04/08/2009

Vertigo CEO Steve Chase

Where does a person start when trying to convey to everyone how much Steve's passing has affected our lives. Do we start to think about the man, his talents, dedication or as one of life's optimists?

It is with great sadness but also with great joy that I am sat here thinking of Steve. I personally have known him since Airwego started nearly 10 years ago and in that time we have only met roughly once a year but in all that time he has been more  than just a friend. He was a best buddy, confidante, teacher and a very jovial man. Every year we have met at the AGM and never once did he have a bad word or thought. Everything was upbeat, fun and never a chore or burden. He was the 'outsider' at the AGM's because he was a 'rotor head'. His passion was helicopters but that never stopped him from taking a full and active part in running the fixed wing side. Steve never wanted to split his beloved Vertigo from the main body of Airwego but in the last 12 months we agreed that he should champion Vertigo on his terms without interference from the rest of us. I am aware that he was well known and liked in the overall helicopter community and he will be a great loss to them.

Steve gave much to the community of flightsim and his efforts will be sorely missed. Vertigo is and always will be part of Airwego Group and we will do our utmost to carry it on. Steve worked hard and was a top notch engineer. He spent some considerable time away from home due to work commitments and he also spent a good deal of time rebuilding a boat but he always found time for his beloved Vertigo. Above all he was devoted to his wife Margaret.  It is always a sad time when someone you know passes on but I know his dear wife would want us to celebrate his life not mourn its passing. I am sure you all knew how dedicated he was and how he always had time to help fellow pilots even when it happened while he did some actual flying himself. Totally selfless!

I am truly at a loss as to how to express words to say how his passing has affected us here at Airwego so my apologies if these few words are not as eloquent as they should be.

Steve was a good mate and I will miss him greatly.

I would like on behalf of all at the Group to thank his wife Margaret for allowing us to share him with her.

Our thoughts go out to Margaret and family at this time. God Bless!

 

21/12/08

Christmas is here again.

It's that time of year again and it seems to have flown by (sorry about that!). 2008 has been a quiet year but as it draws to an end we have managed to make some changes that I hope you like. It takes a lot of time and effort to make changes and we in the Exec have had a busy year away from Airwego with real life events taking priority. This year we have seen Richard Myers, our old CEO return to us in a backroom capacity and we have kept him busy! It seems that Airwego gets under the skin as Richard is not the only one to return as we have seen a number of pilots returning to us as well. Welcome home to you all!

The credit crunch etc is starting to bite hard for us all and I think it is nice that Airwego and all the other VA's are there for pilots to 'escape to'. The pilot lounge has been quiet this year as has the Plank & Rotor. In the New Year I hope to see more of you visiting and having a say in what we do at Airwego. We cannot read minds so we need your input as to how you would like to see us progress. Early in the New year we hope to see some more changes so watch this space!

All I need to do now is on behalf of all the Exec wish you all a really great Christmas and a New Year that will bring you joy and prosperity but most of all a year that brings you excellent flying with the UK's No1 Virtual Airline.

 

01/10/08

Vertigo CEO Steve Chase at the desk

Ah..so this is the Office !  I can't remember the last time I was in here. Could do with a bit of redecoration...chinz is soooo last year ! Anyway...what's happened at Vertigo recently ? Well...

For a start, there's the "new temporary" Vertigo World Map front page. The old tabulated front page just had to go, so this nice fresh map will be standing in until the permanent Vertigo front page is up and running. When ? Don't know, but it's being worked on.

Since FSX arrived (in it's various formats), the question arose..do I stick with FS9, support both FS9 AND FSX, or just go the FSX route ?  Well, that was really a no - briainer. I could only ever support one sim due to time restraints. Because FSX offered so much more than FS9 for rotary operations, then FS9 support has ended. What is already there for FS9 will remain, but that's it folks.

