Crew Operating Policies Handbook Version 4.1 Redwood Virtual As of 08/08/2015
Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Redwood Virtual s History... 1.1 Redwood Virtual s Mission... 1.2 Membership Benefits... 1.3 Legal Notice... 1.4 Membership... 2 Flight Team Application... 2.1 Application Requirements... 2.2 Transfer Hours... 2.3 Disputes... 2.4 Operations... 3 Rank Philosophy... 3.1 Certification Categories... 3.2 Flight Team Requirements... 3.3 Flight Report Requirements... 3.4 Fleet... 3.5 Charter Flights... 3.6 Codeshare Routes... 3.7 Hubs and Focus Cities... 3.8 Elevate Pilot Program... 3.9 Policies... 4 VA Time Zone... 4.1 #VXLove... 4.2 Social Media and Forums... 4.3 Multiple VA Memberships... 4.4 2
Introduction 1.1! Redwood Virtual s History Redwood Virtual was founded by Chase Morgan and Dan True in May of 2014 with one goal in mind; the launch of a very unique virtual airline (VA) to serve the virtual skies emulating the real-world operations of Virgin America. In December of 2014, Chase Morgan brought Eric Watters aboard as the new CEO with the mission of growing the VA. Eric quickly began to gauge the desires of Redwood s flight team members and work to grow the VA. In March of 2015, founder Chase Morgan stepped aside and turned ownership of Redwood Virtual over to CEO Eric Watters. Soon after, in an effort to continue growing, Redwood expanded beyond the Virgin America brand to include other Virgin Group partner airlines Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia. This expansion allowed for an expansion of the available aircraft in the Redwood Virtual fleet to include widebody Airbuses and Boeing aircraft. In April of 2015, Redwood Virtual entered into a partnership with Virtual Delta Airlines, which allowed for the addition of nearly a thousand new codeshare routes to the Redwood Virtual library of schedules. This significant partnership is helping Redwood Virtual to continue to grow as an up-and-coming virtual airline to be reckoned with. 3
1.2! Redwood Virtual s Mission Redwood Virtual excels in the virtual airline community by recognizing that its members and community partners are the keys to its success. We at Redwood Virtual are dedicated to continually developing our network systems, information, and operations to cater to our fast growing virtual airline. We value our flight team members and see them as our most important asset. Our dedicated pilots are one of a kind and stand out in the virtual airline community. Not only do our flight team members possess superior flying skills, they demonstrate leadership, integrity, and the ability to connect with others in a positive and meaningful way. As a flight team member or sponsor at Redwood Virtual, you are not only making a decision to change the virtual skies, but also the world. The Redwood Virtual community is dedicated to helping our flight team members grow both within the virtual airline community and in real life. With a quickly expanding international network of flight team members spanning the spectrum of ages, cultures, education and experience we are looking to Redwood Virtual will help you expand your horizons, elevate the virtual skies, and reach your maximum potential! Sincerely, Eric Watters, CEO Redwood Virtual ceo@redwoodva.net 4
1.3! Membership Benefits Redwood Virtual provides its flight team member with a superior benefits package that includes: Flight Team Member Benefits Access to a fun and interactive network mirroring Virgin America Accurate flight information, including navigational routing, in a robust ACARS The ability to choose from multiple aircraft The ability to fly charter flights A dynamic rank system so you can watch your career progress The Elevate Pilot Awards Program A robust social media program that includes dedicated forums, a public Facebook page, and a private flight team members only Facebook group Management Team Benefits The ability to present and implement innovative ideas in a highly-effective team atmosphere Mentoring by senior corporate members with significant realworld managerial and academic credentials The ability to grow within the Redwood Virtual corporate structure as you prove your skills and dedication to the VA A leadership position in a highly respected virtual airline 5
1.4! Legal Notice Redwood Virtual is a non-profit virtual airline, which exists within the flight simulation community only. Redwood Virtual is in no way affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, Delta Airlines, or their affiliates or parent corporations. All content contained or displayed within the Redwood Virtual network, to include its website, VXCARS system, forums, and social media pages, are the sole intellectual property of the owner(s) of Redwood Virtual and they claim copyright and trademark on all the aforementioned intellectual property. The unauthorized copying, distribution, reuse, or the sale of such intellectual property is prohibited by law. Violators may be subject to criminal and/or civil prosecution under United States and/or international law. 6
