For the most part, the flights we fly today were the original flights crafted by the airline founders. Each flight was given a number, and sets one or more flights were called "lines" and also given numbers, like 409, where each flight in the line was desinated as 409A, 409B, etc. This matches very well how a real airline dispatchers designate lines of time that include several flights. The pilots then bid for the lines they like. Starting on the late '90s, we added new flights/lines to the schedule without proper planning. I can claim part of that.
Not long ago, we took a survey of things you would like to see in SAX. One of the things that stood out the most was that the airline needed more pilots. We thought that to get more pilots we needed to make SAX appealing to prospective pilots. To make SAX more appealing, we needed to keep sticking with our original quest for realism, but at the same time modernize and be competitive with other virtual airlines. Our slogan of being the first virtual airline wasn't enough. Diversifying our support to more than subLOGIC's ATP and supporting MS Flt Sim wasn't enough. We had to modernize and advertise.
You've noticed we have a new Pilot Operations Center (POC). This wonderfull tool relieves hub chiefs from the drudge work of grading flights and computing statistics, and frees them to work on other improvements. It offers you the option to make your own "line" or rotation; a set of flights where the first flight leaves your hub airport, and the last ends at your hub airport. And the list of improvements for the POC is still long. Expect to see dispatch forms with number of passengers, baggage loads, etc.
One thing we noticed is that the existing flights could make more real-life sense by ensuring there was a virtual airplane to fly the flight. So, the new flights will be associated with a tail number. We would be able to tell how many aircrafts does SAX operates. We also know that real airline hubs do not have all the hub airplanes sleep at the hub; not enough space, so expect that some of those tail numbers will start and end their day at a non-hub airport, though they'll pass through their hub during the day.
What else? The Short 360 is gone. Skylink does not own hubs at GSO and BOS, they'll fly out of all hubs. Expect plenty of B1900 and CRJ2 flights from all hubs.
I'm sure there are other changes in the flight schedule, but this post is long enough. Who's working the new schedule? Chris, Neil and myself. My thanks to Chris and Neil for their tremendous effort.
You'll see the schedule soon. Though it's almost done, we still need to get it approved by upper management.
More to follow.
Dave Vega
