite a while, just got captain anyways smile

and if LDS does decide to upgrade their 767 VC model or release their 757 faster, i would be more than happy to buy those products. Im sure by now you wont suggest freeware models with good flight dynamics seeing as from what i said before, i really want the whole package, invested a lot of time and money into this hobby now, wont fly freeware haha.

Anyways, thanks for all the assistance anyone can provide, and im glad i choose delta virtual!!

Sincerely,

Chris Kennedy

Chris Kennedy (DVA6135)

DVA8752
Captain, B767-300

Joined on January 01 2010
50 State Club
Triple Century Club

Sedalia, CO

338 legs, 1,236.8 hours
31 legs, 181.3 hours online
37 legs, 232.7 hours ACARS
2 legs, 8.4 hours event

Posted onPost created on July 12 2012 23:38 ET by Brandon Howell

It's not possible.

While the Level-D could use an update, it's still a great aircraft. It's very much worth getting it and learning how to fly it.

Brandon Howell (DVA8752)

DVA9352
Captain, B777-200

Joined on January 11 2011
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"GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!"
Taylor, AR

910 legs, 3,931.0 hours
4 legs, 9.0 hours online
910 legs, 3,931.0 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on July 12 2012 23:47 ET by Michael Martin

Chris, you can skip levels if you want. I have skipped over certain aircraft to get the 767 and 747 check rides. As you say you have years of experience in these aircraft so you may not have any trouble passing the check ride for the 747. But if you start having trouble passing you many want to drop down to a level 3 for a short time. Good Luck!

Michael Martin

Captain, B777-200

Posted onPost created on July 12 2012 23:50 ET by Brandon Howell

Michael Martin wrote:

Chris, you can skip levels if you want. I have skipped over certain aircraft to get the 767 and 747 check rides. As you say you have years of experience in these aircraft so you may not have any trouble passing the check ride for the 747. But if you start having trouble passing you many want to drop down to a level 3 for a short time. Good Luck!

You can skip some aircraft in a stage, but you need to become captain in at least one before you can move on to a higher stage.

Brandon Howell (DVA8752)

Posted onPost created on July 12 2012 23:56 ET by Chris Kennedy

Brandon Howell wrote:

Michael Martin wrote:

Chris, you can skip levels if you want. I have skipped over certain aircraft to get the 767 and 747 check rides. As you say you have years of experience in these aircraft so you may not have any trouble passing the check ride for the 747. But if you start having trouble passing you many want to drop down to a level 3 for a short time. Good Luck!

You can skip some aircraft in a stage, but you need to become captain in at least one before you can move on to a higher stage.

So basically brandon, your saying its best to enter stage 3 as a F/O, fly the minimum flights with say a freeware 767, take the captains exam, and then take the F/O for the 747 in stage 4?

I have a feeling i could manage that, and if i cant, ill wait till time frees up and give the LDS 767 a run.

Chris Kennedy (DVA6135)

Posted onPost created on July 13 2012 00:06 ET by Brandon Howell

Chris Kennedy wrote:

Brandon Howell wrote:

Michael Martin wrote:

Chris, you can skip levels if you want. I have skipped over certain aircraft to get the 767 and 747 check rides. As you say you have years of experience in these aircraft so you may not have any trouble passing the check ride for the 747. But if you start having trouble passing you many want to drop down to a level 3 for a short time. Good Luck!

You can skip some aircraft in a stage, but you need to become captain in at least one before you can move on to a higher stage.

So basically brandon, your saying its best to enter stage 3 as a F/O, fly the minimum flights with say a freeware 767, take the captains exam, and then take the F/O for the 747 in stage 4?

I have a feeling i could manage that, and if i cant, ill wait till time frees up and give the LDS 767 a run.

Yes. The Level-D also has a 30-day refund period, so if you aren't happy (for some reason I can't think of), you can get your money refunded in full, no questions asked.

