cloudsurferuk

....because life isnt one colour!

Not sure I would actually agree with that. Its becoming more popular with the wider FS community and dont forget, its still new in the grand scheme of things. Nabeel has created a system that is just going to grow in popularity with VMS admins and pilots alike. The ranking system especially.

The big sticking point is Budget, Where as Microsoft could plunder millions into development, independents cant. If the ex-microsoft team do anything it will just be tweaks to FSX as opposed to a new sim.

Cos it would be a short thread... RYANAIR!

We have FS9, FSX & X-Plane users on Windows & Mac and XACARS works with all of them. As for X-Plane itself, it is so much what FSX COULD have been if Microsoft had done a decent job. Undulating runways, lush landscapes.... drooooooooool. Havent made the full switch myself but its coming and you can convert some FS products to work with x-plane, but also like FS, there is a growing library of freeware developers.

LMAO!

Yes, shame he didnt take his own advice

I dont think this guy was after a merger

Ok So, I am assuming this is an adolescent as I suspect a mature person would think first! This was received in my company email inbox not even the email for the VA! Seem's we have som enew kids on the block. Anyone else had anything like this? Just makes you wanna join doesnt it?

Cathay everytime!

In our continued expansion we have completed our Summer 2010 Airline inductions. Flight Sim UK is europe's most varied virtual airline allowing virtual pilots to fly for the best british airlines (including imperial connections!) to destinations around the world. As they say, variety is the spice of life, so why be tied to one livery! Our Current Line Up is: Air Southwest Astraeus Aurigny Air Services BMI BMI Baby British Airways BA Openskies Cathay Pacific Jet 2 Eastern Airways Easyjet Dragonair Monarch Thomas Cook Thomson Virgin Atlantic and coming over the next few weeks are.... Titan Airways Aer Lingus FlyBE Flight Sim UK - One Login, One World! Join us at http://www.flywise.co.uk/

UK2000 Extreme, Aerosoft's isnt as accurate and UK2000 is AES compatible. No-one does UK airports Like Gary! The gates are also active without AES.

It may in the US but it would offer no legal protection in the UK, unless its a properly registered trademark you may as well put FUBAR after the name. Although, phpVMS is automatically protected under copyright as original work as is any piece of original work.

Yup that can be a sticky wicket, just because an airline has ceased trading dont assume no-one holds a tm on the name. British Caledonian is a good example, start that and BA wil shut you down quicker than dutch man with a cheap prostitute!

How does knowing the chief exec of Whitbread help? Well, at least he will be in a matter if days. lol. But your post raises an interesting point, Yeah sure, someone at, in your case, Easyjet could (unlikely but could) raise no objection in principle but unless you have a rock solid legally negotiated contract of co-operation then you wont have a leg to stand on when they decide to close you down when the legal eyes get a peek. The simple fact is this (and I have to be careful here because this is not aimed at any one VA, or supposed to be derogatory to anyone, merely food for thought in VA land) again using your example Easyjet spent over £6m on branding and marketing in 2007, I know cos I got some of it! and a company that spends that sort of cash on a brand will not risk anyone else using it in anyway.

That is a good solution and should be encouraged. There is alot of good airlines no longer with us and a bankrupt airline cant sue you!

Yeah thanks for moving it, was debating where to put it originally. Saying your not the real airline or having a landing page are "simple solutions" in theory but in reality, and again, am only speaking for British Airlines/Law here, it just wont work. In the UK if the real world airline see's a virtual airline using its name, brand design or logo it will just move swiftly to shut it down and the chances of getting a post action agreement are zero. As we all know, and largely thanks you your superb framework nabeel, its very easy for anyone to setup a professionally looking Virtual Airline, however, this doesnt give us licence to operate outside of the law. My "day job" is digital media and as such deal with IP rights on a regular basis and companies just invest to much money in brand and marketing to risk just one hit finding the wrong website. As with the main post I wont be specific but I know of at least 3 VA's that are part of VA Central which I would be willing to bet large sums of money will be shut down within 6 months (or sued if stupid enough to not shut down when requested). We can put all the fancy things in disclaimers and have disclaimers 3000 words long but again, they just arent worth the pixels they occupy in a legal situation. I am not sure how things work Stateside but I know American Airlines are ultra hot on things like this. I guess my main point on all this is enjoy the hobby, enjoy running a virtual airline but dont assume you operate outside of the law and infringe copyright just because its a "hobby" or "not for profit". The law still applies, and will be applied with equal force. My hope however, is someone reading this thinks twice and starts a VA with creativity, which will last as there are just too many fly by night VA's in the world (most of which are closed by airlines!).

