Dear reader,

Allow me to present to you a small part of an interview Karin Seidel had with myself. As a student at the University of Cologne, she is writing an essay called "Human Resource Management in A Virtual Airline".

Q. Why did you start your own VA and were not satisfied to be "just" a pilot? Can you also tell me something about the history of VAs in general ?

I will attempt to define Virtual Airlines. They are a group of Flight Simulator "pilots" who simulate a fictitious airline (Although today a large number of VA's simulate real airlines). The operation is purely non-profit. The objective is to have fun using one's own computer at home to fantasize about flying airplanes for a commercial airline. Building hours and being promoted to higher ranks, stimulates the pilot to fly more and the sense of reward is what keeps them going, in their spare time of course. It's important to highlight that this is a hobby, so the attraction is not higher salary, but something which particularly attracts the pilot to the VA, depending on their geographic, technical, and cultural tastes, etc.

Arguably, the first VA started in 1991. I could be mistaken (again depends on which definition of VA is used) As you can imagine, this was not officially documented somewhere and as such, at least 1 VA claims to be the first. They used sim programs like ATP (Air Transport Pilot) and Flight Simulator. Basically anyone who had an Internet connection and who was capable of conceiving a "corporate identity" could start a VA.

The amount of VAs exploded in 1998/1999. Most were 1-man shows that never made it and were forced into termination. Many were started by people who know nothing about basic aviation or management priniples. A few, mostly the older VAs, found a niche and established themselves as stable entities backed by large teams of volunteers. You see, a virtual airline also needs a sound management with a sense of direction and objective, especially when the number of pilots increases past say, 100. This is because there's much planning, coordination, and record- keeping to do. Of course, engaging a large number of pilots is not, and should not be the objective. Instead, the quality of simulation and fun enjoyed should be the pivotal factor which in our case lead to growth.

My brother and I wanted to set up our own Virtual Airline for a set of reasons. First, we were unsatisfied with the general quality of the other VA's at the time. The few European VAs at the time failed to deliver the realism we felt must be incorporated into all VAs. For instance, most of them operated dozens of aircraft

types and flew all around the world. Eurostar Aviation started slowly, with a Cessna 206 and a Flight Instructor. Virtual Safety and professionalism were emphasized and this slowly - very slowly - paid off, and a steady inflow of virtual pilots started. They particularly appreciated the sense of community, everybody knew everybody, and management-pilot interactions were at favorable level. It took 2 months of operating as a "light aircraft operator" before we finally delivered a Boeing 737-300 in November 1996, (designed by Jan Moons, a real pilot in Sabena) and put it on the Amsterdam-Ibiza charter axis.

The second reason we established Eurostar Aviation was the complete vacuum that existed in Europe. There was no operating VA. We realized the potential and this convenience matched other factors. Europe is geographically compact, meaning there's a lot of airports witin small flight distance. ESA was meant to be a regional airline catering for those virtual pilots who prefer shorter flights (and sessions on the computer). Another reason is to take a challenge and explore our interest in both management and obviously - civil aviation. Sam (my brother) and I have always dreamed of starting up a real airline and Eurostar Aviation presented a test model, although its virtual nature rendered it (ultimately) an unreliable one! I must admit that now looking back - I had no idea that this little concept I thought of while sitting by a swimming pool in 1996 would lead to present-day Eurostar which is proudly setting new standards for other VAs to follow.

Surprisingly we learned an awful lot on communication, resource management, etc... which hopefully will benefit us one day. I probably discovered more about people than about airline management in my experience as Chairman of ESA.

I wish you

A merry Christmas, and a happy new year!

Hani Ali
Chairman,
Eurostar Aviation Ltd. VA

The new FS2000 ATR 42-500 has been delivered to our airline, curteousy of our Fleet Department. The new model, designed by Jan Visser (Visair Services), is equipped with moving parts, and comes with a great ATR42 panel and realistic ATR 42 sounds. Download this aircraft from the files library for a thrilling FS2000 ATR 42 hop!

Make sure to order your new Eurostar T-Shirt. That's right! Available in 2 sizes (Medium and Large), the T-Shirt is dark blue, with white "eurostar virtual airline" titles, and the new URL www.esava.net printed on the right sleeve. The price is £19 , plus shipping and handling. This might vary, so please email us to inform you of the shipping costs.