So..FSX. What do I do there ? Do I stick to "Vanilla FSX", or go the whole hog and step right up to Acceleration only ? Well..once again..the decision is easy. Acceleration it had to be. With the new helicopter (with a few mods), and the ability to carry out underslung loads, it was the only way to go. Now I know it means having to buy the Acceleration pack, but hey..you had to buy FSX in the first place, so it's not too much to ask !

Having made that choice, the work had to begin updating the aircraft, site, and various Contracts to support the new platform. That is the process that is now underway. I'm currently travelling around the World (in a virtual sense of course !), updating each Contract's web pages to a newer, fresher, look, updating the rotary fleet to be FSX compatible, and writing a whole load of missions to replace the old FS9 flights.

Progress is of course slow. The web pages have been mostly completed. Any that aren't will be sorted as I arrive at them. The fleet, for the most part, now works in FSX. One or two aren't satisfactory, but I do have plans for replacements as they become available. (Freeware or course). Now on to the mission building.

Check out the Faroes FSX missions. They have been written to mirror (fairly closely) each FS9 flight's destinations and timings. Being missions, they have been enhanced with passenger & luggage scenery, plus a "theme" that runs through the whole series. Forgive me for being a little "woolly" about what the theme is, but it'll spoil the fun if I "bleated" about it !

Each mission takes several weeks to write, and I won't be replacing all the FS9 flights on the first pass. This means I can get to each Contract and write a decent amount of missions for each one before I become old enough for my bus pass !

So, that's where we are at the moment. Slow, steady progress, always on the lookout for improvements, and always "out there" amongst the virtual community. As Ian says below...we're always willing to help where possible. Have a look around the Pilot's Lounge, and make a post there if you have something to say in reply, or a suggestion about our VA.

Now then....time I rang IKEA to get this Office updated !

28/09/08

CEO Ian Mayes at the desk

Has it been a year since I last spoke to you all? Doesn't seem that long. My apologies for the delay but as usual real life gets in the way. The last year has been quiet and we have seen pilots come and go but we have also had pilots returning to us which is great news and a hearty welcome back guys! Does this mean we have got things on the right track I wonder? Time will tell.

Lots of things have happened in the last 12 months in the real world of aviation and we have seen some airlines struggle and some bow out under pressures of high fuel costs etc. Is this a good thing for the industry or is it only the start of a downward spiral returning to the old days where high prices let only the rich fly? Thankfully this is not a concern at Airwego Group so we can move onwards and upwards with impunity. The Airbus A380 is doing well and there are very few delays in the manufacture and delivery. Not so with Boeing where they are having an awful time with the new Dreamliner. Seems that things are going backwards not forwards. The Airbus A350 has still not got off the starting blocks but hopefully it will very soon as orders keep coming in and of course it is a direct competitor the Boeing.

OK now onto the business of Airwego Group. Vertigo is progressing nicely but I will leave that side to Steve, Vertigo CEO to tell you about. On the fixed wing side of the operation things are moving in the background after the Executive had its AGM earlier this year.

As you now know we are opening a hub in Rome. This is to try to tempt new pilots but also to give all our pilots the chance to fly from somewhere new but at the same time keep your sector times within a 2 hour limit so you are not at your pc for lengthy periods. It is small scale for now but if it proves popular then we will increase the fleet and schedules. Its up to you out there. We chose the MD80 as it was a good model that behaves well in flight. The same goes for the Dash8-300. Also these aircraft have virtual cockpits. The schedules have reflected places that we do not fly to from the UK and also for 2004 most have freeware scenery for you to find and use.

There are some more changes in regard to hubs in the pipeline but I will update you in the near future.

Coastal Britain is our perennial way of inviting pilots to take time off from flying 'the line' and taking a more leisurely flight around Britain. This time around we have got a nice Chipmunk for you to fly. All flying time can be claimed in the usual way. Try it and keep in touch with the ground and its many changes.

After lengthy discussions and testing we are shortly going to announce a change in some of the fleet with aircraft being upgraded but some will disappear and we also have a couple of new aircraft. These changes will take place over a short period starting very soon. Watch the news page for info.