Membership 2.1! Flight Team Application The Redwood Virtual flight team is a group of dedicated virtual pilots. As a member, our leaders will usher you through our day-to-day operations and act as examples of leadership, integrity, intellect, and so much more! The application process is as follows: 1.! Click the Join Us link on the Redwood Virtual website 2.! Read and accept the flight team regulations contained in the Crew Operations Handbook 3.! Successfully complete the Redwood Virtual entrance examination (minimum 70% passing score required) 4.! Submit an application 5.! Await management approval of your application to launch your career at Redwood Virtual 2.2! Application Requirements You must be 13 years of age or older Own legal copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator X, 2009, Prepar3D, or X-Plane Maintain a valid email address on file with Redwood Virtual You must have no active restrictions on the VATSIM network You must attest to having had no disciplinary action resulting in your permanent removal from any virtual airline/network 7
2.3! Transfer Hours Newly accepted flight team members may request to transfer in existing flight hours from other virtual airlines by emailing the chief executive office (ceo@redwoodva.net) and providing sufficient proof of said flight hours. The hours will be evaluated (e.g., aircraft type, flight quality, etc.) prior to being approved for transfer. A maximum of 30 documented hours may be transferred. 2.4 Disputes Unfortunately, once in a while a member of our executive management team may make a decision that a flight team member doesn t agree with. This may be a ruling we make on a flight report or a disciplinary action. If you wish to dispute something, please send an email to the Chief Executive Officer at ceo@redwoodva.net to initiate a dispute. Dispute reports can take up 48 to 72 hours for processing and final determination. 8
Operations 3.1 Rank Philosophy Redwood Virtual s rank structure allows for quick promotions and the availability of more and more aircraft and routes. Rank Wings Epaluet Hours Required First Officer 0-19 Regional Captain 20-49 Captain 50-99 Senior Captain 100+ 9
3.2! Certification Categories At Redwood Virtual we don't want to make our pilots wait to fly the aircraft they want to fly; however, we want our pilots to get acclimated to the Redwood system in our flagship airline - Virgin America. Our rank structure allows for quick promotions and the availability of more and more aircraft and routes. We value and recognize our pilots' prior flying experience so we allow newly-hired pilots to transfer in up to 30 hours of documented flight time from other virtual airlines, regardless of whether it was on or off-line flying time, and join Redwood Virtual at the rank of Regional Captain. Certification Category Rank Pay Rate Authorized Aircraft CAT-I First Officer $30 A319-112, A320-214, & A320-214WL CAT-II Regional Captain $90 All CAT-I, A330-200, A330-300, & B737-800 CAT-III Captain $280 All CAT-I & II, A340-300, A340-600, B747-400, & B777-300ER CAT-IV Senior Captain $320 All Categories of Aircraft 10
3.3! Flight Team Requirements Newly Accepted Flight Team Members Must: Fly their first flight with 14 days of acceptance into Redwood Virtual All Flight Team Members Should: Fly at least one flight per calendar month Maintain a valid email address with Redwood Virtual Be active on Redwood Virtual s Facebook Page Be active in Redwood Virtual s Crewtalk Forum Share their ideas for making Redwood better! 3.4! Flight Report Requirements We hold our flight team to high standards that set us at the top of the virtual airline market. We are working to develop a simple yet effective training program to assist our less experienced members keep up with our standards more efficiently. 1.! Must use Redwood Virtual s VXCARS 2.! VATSIM flights will be flown with the VXCARS active and a VATWARE link to the flight in the comments section 3.! Manual PIREPs must also include a VATWARE link in the comments section to validate the flight 4.! Have no over speeding (maintain 250 knots or less under 10,000 FT MSL) in accordance with FAA regulations 5.! Landing rate of -600 or less (higher ratings lose pilot reward points) 6.! Use the standard simulation rate (x1) 7.! Proper fuel, passenger, and cargo loading 8.! Follow all FAA Rules and Regulations 11
Exception 1.! Redwood Virtual s VXCARS does not work on Macs so pilots who fly X-Plane on a mac must fly on VATSIM and file manual PIREPs following the requirements laid out in no. 3. 3.5! Fleet Redwood Virtual s fleet mirrors that of its real-world counterparts. The following aircraft are authorized for use when flying Virgin America domestic and transpacific routes: Manufacturer Make/Model Photo Airbus A319-112 Airbus A320-214 Airbus A320-214WL The following aircraft are authorized for use when flying Virgin Atlantic Transatlantic routes: 12
Manufacturer Make/Model Photo Airbus A330-300 Airbus A340-300 Airbus A340-600 Boeing B747-400 The following aircraft are authorized for use when flying Virgin Australia domestic and transpacific routes: Manufacturer Make/Model Photo Airbus A320-214 Boeing B737-800 Boeing B777-300ER 13
3.6! Charter Flights Redwood Virtual allows charter flights so that our flight team members can fly to their favorite airports that support aircraft the size of the aircraft they re flying. Charter flights must be flown using the VXCARS system. Should you desire to fly to an airport that is not currently available in the VXCARS you should email the Chief of Operations to request that the airport be evaluated and added to the system. 3.7! Codeshare Routes Redwood Virtual allows flight team members to fly codeshare flights from Virgin America s partner airlines Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, and Delta Airlines. These routes are available in the VXCARS system and follow real-world routes. 14