Brandon Howell (DVA8752)

DVA9792
Senior Captain, B737-800
OLP

Joined on May 20 2011
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Cripple Creek, CO

10,841 legs, 31,487.6 hours
10,331 legs, 30,214.0 hours online
10,733 legs, 31,144.5 hours ACARS
1,535 legs, 4,172.7 hours event
0 legs dispatched, 2.3 hours

Posted onPost created on July 13 2012 00:17 ET by Jim Rose

You already stated you won't be happy with the lds767, don't let any of us fans talk you into spending $$ on aircraft you won't be flying. Here is the manual for getting through stages. Welcome to DVA!
http://www.deltava.org/library/Promotion%20Guide.pdf

Jim Rose

Senior Captain, B737-800

Posted onPost created on August 13 2012 23:42 ET by Chris Kennedy

Just giving everyone a heads up, took brandons word for it, bought the level D and havent looked back. I am enjoying the lds 767 and will move up to the 777 program when the PMDG 777 comes out. Cant get enough of that LDS 767. Thanks anyways.

Chris Kennedy (DVA6135)

DVA9571
Senior Captain, B767-300

Joined on March 10 2011
Everett 500 Club
Online Quintuple Century Club
DVA Five-Year Anniversary
Six Century Club

Miami, FL USA

612 legs, 2,333.0 hours
590 legs, 2,242.9 hours online
602 legs, 2,307.3 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on August 21 2012 17:11 ET by Bob Klemm

Even though I'm biased, I can safely say that LDS is still the best bang for the buck you can find. But, "flat overhead" in the VC?

Bob Klemm

Senior Captain, B767-300

Posted onPost created on August 21 2012 17:24 ET by Brandon Howell

Chris Kennedy wrote:

Just giving everyone a heads up, took brandons word for it, bought the level D and havent looked back. I am enjoying the lds 767 and will move up to the 777 program when the PMDG 777 comes out. Cant get enough of that LDS 767. Thanks anyways.

Posted onPost created on August 21 2012 17:36 ET by Bob Klemm

Speaking of that 777 - the manual alone is over $300. Even more if you want color images. I thought we were in tough economic times? wink

Bob Klemm

Senior Captain, B767-300

Posted onPost created on August 21 2012 19:37 ET by Chris Kennedy

Bob Klemm wrote:

Speaking of that 777 - the manual alone is over $300. Even more if you want color images. I thought we were in tough economic times?

Well bob, i can honestly say i have never read a manual over my 14 years of simming experience. Im a real world pilot so i have my face in manuals/POHs/AFMs all the time, so i get pretty sick of them haha. And ya 300 dollars is ridiculous. Your better off buying the plane which will probably be around 70-100 dollars somewhere which is already crazy for a flight sim product. Combined with hours on the plane, and watching various youtube tutorials, i figured the NGX and LDS 767 in no time, without manuals, and i never flew either before.

I am hoping though that checklists and procedures come with the actual base product, those i will need lol.

Chris Kennedy (DVA6135)

DVA10830
Captain, A320

Joined on June 20 2012
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"There is always a silver lining."
Australia

162 legs, 924.5 hours
28 legs, 98.5 hours online
160 legs, 921.5 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on August 24 2012 02:37 ET by Antonis Kastrinakis

Hi Chris,

knowing PMDG, the T7 (and 747v2) will come with a complete set of pdf's for you to use. Just like the NGX.

Although I am enjoying the NGX, ever since my FS9 days I was/am a long-haul kind of person and the previous VA I was with made sure long haul flights were flown as long haul flights ARE flown i.e. no saves, pauses or heading to bed and letting Otto do all the work. We were required to be on the flight deck most of the time as the system used to request random position reports (at least one an hour). A later version of our ACARS relaxed that regulation a bit but also always required a POSREP but at fixed intervals which made it easier to vacuum the carpet, mow the lawn, cook dinner or whatever RL required.

I recently ported my old LDS to FSX and while it is nowhere near the NGX re systems it still is a worthy addition to anyone's hangar.

Looking forward to the really heavy iron (especially that fuel-guzzling old four-holer) biggrin

Cheers!