We have now taken the decision to incorporate FSX into our organisation. Due to the limited choices at present we will phase things in as best we can, hence some changes to the fleet. We will update things as and when we can in line with the popularity of FSX.

How about you guys trying on line flying? We are eager to see some of you taking the plunge and find out how good it can be. Contact Neil, our Fleet Manager for details. Popping into the Lounge is a way of meeting pilots and having your say on all things Airwego. It is a place for help etc. General banter and just being friendly which is what Airwego is about can be had in the Plank & Rotor. Don't be shy. Join in. If you have FSX then we try where possible to congregate on line using the FSX facilities and having a laugh. Both rotary and fixed wing are used .Your choice! We are more than willing to use it as a learning tool as well because you can share a cockpit with us and maybe learn a few things and us learn from you.

Time is up and I have to go so thank you for reading this and I will be back soon. In the meantime if you want to know anything then contact me or any of the other Exec members and we will do our utmost to help.

 

Bye for now!

 

3/08/07

CEO Ian Mayes at the desk

Airwego Group has been quietly going about its business with very little in the way of interference from management for nearly 12 months now. We have been monitoring our operations to see where we can make positive changes. We have decided that due to poor pilot numbers etc in Aberdeen and Cardiff, we are going to pull out of those locations and open up for business at Gatwick in the south of England. This decision was made in the hope that by doing so we will attract more pilots to the VA, and of course being a very busy airport with a high density of air traffic then flying online will have more appeal to you. Slots have been made available and schedules have been produced ahead of the change that you can download.

We hope you understand our motives.

The 'go live' date will correspond with the next roster update on 17th August 2007. In the meantime please view the schedule. If you wish to change hubs (or resign! - just remember that we don't wish to lose you!) then please contact our HR Officer, Derek Jones.

We like to try to improve what we do all the time, but it does take input from you guys/gals! Let us know your ideas so that we can study them; Implementing them if we think Airwego will benefit.

25/05/07

CEO Ian Mayes at the desk

Hi!

I know it has been some time since I wrote to you but there has been nothing much happening and things tend to go quiet over the winter months. We normally have an AGM  but due to real life commitments the one for 2006  did not materialise. A special meeting was held last week with some of the EXEC with lots to discuss but most would need the input of all members. Some changes are to be made in the short term so watch this space and the News page in the coming month or two. We are trying our hardest to find a slot in all our busy schedules to hold an AGM before the end of this year.

All I have to tell you at the moment is that we are still working behind the scenes to make your VA a good one but I have to admit that at various times we have asked for pilot input and virtually none appeared which left us all thinking that either all is well with Airwego or that our pilots don’t really care what happens and could not be bothered to participate beyond flying their flights. This is rather sad as the EXEC puts in many hours of effort and thought along with cash to keep the website running and we have to ask if it is all worth while. We actually do think so and that is why the VA still exists but it would be great if some of you reading this gave us some input.

FSX is now well and truly on the scene and with various tweaks it is very playable on a lower spec PC. There is a lot written about how bad it is and that it is too complex etc etc. This just isn’t so. Too many out there want all the bells and whistles but are not prepared to understand that what you all asked for costs money and computing power. It is leaps and bounds above FS9 and is potentially a great sim but it will take some time as not everything is compatible but there again what’s new? It’s always been that way.

Airwego Group made the decision not to move upwards to FSX until after the spring of 2007. This has now been delayed indefinitely due to lack of freeware available. Maybe flight sim is evolving and with it a new type of virtual airline to come where embedded structuring will become a thing of the past and that they will become more of a flying club with minimal aircraft and with a pilot core that are willing to pay for their aircraft and to specialise. VFR in FSX has moved onto a higher plane and it is now much more interesting. All this does not mean that Airwego will quietly slip away. This VA intends to stay around for as long as it has a pilot base but it will for now be staying with FS9. For those of you who do have FSX then we do hold a multiplayer flyin every Friday evening and all are welcome. It is not structured and you choose whatever aircraft you want to fly in. There is always a mixture of rotary and fixed wing so come along and have a ggo. It is so much easier to fly in multiplayer now than it has been in the past and no extra software is needed to get flying although we do use Skype to talk to each other rather than the inbuilt voice system.

