Operations
and Policy Manual
Revision Number: 18
Effective Date: 081820
Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir
Virtual Airlines, LibertyAir Virtual Airlines and any
of its subsidiaries are in no way affiliated with any real world airline, past
or present. We are a non-profit group of flight simulator enthusiasts
simulating airline operations.
___________________________________
From:
Management Team, Liberty Air Group
To:
All Liberty Air Group Members
Subject:
Liberty Air Group Operations and Policy Manual
A.
INTRODUCTION - The staff and
management of Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir Virtual Airlines (herein after
known as "FreedomAir") and LibertyAir Virtual
Airlines (herin after known as "LibertyAir")
are dedicated to enhancing the experience of flight simulator enthusiasts by
providing a practical and realistic simulation of real world airline
operations.
We
know that everyone flies for different reasons. Some enjoy the hobby, others
are in it for the hard-core simulation of flying an airplane and others may use
it as a training platform to enhance their real world flying skills. Regardless
of their reason for choosing to fly with Liberty Air Group, we endeavor to give
our pilots the resources they need to get the most out of their experience.
This
manual is designed to help you learn about the
operations and procedures that govern our day-to-day operations. Every effort has been made to ensure that this manual contains useful and
applicable information. In the event that any of these policies are unclear or
an item is not addressed specifically, please contact
Staff for further assistance.
The
diverse nature of our operation prevents this manual from addressing every
unique situation that may arise. Ultimately, your success as a virtual pilot
with Liberty Air Group will depend on a mixture of acceptable practices, sound
judgment and common sense.
B.
APPLICABILITY - The policies and
procedures outlined in this manual are applicable to all Liberty Air Group
pilots. Acceptance into our organization and use of its systems signify your
agreement to review and abide by the guidelines set forth in this document.
This manual may be revised from time-to-time. All
personnel will be informed when a new revision is
imminent. Executive Staff is responsible for the maintenance of this manual. Any changes to this manual shall be approved by the President/CEO
prior to implementation.
C.
CANCELLATION - This document shall
remain in effect until a new/revised manual has been put
in place.
Liberty
Air Group Management Team
Liberty
Air Group, FreedomAir Virtual Airlines, LibertyAir
Virtual Airlines
___________________________________
Table
of Contents
1. General
Information
1.1 Legal
Information and Disclosure
1.2 Corporate
Leadership Structure
1.3 Liberty
Air Group Hubs (Domiciles)
2.
3. Membership
3.1 Application
Guidelines
3.2 Rehires
and Inactivity
3.3 Hub
Transfer Request
3.4 Leave
of Absence
3.5 Transfer
Hours from other VA's
4. Pilot
Ranks and Privileges
5. Flight
Assignments and Routes
5.1 Pilots
5.2 Route
Privileges
6. Code
of Conduct
6.1 General
Conduct
6.2 Company
Website, Forums, Resources, Etc.
6.3 Other
Websites, Forums, Social Media, VATSIM, Etc.
7. Operations
7.1 Pilot
Currency
7.2 ACARS
Usage
7.3 Scheduled
Routes
7.4 Accelerated
Flight Time
______________________________
1. General Information
FreedomAir Virtual
Airlines was named in honor of the many
men and women who tragically lost their lives in the attacks on September 11,
2001, and the many heroes that have since responded to the call of duty. We aim
to keep their memories alive.
1.1 Legal Information and Disclosure
1.1.1 Real
World Affiliation and Copyrights
Liberty Air Group,
FreedomAir Virtual Airlines (also known as "FreedomAir"), LibertyAir Virtual Airlines (also known as "LibertyAir")
and any of its subsidiaries
are in no way affiliated with or endorsed by any real world airline,
past or present. We are not a real world airline; we do not hire people for
real world employment positions or have any physical office space. Liberty Air
Group exists solely to provide an enjoyable experience to users of Microsoft
Flight Simulator, Prepar3D and X-Plane. All material published on our website
is to be used for flight simulation purposes only and shall not, under any
circumstances, be used for real world aviation purposes.
The Liberty Air Group
website is not for use in any commercial purpose, Liberty Air Group is a
not-for-profit organization that does not generate any income for its members
or owners. Any reference to Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir Virtual Airlines,
FreedomAir, LibertyAir Virtual Airlines and/or
LibertyAir refers to the
aforementioned entities, whether listed individually or in any combination. The
names "Liberty Air Group", "FreedomAir" and "LibertyAir" may be used
interchangeably in this document, throughout our website and in any/all
conversations (whether written or spoken).