(Tony)

Antonis Kastrinakis (DVA10830)

Posted onPost created on August 24 2012 05:37 ET by Chris Kennedy

Antonis Kastrinakis wrote:

Hi Chris,

knowing PMDG, the T7 (and 747v2) will come with a complete set of pdf's for you to use. Just like the NGX.

Although I am enjoying the NGX, ever since my FS9 days I was/am a long-haul kind of person and the previous VA I was with made sure long haul flights were flown as long haul flights ARE flown i.e. no saves, pauses or heading to bed and letting Otto do all the work. We were required to be on the flight deck most of the time as the system used to request random position reports (at least one an hour). A later version of our ACARS relaxed that regulation a bit but also always required a POSREP but at fixed intervals which made it easier to vacuum the carpet, mow the lawn, cook dinner or whatever RL required.

I recently ported my old LDS to FSX and while it is nowhere near the NGX re systems it still is a worthy addition to anyone's hangar.

Looking forward to the really heavy iron (especially that fuel-guzzling old four-holer)

Cheers!

(Tony)

Hello tony,

I could never sit in front of my computer for that long on a virtual flight deck, i dont imagine anyone here at DVA does that anyways. The best i do is usually tab out and chat with people, eat/drink, torrent movies, and study aswell, but i doubt anyone stares out the window for 15 hours in the FSX window. The fact that your old VA asked you to do that is pretty stupid, may i ask which VA it was? just curious.

And ya, im probably gonna take that 747 checkride in a few days and start flying some of those super long hauls, mixed with teh NGX flights around north america, and some LDS 767 stuff into europe. (747 mostly into asia). When that 777 comes out, its probably all i will fly lol.

take it easy!

Chris Kennedy (DVA6135)

Posted onPost created on August 24 2012 05:45 ET by Brandon Howell

Chris Kennedy wrote:

but i doubt anyone stares out the window for 15 hours in the FSX window.

At the controls the entire time except for occasional bathroom and food breaks - http://www.deltava.org/pirep.do?id=0xab17c . I have a few other long hauls, but I took more breaks than I did on this flight.

It's relaxing to just watch the world go by and listen to the hum of the engines.

Brandon Howell (DVA8752)

DVA11749
Senior Captain, B747-400
OLP

Joined on September 11 2013
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Broken Arrow, OK

1,194 legs, 4,517.4 hours
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63 legs dispatched, 170.1 hours

Posted onPost created on October 01 2013 23:47 ET by Kendall Mann

I' a BAV guy too :-) I hate Phoenix…..

Scott

Antonis Kastrinakis wrote:

Hi Chris,

knowing PMDG, the T7 (and 747v2) will come with a complete set of pdf's for you to use. Just like the NGX.

Although I am enjoying the NGX, ever since my FS9 days I was/am a long-haul kind of person and the previous VA I was with made sure long haul flights were flown as long haul flights ARE flown i.e. no saves, pauses or heading to bed and letting Otto do all the work. We were required to be on the flight deck most of the time as the system used to request random position reports (at least one an hour). A later version of our ACARS relaxed that regulation a bit but also always required a POSREP but at fixed intervals which made it easier to vacuum the carpet, mow the lawn, cook dinner or whatever RL required.

I recently ported my old LDS to FSX and while it is nowhere near the NGX re systems it still is a worthy addition to anyone's hangar.

Looking forward to the really heavy iron (especially that fuel-guzzling old four-holer)

Cheers!

(Tony)

Kendall Mann

Senior Captain, B747-400

DVA11506
Captain, B757-200

Joined on May 16 2013
DVA Five-Year Anniversary

Southeastern United States

85 legs, 167.1 hours
3 legs, 5.0 hours online
84 legs, 158.1 hours ACARS
1 legs, 2.3 hours event

Posted onPost created on December 18 2013 05:19 ET by Ralph Camacho

I chose not to skip stage 4, because I wanted to get ratings for the L1011, always nice to be able to fly that if I want to.

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