Ok, Let's start this post off by stating this post is only covering the law in england and wales (UK). This post has come about after an interesting post meeting discussion with my company lawyer regarding virtual airlines copying real world counterparts. I showed the lawyer several UK virtual airlines that mirror real world counterparts (some part of VA central, some not) and whilst he had no idea that these things existed (he has little interest in FS) he was actually extremely suprised that they were there at all. The crux of the matter, as he explained it, is simple business protection. Now lets say Airline A is a succesful british airline doing well and is primarily web based for sales and ticketing. Now someone decides to start Virtual Airline A in total good faith and just as a hobby, one could even argue it was a "fan site". How Airline A being a popular airline means that Virtual Airline A gains lots of members from Simmers wanting to mirror the real world ops, as a result Virtual Airline A creeps up search engine rankings and gets linked to from other sites. Now, stick with me here as this is where the problem comes... Mr X wants to fly to Palma so he sticks Airline A into google and up pop's loads of hits, including one to Virtual Airline A which he clicks on, now, he is a little confused as he can register but he cant book a ticket (he's a bit slow and doesnt see the little link to the real Airline A at the bottom in 8pt text!) and as a result he gets annoyed and books with Airline B. Now all of a sudden, Airline A is losing customers! Airline A decides to trawl around the web (as airlines do) and discovers Virtual Airline A using its name, images and colour scheme. Next stop a cease and desist letter. Now virtual airline A could argue the point, even take the matter to court (if you have a few thousand to spare!) but the chances of winning are a million to one on the simple basis that when Airline A started it spent hundreds of thousands protecting its brand and Names, Logo's even colour schemes are copyrighted and trademarked. SO, bottom line is Virtual Airline A is closed down, all its members have spent months flying for nothing and alot of people arent happy. Can this be avoided? Well yes, quite simply. Do NOT start a VA that mirrors a real world airline in looks, name or logo without first having a written agreement with the real world airline. SO far only one VA has this, that is BA Virtual. In the last 6 years there have been 17 Easyjet VA's, 21 Virtual BMI's, 8 Virtual BA's, 18 Virtual Thomsons and alot more that have started and been shut down. That I think speaks volume's in itself. Now you can argue that your website contains disclaimers stating that it isnt the real Airline A etc but they arent worth the screen space they are written on unfortunately and whilst VA's continue to blatently flought the law in this way, it will further drive a wedge between the real world and virtual world of aviation and airlines will just shut down VA's without any thought for their members. Could you get an agreement? It's not impossible as BA Virtual have shown but that took over 2 years of negotiation with several BA employee's driving the idea. Your Average Joe getting an agreement from say Easyjet or BMI would be nigh on impossible without spending £1000'S on legal fee's. So, whats the point of this post? Well, again its simple, if you're thinking of starting a virtual airline, think very carefully, and dont just start something that mirrors a real world airline as it WILL be shut down, maybe not straight away, maybe not in months, it could even be years but eventually, they will find you, and they will take action leaving you with lots of unhappy members. So why not be creative, create your own brand or like several others, an FS community VA. It's the only way you can be sure you will still be there in 6 months! and if your joining a VA, be very careful who you choose, that nice build up of hours might one day just disapear! But if you do decide to start Virtual Airline A, well.. dont come running to the forums when your cease & desist letter arrives!

Works like a charm, top man! Have made changes to airlineSearchResults.tpl though which make it display better, and more like standard search results. <table> <tr> <th>Airline</th> <th>Flight #</th> <th>Departure</th> <th>Departure Time</th> <th>Arrival</th> <th>Arrival Time</th> <th>Distance</th> <th>Aircraft</th> <th>Options</th> </tr> <?php if (!$results) { ?> <tr><td>No Routes Found!</td></tr> <?php } else { ?> <?php foreach($results as $result) { ?> <tr> <td><?php echo $result->code;?></td> <td><?php echo $result->code.$result->flightnum;?></td> <td><?php echo $result->depicao;?></td> <td><?php echo $result->deptime;?></td> <td><?php echo $result->arricao;?></td> <td><?php echo $result->arrtime;?></td> <td><?php echo $result->distance;?></td> <td><?php echo $result->aircraft;?> (<?php echo $result->registration;?>)</td> <td><a id="<?php echo $result->id; ?>" class="addbid" href="<?php echo SITE_URL?>.php/Schedules/addbid/">Add to Bid</a></td> </tr> <?php } } ?> </table>

Yeah am ok in it, have been using this <div id="airlinetab"> <p>Select by Airline:</p> <select id="code" name="code"> <option value="">Select Airline</option> <?php if(!$airline) $airline = array(); foreach($airline as $code) { echo '<option value="'.$code->name.'">'.$code->name.'</option>'; } ?> </select> <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Find Flights" /> </div> No list of airline codes appears in drop down though, anything obvious?

I know this may be getting ignored as a similair question came up and the anser was the realschedules module. However, all I want to do is add a list by carrier (code) option to the schedule search page so a drop down box shows all airline codes, and selcted will list all flights by that airline. Nabeel, you must have a quick solution for this surely?

Have been exploring adding search by Carrier option to the search form but struggling a bit to get it to work. Any got any suggestions for the code to add to the search form in order to search by airline code? i.e. pull out all flights for a specific airline (we have 14).

Interesting web site, amzing to look back at how far we have come FS95 was my first introduction and at the time it was awesome, but looking back now it is unbelievable how low res everything it.

In a determined bid to "take back the Empire" Flight SimUK has launched a range of classic BOAC flights using the Boeing 747-100, Boeing 707 and Super VC10. All flights are on real routes as were flown by BOAC and are multi-sector flights from London to Hong Kong, Nairobi and Bermuda. Check out the FSUK Classic Promo Video at http://www.flywise.co.uk/classics.html Flight Sim UK : The UK's most varied virtual airline.

Cheers, we try and be a little different in all areas. If any VA wants a vid done give me a shout, always happy to help out other VACentral Airlines.