OK well that is all from me for now but please keep reading the news page and go into the lounge and have a chat with us.

 

 


26/11/06
CEO Ian Mayes at the desk
Hi there!
Well another year has nearly passed us by and I for one have been busy with real life issues but still return to FS to keep my sanity! The airline has remained fairly static this year in regard to improvements but we have seen a replacement Embraer 120 which I hope you have found to be a more acceptable one. The Highlands and Islands flights took to the skies using a J32 and has provided a link to those more remote parts of Scotland. Freeware scenery keeps appearing and that can only be a good thing against the flow towards making this a very expensive hobby with people now selling their work. Due to lack of time and of the necessary knowledge base we have as yet not been able to implement a new web site but would still urge anyone who has the know how with web pages to step forward and help us to move forward with this task. Vertigo is moving on apace and I know some of our fixed wing staff are wondering why their side of things seem a little slack. Well, for the reason that helicopters by their very nature can hover and get into places fixed wing can't so there are a multitude of scenarios available to rotary pilots. If anyone can come up with some good ideas for fixed wing then put your idea to us or in the Plank and Rotor for discussion. On the subject of rotary you will have noticed that Vertigo have gone in with VERT. This tie up seems to be working well but I will leave that subject to Steve to talk about. We at AirWeGo have always tried to stay at the front edge of virtual flying but we have to react to the input from our pilots and assess how we are doing by the influx of new pilots. We have maintained a policy of keeping AirWeGo small. We did make forays into Caribbean, Cargo and Executive but they all failed to get the required pilots and interest so they unfortunately folded. Timetables have remained static for the change from Summer to Winter this year. We have made sure that all destinations have freeware scenery for you to download and I hope to keep this the norm in future. We do not envisage any changes to the fleet for this coming year except to upgrade any aircraft with new improved versions. We will endeavour to keep special flights going using non fleet aircraft. FSX has appeared and from what I can gather it has some rather nice changes but it has cost us all dear by the very fact that many will need to upgrade their machines to cope with it. Also much of the 2004 software does not work properly with FSX even though we were promised that FSX would be backwards compatible! I cannot see AirWeGo pushing to move forward at this stage to FSX and we will wait to see how it all pans out early in the Spring. AirWeGo has been around for quite a while now and we hope it stays for a great many years yet but there is only so much the Management can do. It needs your input, your efforts, your commitment for us to move forward. Use the Plank and Rotor, use the forum. Let's hear from you! We need your comments, good or not so good so we can see if we can get better. It's your airline after all.  As in any real life organisation, it thrives on input from within, those who have a vested interest in its future. Make it a brilliant future and tell us what you think we can do to get there. There has not been an AGM this year due to outside influences but we hope to have it early in the New Year. It is the first time we have missed and I am not going to let that happen again as it a very important event that gets the Management together around a table, face to face. As usual it is always held in the UK and although we do not invite you to sit in on the meetings we tell you where and when it happens and we are always really pleased when pilots come to meet us afterwards. All are welcome! For the moment then all it needs from me and the guys is to wish you all a very merry Christmas and  a prosperous New Year and to tell you that there will be no flights Christmas Day so you can all have an extra day off!  (hurray!)
Ian Mayes, CEO
25/01/06

Fleet Manager Neil Boulton at the Office


Hi all!

As some of you may have noticed, things have been pretty hectic here since the last AGM in October and I thought it would be a good idea to give you an update on what has been happening and what you can expect in the way of fleet changes and schedules in the near future.

