As with all interests and hobbies, there reaches a point when you reach a plateau. You’ve learned the basics, tried some experiments, had some fun… then what? A few years ago as I was wondering where to virtually fly next with my flight simulation software. I read about virtual airlines. The idea is intriguing, but didn’t quite fit my interests. And then I stumbled across the world of FS Economy.
For those who aren’t familiar, FS Economy brings a reason to fly, places to go, things/missions to keep up with. It’s mostly geared to general aviation and smaller air carriers, so if you like to fly the big airliners, it’s probably not the best fit. I enjoy flying the smaller stuff so it works well for me. It brings an economic environment to the world of flight simulation. After you sign up, you can choose a virtual airport, select a virtual plane that virtually exists at the virtual airport, and fly virtual jobs to virtual destinations for virtual money. Sounds virtual, huh?
It’s hard for me to remember back to my start, but I think you begin with nothing, but after the first flight you earn a few vbucks from flying passengers or freight to the destination. Of course, you have to pay for the rental of the plane, the FBO fees and fuel… and if you’re smart about it, you can earn a profit. And then the bug bites. Maybe I can earn a few more vbucks if I do another flight. Maybe I can earn more if I fly a bigger plane that can carry more passengers, more freight. You see where this is going. Should I buy my own plane? Should I buy/build a FBO? There’s people who’ve been at it a lot longer than I have, and they’re virtual millionaires, owning fleets of planes, big FBOs at the major airports, etc. I think some are even in to it for the challenge on the economic side, and less on the simulated flight side.
I’ve come to enjoy the virtual purpose of FS Economy and even managed to buy a few FBOs in the midwest U.S. near the area I live. Some of these virtual FBOs are airports I’ve flown to in real-world flight training, so there’s an uncanny valley of familiarity. Most of the flights I live-stream are virtual jobs I’m flying to help keep my economic engine turning… but still, it brings a reason to go fly when I don’t have the time or when the weather is too bad to fly in the real world. If you stop by one of my virtual FBOs (Centrill Aviation), be sure to virtually say hi!