The Bluegrass Airlines Newsletter

August 14, 2002

 

I hope you enjoy reading our first newsletter.   One of the points made in the recent pilots survey was a need for more communication to all of the pilots.

 

A Note from the General Manager

 

This is the first edition of our new monthly newsletter for members of Bluegrass Airlines and is something we hope you all will support and encourage.    It is a means by which each Division and even individual members, can communicate with everyone their coming events, thoughts, problems, suggestions and of course praise for the efforts of everyone involved   J

 

Please take the time to read what is happening in our Va and what is planned for the coming months.    Please take the time to contribute to the information.    Send us your emails for inclusion and participate in the promotion of Bluegrass by giving us your thoughts and suggestions for additional facilities, schedules, aircraft, and anything else that you feel relevant.

 

This newsletter is designed for YOU.    YOU have requested it and management has listened.    Please don’t leave it entirely to the Divisional Directors and Management to keep going.    Let us have your thoughts – good and bad – your praise and criticisms.    Let us have your support and above all let us see Bluegrass maintain its acceptance and reputation in the flightsim community through the active participation of its members.

 

The recent survey of members, whilst very disappointing in the number of responses received, did highlight a number of areas where improvements could be made and Management is currently looking at ways to address the issues raised.    If you have not already done so and wish to reply to the survey please do so now as results are being compiled and every suggestion and criticism is being carefully considered.   

 

I wish to express my very sincere thanks to the 7 of our total 63 (11%) pilots who took the time to send responses to the questions raised.

 

Alaska Division News

 

Captain Coleman Green director of the Alaska Division will be making a cross country move soon and must take a leave of absence for a few months until he gets settled in.  Anyone interested in taking a management role should contact Coleman or Bill Von Sennet.  We have other positions available for some people with fresh ideas as well.

 

 

A letter from Captain Rob Finn of the Australian Division:

 

Hi all.

         I feel that the future of Bluegrass VA is in need of a re-vamp.

 

         We are in need of a VA, that pilots will come to worldwide, maybe to join, or just do one of our special flights, but we need a VA that is talked about in the FS community. I think DC3 Airways has that recognition at present, and that we need to equal or preferable better.

 

        The team at Bluegrass are very dedicated people, and put every effort into making each flight as real as possible, but i am concerned, is the FS community even aware that these flights exist.

 

        Lets take the Berlin Airlift flights, Bill Odell and Bill Von Sennet have done an excellent job in recreating the flights of that era and has bought us the most up to date information, this I know, was many hours of work on there behalf to bring us such a thorough understanding of the Airlift and the opportunity to fly this event.

 

        Just how many pilots took advantage of their work and actually flew an Airlift sector, i don’t know. I  myself, a Bluegrass pilot, have yet to fly one of these sectors, this I wish to do once time permits.

 

         The Catalina Jaunt, another of our special flights is on the launching pad, but here again after so many hours of work by a dedicated team, just how many pilots will fly this event ?? Time will tell.

 

         Maybe it is time that Bluegrass updates a little to give the FS community more choice of routes, special events and aircraft types to fly.

 

         Lets face it, YES, we love our propliners and may they live forever, but should we start including some of the jets and turbo- props, after all it has been 50 years since the Boeing 707s and DC-8s hit the skies and 60 years plus since the turbo-prop Viscounts and Electras first flew. Lets even look at the Boeing 747, 767. 727 and 737, count back how many years since we all first saw on of these types at the local airport and went, "WOW".

 

         So lets look at the future of our VA, we do not want a VA that schedules 129 flights per day between LAX and SFO, there are more of that type of VA around then i have had breakfasts. We need a VA that is different, a VA that the FS community will email us and say , that was great, "whats next", this will make the dedicated team work by our members worth while.

 

        Your comments and suggestions please gentleman and ladies.

 

Cheers from downunder...........Rob Finn   

 

Southern Division News

 

The Southern Division is sponsoring a major event starting September 1st., 2002.   It is calledThe Catalina Jauntand uses our PBY5-A Catalina on a journey from Miami, FL to Buenos Aires, Argentina.  A combination of stops at airports and marine terminals will be made utilizing the amphibian to its full advantage.  That is a lot of flying (approx. 54 hours) and we will track pilots progress on a roster until October 31st, 2002.    Check out the web site at http://bluegrassairlines.com/bgacat

 

The PanAm Clipper flights page is finished.  We have an excellent model of the Boeing B-314 clipper and scenery to download also.  Bluegrass has received attention for this project from a group of retired PanAm Clipper crew members.