As regards the fleet, we have replaced the ageing BAe146 with the excellent Boeing 737 designed by Moach (The 737 Experience!) and for those of you who have not tried it yet, it's worth having a familiarisation flight since you will be seeing more of this popular aircraft in the Summer schedules.   Many of you have pointed out one or two issues with the ATR42 such as payload and fuel problems - with zero payload, you can still only have 30% fuel in the aircraft!   There is a workaround, but it was felt that a replacement will be more appropriate.   I have recently tested an excellent ATR72 which has a more sensible payload and better turning circle on the ground - all I am waiting for is permission to repaint, so watch this space.

Moving onto routes, the schedules only underwent a minor amendment for the Winter since we are having a major review for the Summer.   The real world airlines are  flying more and more scheduled flights to Southern Europe (France, Spain, Italy etc) and in the interests of realism, we will be doing the same using the Boeing 737 - don't worry, we will still be keeping some of the current destinations, but adding many new ones.   The routes haven't been finalised yet, but will make maximum use of some of the excellent freeware scenery out there - we will let you all know in plenty of time so you can start downloading!  

Some major new services are also being worked on, together with other aircraft, both fixed wing and helo, as well as an increased focus on flights north of the border, but these will be announced when the time comes - suffice to say they'll greatly increase the variety of flights you will be able to bid for.

Before I sign off, it's worth making the newer crew members aware of the possibility of doing a Round the World flight and get the "G" added to your pilot number.   There is no fixed route - just start and end in the UK, preferably in an AirWeGo aircraft - but the route choice is yours.   Simply e-mail Ian Mayes for approval and let Derek Jones know you will not be able to fly assignments and keep us updated on your progress via the Pilot Lounge - some screenshots would also be nice!   Oh, and the time taken can be reported using the PIREP system, so your hours will add up!

Best wishes and happy flying!

Neil



8/06/05

CEO Ian Mayes at the desk

Hi there!

time marches on and we have moved with it albeit rather more slowly than we envisaged or would have liked. VertiGo has added more areas of operations and AirWeGo has just started providing cargo flights to various VertiGo operations using a C130 and a 767-300F. I think the new livery has been a resounding success with compliments coming from far and wide. We have retired the B1900D but taken on the Embraer 170  and we have again had some success since including it in the fleet. Of course behind the scenes we are far from idle and we still keep scouring the web for new and better aircraft as updates or replacements. The Atr is basically a 2002 model with updates to 2004 but we know it is far from satisfactory so with that in mind we are looking to either upgrade the model or find a replacement.

Pilot levels have grown then fallen back over the last 8 months or so but as of now we are up on numbers. Not too many but up all the same with some encouraging signs. We need a good base of pilots to keep it all going and we ask you once again to get over your bashfulness and join us in the lounge or the Plank and Rotor for a drink and a social chat. We also hope that you will not stumble along if something is wrong or you need help. Ask! we are all friends here and so we help each other out. After all isn't that a big part of belonging to a good VA? It's like an extended family unit.  We are still looking for new ideas from you and welcome any suggestions.

As you may have noticed we are trying to get pilots interested in flying on line. This is totally your choice and we will never make it compulsory. We just want to help you get the most out of your AirWeGo experience.

Since I last spoke to you we have lost Martin but he is still with us as a pilot with VertiGo. Kevin has taken over the running of the web pages and is doing a great job alongside lots of other things including being our Chief pilot. Derek is still working hard on the admin side of things keeping your promotions etc up to date. Hard work and time consuming. Don't everr think of giving it up Derek because I'll come around and nail yer boots to the floor!! Neil our Fleet Manager has taken over the job of schedules officer for the time being so if you have any problems its his fault! Steve is away a lot of the time as he needs to pass some rather important exams (to basically keep his job I think  LOL!). so please be patient if you sent him any mail. He will answer them all I promise you.

We are all rather tied up with real life matters and it reflects in how much you see on the web site. We never turn our backs on you. We are always about but not too often at present.

