Well we've been operating for almost 8 Years now, so as far as I can see we'll still be here in another 8 Years.
Answers are published as the CEO wrote them, spelling included.
About the CEO
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? For example; how old you are, what your background with flying in general is and what brought you to creating your own Virtual Airline.
I'm 60 plus years old. Before being made redundant. I use to work in real world Aviation at Stansted airport, I had been with a number of Virtual Airlines, Three of which as Fleet Manager, But sadly they were not for me in the long run.
I decided the only way to get all that, I wanted from a Virtual airline, was to create my own, also I did miss working at the airport.
How it started
When did you start your Virtual Airline?
Channel Express Virtual was formed on the 22nd of April 2011. Still feels like only yesterday. :D
Success
Do you consider your Virtual Airline successful?
Yes. We have a number of pilots that fly on a regular basis, which at the end of the day is all that matters.
Best moment
What is your most interesting experience with your Virtual Airline, what has happened that makes you think so?
i think its the friendships which are formed within the membership. as we have a chatroom on facebook messenger which you can always bet that there will be always be someone on there.
Hard times
Did you have any bad experiences with your Virtual Airline?
Not with my own, Had a few with others though. But I suppose the worst experiance we tend to have are people joining, Just so they can see their name on a VA Pilots list. They tend not to be on there very long.
Pilots coming and going
What do you think of your Virtual Airline’s flow of new and leaving VA pilots? Is there something you do to attract more pilots? And why do you think some pilots leave your Virtual Airline?
This one is not an easy question to answer, The normal reason for departing pilots is down to other committments, which is very understandable.
Fleet and liveries
What types of planes does your Virtual Airline use and do you have all the custom liveries available for your VA?
We have around 200 aircraft over 6 different airlines, These range from the BN Islander through to the heavies such as the B747-800 & Antonov AN-124.
I do all my own liveries for all our airlines so Yes these are custom made, and are only available to our members only.
Online networks
Does your VA fly on a network? If so, what do you think about it? Do you feel it supplements the general flying experience, what do you think of the network in general and is it required for your pilots to fly on this network?
No we did consider it for a time, But no real interest was shown.
Flight tracking
Do you use any flight tracking software? If so, which one, and are you happy about the service it provides? Would you like to improve it for example?
Yes we use Kacars v1.0.1.5, Its freeware and we don't expect our pilots to have to buy their software to enjoy themseleves.
Developer offers
Do you make use of the offers some developers / distributors have for Virtual Airlines? Do you think these developers / distributors have good offers? And does it fit your Virtual Airline policy?
Cant say we do really, its never really been mentioned in the past.
Website
Does your Virtual Airline have a custom made internet web page or do you use, for example, PHPVMS and equivalents? Are you happy about your VA’s web page?
We have a pretty standard webpage, which is widely available. In my view its the members that make a Virtual Airline, Not the website.
The year ahead
And lastly, what are your expectations for your Virtual Airline in the coming twelve months?
Well we've been operating for almost 8 Years now, so as far as I can see we'll still be here in another 8 Years.
The original questionnaire
This is the questionnaire as the CEO sent it to us, in PDF.