3.8! Hubs and Focus Cities Hubs San Francisco International (KSFO) This is Virgin America s hub and Redwood Virtual s home base. London Heathrow (EGLL) This is Virgin Atlantic s hub. Brisbane International (YBBN) This is Virgin Australia s hub. Focus Cities Redwood Virtual s focus cities include: UNITED STATES Austin, TX (KAUS) Boston, MA (KBOS) Chicago O Hare, IL (KORD) Dallas Love Field, TX (KDAL) Fort Lauderdale, FL (KFLL) John F. Kennedy, NY (KJFK) La Guardia, NY (KLGA) Las Vegas, NV (KLAS) Newark, NJ (KEWR) Orlando, FL (KMCO) Palm Springs, CA (KPSP) Portland, OR (KPDX) San Diego, CA (KSAN) Seattle, WA (KSEA) Washington Dulles, DC (KIAD) Washington Reagan, DC (KDCA) UNITED KINGDOM Gatwick, UK (EGKK) Manchester (EGCC) AUSTRALIA Adelaide, AU (YPAD) Canberra, AU (YSCB) Darwin, AU (YPDN) Hobart, AU (YMHB) Melbourne, AU (YMML) Perth, AU (YPPH) Sydney, AU (YSSY) MEXICO Cancun, MX (MMUN) Los Cabos, MX (MMSD) Puerto Vallarta, MX (MMPR) 15
3.9! The Elevate Pilot Awards Program Redwood Virtual s Elevate Pilot Awards Program (EPAP) was inspired by Virgin America s real-world passenger rewards program Elevate. The EPAP awards pilots for various professional accomplishments and career milestones as you progress as a pilot at Redwood. Corporate Service Awards Chief Executive Office Wings Chief Operating Officer Wings Corporate Staff Wings Flight Service Awards First Officer Wings Regional Captain Wings Captain Wings Senior Captain Wings Career Milestone Awards 10 flight hours completed 20 flight hours completed 50 flight hours completed 75 flight hours completed 100 flight hours completed 150 flight hours completed 200 flight hours completed 250 flight hours completed 5 or more airports in one month 10 or more airports in one month 2 cross-country flights completed 5 cross-country flights completed 10 cross-country flights completed 16
Career Milestone Awards (Cont d) 20 cross-country flights completed 2 international flights completed 5 international flights completed 10 international flights completed 20 international flights completed 3.10! Leave of Absence (LOA) Flight Team members are allowed up to 90 total days of approved LOA per calendar year. Military personnel are allowed a LOA equal to their deployment time plus 90 days (with proof of military orders showing the deployment dates). If you require more than the allotted time, we approve extended LOAs on a per case basis. LOA applications may be submitted via the Flight Team Portal (FTP); however, extended LOA requests must be processed via email. Please email the Chief of Operations at coo@redwoodva.net to request an extended LOA. 17
Policies 4.1! VA Time Zone Redwood Virtual s flight team members come from all over the world. Because we span so many time zones, all operations are based around Zulu (Greenwich Mean Time). GMT time conversions are as follows for North America flight operations: GMT to EST = +5 hours to EST GMT to CST = +6 hours to CST GMT to MT = +7 hours to MT GMT to PST = +8 hours to PST 4.2! #VXLove Redwood Virtual believes that the diversity of our members is one of our biggest strengths. We encourage our flight team members to share their cultures with us all as it will help us all become closer and understand each other, and the world in general, much better. Redwood Virtual has a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind or for any reason (e.g., because of a member s gender, race, age, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, or political or religious beliefs. However, in an effort to avoid discriminatory conflicts, we suggest that flight team members limit discussions or comments concerning politics and religion as these tend to be inflammatory subjects. If you choose not to share the #VXLOVE your employment with Redwood Virtual may be suspended or terminated, and you may be permanently banned from the Redwood Virtual community. 18
4.3! Social Media and Forums The Redwood Virtual social media sites and forums are an awesome way to share information, photos, events, and your career with the rest of the community. We have multiple ways for you to share information and ask questions of other members. We ask that you use your best judgment for making posts. We have a few guidelines that will help to keep our social media sites and forums a fun, professional, and safe place for all our flight team members. No profanity of any kind Respect other members opinions and viewpoints No discrimination will be tolerated Refrain from posting information about other people unless authorized by that person Do not bump posts unless it is in a support forum Do not post copyrighted material that you do not explicitly own the rights to 19
4.4! Multiple Memberships Redwood Virtual allows and encourages our flight team members to broaden their horizons and check out other virtual airlines in the flight simulation community. There are a lot of options out there and each community has something to offer to pilots. All we ask it that you maintain your flight requirements and do not share Redwood Virtual members only information in other communities without the expressed permission of the CEO of Redwood Virtual. 20