We interviewed the CEO of Skybus Virtual Airlines

My name is Jamal Pratt. I’m 40 years old and a professional corporate pilot based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My passion for aviation started early—I took my first flight at 16 and earned my pilot certificate at 18. Since then, my career has included flight instruction, charter flying, and serving as a chief pilot. Today, I’m a captain flying corporate aircraft.

Skybus grew out of a desire to bring that real-world experience into flight simulation. I wanted to build a virtual airline where pilots could enjoy flying while also developing their knowledge, following realistic procedures, and feeling part of a team.

The idea began in February 2024, development started in March, and we launched operations on May 22, 2024—coincidentally, the same date the original Skybus Airlines began service in 2007.

For me, creating Skybus brought together my interests in aviation, technology, and teaching. It’s an opportunity to build the kind of community I would want to join: welcoming, innovative, and serious about helping people become better virtual pilots.

The idea for Skybus Virtual Airlines took shape in February 2024, and development began that March. We officially launched flight operations on May 22, 2024, with Airbus A320 service from Columbus and Palm Springs.

A fun coincidence is that our launch fell on the anniversary of the original Skybus Airlines’ first flight on May 22, 2007, giving that date an extra connection to our namesake.

Yes, I do, although I measure success by more than pilot numbers or flights logged. For me, it’s about building something people enjoy being part of, where they can learn, challenge themselves, and form friendships.

Since launching in May 2024, we’ve expanded our operation, brought Sunwest Virtual into the organisation, developed our own Pathfinder operations platform, and continued strengthening our training program. Those are meaningful achievements for a community built around a shared passion.

We’ve also had setbacks and learned lessons along the way. Success doesn’t mean we get everything right; it means we take responsibility, adapt, and keep improving. I’m proud of what we’ve built, and there’s still plenty I want us to accomplish.

One of the most interesting experiences has been watching Skybus grow from an idea into something shaped by the people who joined it. I started with a vision, but seeing others contribute their time, knowledge, and creativity has made it much more than an individual project.

The development and launch of our Pathfinder operations platform stands out. It brought together our aviation experience and technical skills to build something around how we wanted Skybus to operate. Seeing that work become part of our pilots’ everyday experience was particularly rewarding.

It reminded me that running a virtual airline involves much more than scheduling flights. You’re bringing people together, balancing different ideas, and giving them something they can take pride in helping build.

Yes. One of our toughest experiences was transitioning from phpVMS to Pathfinder. A large majority of our pilots became inactive during that transition, which was discouraging after all the work invested in moving Skybus forward.

phpVMS is an excellent free platform, and it gave us a foundation to get started. As our vision for Skybus developed, though, I became increasingly frustrated with the limitations we encountered. We reached a point where what I wanted to build went beyond what we could achieve with our existing setup.

Pathfinder gave us the freedom to pursue that vision, but the transition taught me that technical progress alone doesn’t guarantee people will come along with you. Communication, support, and helping pilots adjust deserve just as much attention as the platform itself. It was a difficult chapter, but a valuable lesson in leading a community through change.

I think our biggest challenge is awareness. Many virtual pilots simply don’t know Skybus exists or what we offer. We didn’t advertise heavily in the beginning; we focused on organic growth. I liked the idea of someone stumbling across us and discovering a gem that was still being shaped.

Flight simulation now reaches a much wider audience, and people want different things from a virtual airline. Some want to fire up the simulator, fly, and log their hours. Others want structured training and an experience that closely reflects real-world airline operations. Both approaches are valid, but Skybus is built around the latter.

Our biggest drop-off happens between application and line flying. We ask pilots to commit to learning procedures and flying to a consistent standard. Our training takes inspiration from real-world airline Advanced Qualification Programs, with an emphasis on developing and demonstrating proficiency. That commitment won’t suit everyone, and I think some applicants discover that along the way.

The encouraging part is the feedback from pilots who complete training. They often tell us they hadn’t realized how much there was to learn, and that their flying now feels more rewarding.

To attract more pilots, we’re working on making Skybus more visible and communicating that experience clearly. The goal is to reach people who will enjoy what we offer and give them a good reason to stay.

Our fleet includes the Airbus A319, A320, and A321, alongside the Boeing 737-800 and MAX variant, giving pilots a choice between Airbus and Boeing operations across our network.

Custom liveries are an area we’re still working to improve. Availability depends on the simulator and the aircraft developer, so we don’t yet have complete coverage for every supported combination. For example, we support X-Plane 12, but the majority of our pilots fly Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

We want pilots on both platforms to represent Skybus, and expanding our livery coverage is an opportunity to strengthen that experience.

We support VATSIM and have built our training program around its Pilot Development Program. I think VATSIM is an amazing resource, giving pilots a place to put their training into practice and demonstrate their skills alongside other pilots and controllers.

Live air traffic control adds another dimension to the experience. You’re communicating, adapting to instructions, and operating within a shared airspace. It gives purpose to the procedures we teach and makes a flight feel much more engaging.

I also appreciate the time and effort the volunteers put into making that environment possible. For pilots who want to develop their confidence and experience realistic operations, it’s a valuable part of the hobby.

Yes, we developed our own in-house ACARS, and we’re very happy with the flexibility that gives us. We can guide its development around how Skybus operates and introduce features that bring our vision to life.

Our latest release added passenger satisfaction and random events, including sick passengers and gate holds for connecting passengers. It also collects engine trend data for our maintenance program and supports persistent aircraft, so each aircraft’s condition and history carry forward between flights.

It works alongside Hoppie ACARS to provide real-time communication with our human-staffed Integrated Operations Center. That connects pilots with people actively supporting the operation and adds another layer of realism.

We’ve approached Skybus as an airline modeled from the ground up, and our ACARS is instrumental to that. There’s always room to improve it, and owning the platform means we can keep evolving it as our operation grows and pilots share their feedback.

Yes, we’ve partnered with SayIntentions, and we’re supportive of the third-party developer community. These developers are a huge source of innovation, and virtual aviation wouldn’t be where it is today without their contributions.

I think partnerships and VA offers can provide real value when they give pilots access to tools they’ll enjoy and use. For us, the value comes from how much a product enhances the experience.

Our policy is flexible: use the tools that help you enjoy flying and continue learning. We have standards for how we operate, but there’s room for pilots to choose what works for them. At the end of the day, this is a hobby, and having fun should remain part of it.

Skybus now runs on our custom-built Pathfinder platform. We originally used phpVMS, which gave us a solid foundation, but as our ambitions grew, we reached the limits of what we could achieve with our setup.

Building Pathfinder gave us the freedom to shape the experience around our airline. Our website, pilot dashboard, and operational tools can develop together, supporting the way we want Skybus to function.

I’m very happy with what we’ve accomplished, and I’m grateful to the team who helped bring it to life. There are still bugs to resolve and areas to improve, but we now have the flexibility to act on pilot feedback and keep building toward our vision. That’s what excites me most about it.

Over the next twelve months, I want us to build on the foundation we’ve created with Pathfinder. That means refining the platform, expanding our training program, improving livery availability, and making the journey from application to line flying more welcoming and clear.

I also want to introduce Skybus to more of the virtual aviation community. We’ve invested heavily in building the experience; now we need to show people what’s available and help interested pilots find their place in it.

My biggest hope is to see more pilots complete training, become confident in our operation, and stay involved. Growth matters, but so does giving people a reason to keep coming back. If we can strengthen that community while continuing to improve the flying experience, I’ll consider the next year a success.