Our Annual General Meeting is due in a couple of months and as usual soon as we decide a date and venue will will let you all know. For those of you who are new to AirWeGo then just to tell you that the Exec meets up every year somewhere in the UK over a weekend to go over the past 12 months and then decide what is to happen over the next 12 months. It normally takes place on a saturday afternoon and then in the evening we have a few drinks and a meal. Once the meeting is over in the afternoon we are always hoping that we will see some of you to talk to and chat over things. This is a chance for you all to meet us and have a bit of fun. On the Sunday morning we normally visit somewhere like an airport and again we welcome you all to come along. By mid afternoon on the sunday we normally start making our way home and to the new tasks that we have laid out for the next 12 months.

May I please ask you all to help make this a truly excellent VA by joining in with the banter etc and just 'show your faces' once in a while. We can only make this your VA if you give us some input.

Once again the Exec thank you for your on going membership of the airline and hope you will be with us for a long time to come.

 

 

9/08/2004

CEO Ian Mayes at the desk

You maybe wondering why nothing new has come up recently. Well the reason for it is Summer Holidays!

This is the time for our staff to chill out a little and relax, go on holiday, get jobs done around the house etc, etc. This does not mean we have forgotten you all and things are still buzzing behind the scenes but at a very much reduced rate.

Also as there has been a staff move around, it takes a little time for them to settle in and sort themselves out and that includes me!!

In the meantime please just enjoy your flying and as soon as we have something for you we will certainly let you know.

 

14/07/04

CEO Ian Mayes at the desk

It was with great sadness that we have had to say goodbye to Richard who has tirelessly steered this VA from the time he and I first set it all up. I was new to the running of a VA so Richard became 'the brains' of the outfit having been in Noble Air running the Manchester hub. I hope you will join me in wishing both him and his family the very best of futures.

 We have had some changes in Executives since our first days and now Richard has moved on Steve and I are the only original members left........ Neil Boulton was with us at the beginning but had to leave due to real world commitments. Neil has now rejoined us as our new Fleet Manager and it has pleased both myself and Steve that he is back in the fold. No doubt he will impress his own style of leadership on our fleet team and take us on to new things. Welcome!

Martin Benson joined us a while back and is VertiGo mad but kindly took on the roll of looking after the schedules and it is no easy task I can assure you. Martin is already buried up to his eyeballs sorting out the winter 2004/2005 schedules. He is also very active in the day to day activities of VertiGo and has been a great help to Steve.

We all know Derek who is the chap you all had first contact with when you joined us. Derek looks after the Human Resources side of the VA and looks after all new pilots and also deals with your pireps, hours, promotions etc so he works very hard for you. He also looks after the PR side of things making sure we are seen about the community. Even though Derek has a full 'real world' he finds huge amounts of time to ensure the HR side runs smoothly.....thanks for all you do Derek.

Steve is our CEO VertiGo and this guy never sleeps! His wife must be an angel. The input from him is immense and there is lots more to come I am sure so if your thing is helicopters then he is one of the foremost advocates of this type of flying on the web. Our VertiGo operation is also the best there is.

Kevin Taylor was and still is a part of the Fleet team but has now also taken over from Steve as our Chief Pilot and I am sure that he will take on his new role with a lot of enthusiasm. Congratulations!

On fleet matters (which I must not interfere in), I would just like to say that the team I had working with me I could not have done without. Their input idea wise and sourcing of aircraft and of course the repainting of them was brilliant. The guys are Kevin Taylor, Nathan Havercroft and Wayne Gregory. Thanks for all your hard work and support to me.

As you may have noticed nothing much has changed from what it was a month ago. I have some ideas as to where I would like this VA to go but it differs very little from when Richard was in the chair. You must realise that nothing is decided by a single person and that all changes are a decision made by the Executive. We will be having our AGM hopefully some time in early October and when it has been decided where and when it should take place then we will let you all know as usual so you can maybe join us.

I hope that you will all enjoy your stay with us as pilots (and friends) and maybe bring fresh and new ideas to AirWeGo Group.  Happy flying!

 

Office 15/09/02

Office 24/09/02