 

The Berlin Airlift is still on line.  It seems to be receiving more attention from outside of Bluegrass.  A group of DC-3 Airways pilots is planning on using it for an online re-creation using VATSIM.   I’ll give you more details if you want to join in when they become available.

 

Our schedules have been changed to be in conformity with the Northern Div and Australian Div schedules.  Thanks to Tom Steadman of the Texas-Mexico hub for that.  The Texas-Mexico hub is providing support for those who still have FS98, but we can also use later versions as well.

 

Air Mail Division News

 

Bluegrass has a new division!  BGA Air Mail    Come and join in a flight back to the 1929 and the 1930’s following the C.A.M. routes (Contract Air Mail)   You can fly any aircraft such as a Stearman, Pitcairn Mailwing or our Stinson SR-10.   The web-site has a new skin for the SR-10 painted up for BGA Air Mail.    The site is at  http://bluegrassairlines.com/bgam

 

Northern Division News

 

A message from Capt. Bob 

I will be offline for about 3 weeks starting around 26 August as  am moving to San Luis Obispo, California after just having retired from the Navy after some 28 years.  I'll need that time to get my household goods shipped and then everything hooked back up again (I hope ..... ;o).  My e-mail address will remain unchanged as I am NOT on DSL but still use the dial-up method so will just shift to a new number for access.

The Bangor Hub web-site has been moved to  http://bluegrassairlines.com/bgan/bangor  due to the fact that flightsimmers.net will be shutting down on August 15th, and we wanted to preserve Capt. Art Nichols work.

 

 

Austrailian Division News

 

With the completion of the addition of taxiways and hardstand parking areas to all 300+ Australian airports in FS2002 that didn’t already have them, the way is now open for the introduction of additional schedules and the introduction of AI flights to many of the regional and country outback airports.    Unfortunately most of the taxiways and hardstand are not indicative of the actual airport but it does give somewhere to park and start from.     Each of these airports now boasts a Bluegrass terminal.     Pilots wishing to get a copy of these airports (file size 847k) can email Brian Wilson for the file.    

 

This project could not have been completed without the very generous assistance of Capt. Coleman Green of the Alaska Division who so generously gave up his time to make the scenery files for us.     Thanks Coleman.

 

Airservices Australia has just given us access to their online database of airport and other information which is a mine of information for flight planning purposes and in the coming months will prove invaluable for a proposed adventure flight in the Australian outback using a Flying Doctor Pilatus aircraft to visit outback sheep and cattle stations where NAVAIDS are not available.    This will be a great test of a pilots navigation ability.    More about that later as the scenery files have yet to be done.

 

Rob Finn has been very heavily involved in the making of the forthcoming Catalina Jaunt in South America and his efforts and ongoing support for this event have been an inspiration.    It is hoped that every Australian pilot will join in this event and show their support for what should be a magnificent and fun flight.    Some of the scenery in that region just has to be seen to be believed so sharpen up your water landing skills and prepare for a great time.     The challenge is there   ---   are you game to accept it?

 

One of the responses in the survey was the need for conformity on flight reports.   The Australian and Southern Divisions have been using hours :  minutes and everyone else uses  hours and partial hours as a decimal

 

There was not any unanimous support for either system, just a request that we all use the same one.  So effective September 1st, 2002 all divisions will be using hours . hundredths of hours.   To figure your flight time, take the total number of minutes and divide it by 60 (95min/60=1.58)   Round off your decimals to two places (i.e. 3.91666 would be 3.92)

 

 

The master roster is posted on the web-site every month as soon as all of the reports come in for all the divisions.  Please check the roster and if you are marked as inactive or “sacked” contact your division director concerning your future status.  Anyone marked inactive who does not have any flights for 3 consecutive months will be removed from the roster.  If you have extenuating circumstances, we understand and will mark you as “on leave” and keep you on the roster.  But you need to communicate your status to your division director.

 

That’s all for this month, hope to see you in Miami on Sept 1st.  ----- Bill Von Sennet

 

 

Any comments or articles for the September newsletter should be sent to:

 

Bill Von Sennet C.E.O. or Brian Wilson General Manager