ATR 42-500 PH-ESC

E-mail the Managing Director Sam Ali

Eurostar Aviation prepares for Automation Project

The Management is currently making the final touches on the New Automation Project (NAP) document. The paper, divided in many sections, outlines the different automation functions Eurostar members will be able to enjoy once the new operations system is implemented somewhere in the 2nd quarter of 2001.

The management will make the NAP document available soon for online viewing by interested project participants, including programmers

Available Managerial Positions

Are you interested in becoming a member of the Eurostar Management? There are now many opportunities for you to contribute in the management process! Click here to for more information about the current open positions: Amsterdam Station Manager, Web Director, Marketing/Public Relations Director and finally Scenery Designer/Engineer.

Eurostar Aviation Bags Award

CompuFlight.com has granted Eurostar Aviation the "Select Site Award". CompuFlight selects Websites related to flight simulation that contribute, in any way, to the development of the hobby. We are delighted that CompuFlight has given us this award and we thank them!

Message Board Set Up

Eurostar Aviation invites its pilots to participate in discussions held in the new BBS-style Message Board. Topics accessible to everyone include: Stations, Fleet, and Echo Sierra Alpha Magazine.

Click here to register and use the ESA Message Board. Enjoy!

Amsterdam In search of Station Manager

Following the retirement of Bas Verkooijen, a vacancy now exists for the position of Station Manager, Amsterdam. For more information please consult the vacancies page.

ATR 42-500 for FS2000 joins the fleet.

If you use MS FS2000, you will certainly have a new Eurostar model to fly, as the Fleet Department has finally delivered the ATR 42-500 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000. The aircraft comes with an ATR 42 panel and a complete sounds package. Download it from the files library. The A320 for FS2000 is also expected to be delivered in December 2000

Eurostar T-Shirts Now on Sale!

You can now purchase a Eurostar T-shirt! Soon, we will also offer other goodies. Click here for more details.

Accumulated Hours pass 25,000

Shortly following the 4th Anniversary of Eurostar, total pilot logged hours has passed the 25,000 hours mark! Accumulated hours include all flights which have been operated prior to the introduction of the automation program ESOM, which was introduced in early 1998.

We thank the pilot community for their continued participation! The management is proceeding with extensive development projects, including automation, fleet updating,etc.. all with the objective of boosting the experience of flying for Eurostar

Eurostar Aviation Joins IVAO

Our Virtual Airline was recently admitted into the International Virtual Aviation Organization (IVAO).
The International Virtual Aviation Organization is a dedicated, free of charge, service to enthusiasts and individuals enjoying and participating in the flight simulation community. The International Virtual Aviation Organization was formed to supply high quality services to its users on demand. Real-time ATC utilizing the ProController (PC) and SquawkBox (SB) software is, as well as providing Aviation Information Databases and real-life procedures, IVAO's prime objectives in trying to offer the FS a highly realistic flying environment.

Man, the new edition ROCKS! now I know what kept you so busy during the last weeks... Excellent job! Honestly, I don't think there's a better VA e-zine out there! (Re: November issue, ESA)

- Noe Dario Banda ESA-320)

Editor: Thank you Noe, we hope you will enjoy this issue as well!

No other city has the vibrant recognition of Las Vegas. Mention its name

and you evoke images of luxurious resort hotels, high-stakes gambling, fast-paced production shows and a sort of frantic pursuit of adult entertainment that lasts 24 hours a day. Visitors come to Las Vegas to have their senses stimulated and bombarded and perhaps to break a few rules along the way.

LEFT: Eurostar Aviation crew members stay at the famous Bellagio Hotel and Casino (file available from flightsim.com).

Las Vegas is, first and foremost, a tourist destination. Each year more than 30 million visitors stream into the city for nonstop gambling, hearty buffets, megaresorts and around-the-clock fun. But there’s more to the city than that. Beyond the flamboyance of this adult amusement park is an exotic desert landscape just begging to be explored. Now more than ever, kids are welcome, too, with many activities and attractions planned just for the younger set. And newcomers are attracted by a robust economy that seems to have an insatiable appetite for employment.

HISTORY

A popular local adage states that "Nothing ever changes in Las Vegas -- except the way it looks and the people who live here." Indeed, a person could drive around the valley once a week and spot new ground-breakings for schools, shopping centers, office complexes, planned communities, health clinics, and more.

Native residents -- especially the old timers -- are amazed at the continuing proliferation of megaresort casinos. They can tell you about the not-so-distant past when Las Vegas had 5,000 residents and was little more than a watering hole for area miners and people on the way to somewhere else. The 1.2 million people who have arrived here since have been intent on making their own mark in a once barren desert.

With lots of wide-open spaces, and a gambling industry that encourages risk and entrepreneurship, the Las Vegas Valley isn't into dwelling on the past. Its people are writing modern American history today. This quintessentially 20th-century city wasn't incorporated until 1911, and half of its current residents weren't here 10 years ago. But that's not to say this desert community, whose name means "the meadows" in Spanish, doesn't have some old stories to tell.

ATTRACTIONS

Attractions in Las Vegas begin at -- where else? -- the casinos, where the gaming business has adopted the "entertainment store" concept. The larger hotel-casinos are designed as destination resorts for tourists and even locals. Growing legions of megaresorts are adding movie theaters, tot lots and other amusements for their nongambling clientele.

The busiest corner on The Strip may be at Tropicana Avenue, whose tenants include the MGM Grand, New York-New York, Excalibur and Tropicana hotel-casinos. By taking the escalators and the elevated sidewalks, visitors can tour all four properties without using a car or having to cross a busy street.

Similar elevated sidewalks now connect hotel-casinos at the corner of The Strip and Flamingo Road. The hottest new property located at that intersection is the opulent Bellagio, opened in late 1998. Its neighboring hotel-casinos are Bally's Las Vegas, Caesars Palace and Barbary Coast -- all of which recently have undergone renovations and/or expansions.

Other attractions tend to be more spread out, although many are clustered along the 5-mile Strip. (Note that some of the featured destinations also appear in our Kidstuff chapter. A rundown on the casinos' nightly stage shows can be found in our Nightlife chapter.) Addresses for attractions in this chapter are in Las Vegas unless designated otherwise.

If you want to get out of town for a morning or afternoon, many splendid things lie within an hour's drive. One don't-miss attraction is Hoover Dam, just beyond the clean, green community of Boulder City. The 726-foot-high concrete edifice was dedicated in 1935. Its 17 generators produce enough electricity to serve a half-million homes a year, most of them in Southern California. The dam is also a great tourist spot. In fact, more than 32 million visitors have ventured so far. The National Park Service conducts informative and entertaining tours. As the guides say: "You can ask any dam question you want," and children 12 and younger get in free.

Behind the dam is Lake Mead, which offers boating, water-skiing, fishing, boat touring and camping. There are six docking marinas with another half-dozen developed campgrounds along the 550 miles of shoreline.

To the north is Valley of Fire State Park. Eerie landscapes of hidden canyons and unique rock formations dot the landscape. The other-worldly feel of the place attracted the eyes of Star Trek movie producers, who filmed segments here. History buffs will appreciate the petroglyphs and other signs of Indian civilizations. Mt. Charleston is a great destination for winter skiing and summer refreshment. Just 40 miles north of town off U.S. Highway 95, this high point in the Toiyabe National Forest has ski lifts, hiking trails, campgrounds, miniature golf, and even a year-round outdoor ice-skating rink.

And on the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley is Red Rock Canyon. You can the stunning cliffs from the city, and you can get a closer look without even leaving your car by driving a 10-mile scenic loop.

FS SCENERY

Las Vegas is virtually blessed as well with great scenery files. First, you will prefer to use the new airport scenery for MS Flight Simulator 2000, by Shehryar Ansari. Las2000.zip can be downloaded from flightsim.com It is recommended you recognize you are in Las Vegas by downloading the Las Vegas Scenery Enhancements for FS2000 by Coene Vincent. You will find many hotels and casinos in this scenery. with night illumination effects. See if you can find the Venetian, Bellagio and the Riviera Hotels, they won't be too difficult to locate <G>.

EUROSTAR SERVICES

Eurostar operates a single scheduled charter flight per week, from London Gatwick. The outbound flight departs every Sunday at 11:25 and arrives at 14:10 (Flight Duration of 10:45 hours), and returns from Las Vegas on Sunday, departing at 16:30 and arriving Gatwick Monday morning at 10:20. Charter flights can be operated as well from Amsterdam, Barcelona and Hamburg. Contact your station manager to file a FREQ.

Meridian Airlines, our North American partner airline, operates 105 weekly flights from Las Vegas, connecting it to 7 US destinations and Tokyo, Japan. To find out more about our alliance with Meridian Airlines, click here.

Eurostar A330 parked at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas
(Photo submitted by Hans-Henrik Lind, ESA-158)