1.1.2
No part of any Liberty Air
Group website shall be transmitted or reproduced in any form
or by any means (electronic or otherwise). Any such act represents
copyright infringement and theft of intellectual property solely owned by
Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir Virtual Airlines and/or LibertyAir
Virtual Airlines. Liberty Air Group includes the websites of FreedomAir Virtual
Airlines (www.FreedomAir.us), LibertyAir
Virtual Airlines (www.LibertyAirVA.com) and any other entities we may add at a
future date. These websites will always reference Liberty Air Group in addition
to their individual names.
1.2 Corporate Leadership Structure
The Liberty Air Group
leadership structure is designed to distinguish the
responsibilities of each staff member. We will be operating with a small
corporate staff. Currently, we have five staff positions, as follows.
·
Founder -
The individual with the vision to start FreedomAir.
·
President/CEO - Directly responsible for the continued development and administrative
oversight of the organization. Leads the Management Team charged with
developing policies and procedures, and is responsible for strategic planning
of goals, objectives and operations within the organization. Responsible for
overseeing the implementation and long-term success of the decisions and
programs developed by Staff. In charge of the airline and makes final decisions
for the airline. Maintains overall responsibility and authority to hire,
suspend, demote and terminate personnel (staff and pilots) and is authorized to
hear and determine a course of action on all personnel matters. Works directly
with the staff concerning all operational issues and policies.
·
Vice President - Pilot Development - Oversees day-to-day management of our pilots, is
responsible for newhire induction, multi-player and TeamSpeak server
availability. Assists with development and achievement of organizational goals.
Promotes policy and code of conduct compliance. Oversees hiring process of new
pilots. Other duties as may be assigned.
·
Vice President - Technology Development - Responsible for maintaining overall functionality
and operation of the Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir and LibertyAir
website, forums and other site software. Works directly with the CEO to establish
and maintain data backup procedures in an effort to ensure continuous
availability of all IT systems and applications. In addition, the VP-TD is
responsible for additional development projects or programs that involve the
website and IT systems. Other duties as may be assigned.
·
Flight Dispatch - Responsible for processing of PIREPs.
Interacts directly with pilots in any scheduling issues or concerns.
Others positions may be
added as organizational needs arise
1.3 Liberty Air Group Hubs (Domiciles)
FreedomAir operates out of
nine (9) hubs in the
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
LibertyAir operates out of three (3) hubs in
·
·
·
______________________________
2.
To provide the community of flight simulator
pilots with a virtually realistic environment in which to fly. The only
requirements are that you have a love of aviation, and a desire to participate.
______________________________
3. Membership
Liberty Air Group does not require new members
to have prior virtual aviation experience to join. We do expect new members to
have a basic understanding of flight operations and aircraft navigation. New
members are also expected to understand the basic functionality of MS Flight
Simulator, Prepar3D or X-Plane prior to joining. Members shall have a legally
obtained copy of the flight simulator they choose to use while flying with
Liberty Air Group.
Liberty Air Group is for use by adults, although it
may be used by children. If you are under 18, you may use the Liberty Air Group website only
with the involvement of a parent or legal guardian. Liberty Air Group does not knowingly
obtain or retain personal information from children under 18. Liberty Air Group operates in
compliance with the United States Children's Online Privacy Protection Act(COPPA). This law
states that identifiable personal information cannot be collected from minors under the age
of thirteen. Under no circumstances will an applicant under the age of sixteen (16) be hired.
Persons found falsifying their age will be terminated from Liberty Air Group.
It is the applicant's responsibility to
supply truthful, valid information. Members are required to submit and maintain
an active, current, valid email address at all times. Members found to have an
invalid email account are subject to removal. Liberty Air Group reserves the
right to reject any and all applications at our
discretion, for any reason, with or without explanation regarding the decision.
All
pilots are eligible and encouraged to participate in all online events from day
one. This includes the Liberty Air Group forums, TeamSpeak, multi-player servers
and any other Liberty Air Group
provided resources.
NOTE: Once membership with Liberty Air
Group has been confirmed, the member is subject to the
Currency requirements outlined in this document. Deviations from the currency
requirements require approval of the CEO.
3.1 Application
Guidelines
Prospective members may submit an
online application for membership via the "Pilot Application" link,
under "About" on the Liberty Air Group website. Applications must be
completed in their entirety.
3.2 Rehires
and Inactivity
Members who have left the airline
voluntarily should contact the Vice President - Pilot Development or the CEO to
institute the reactivation process. Members returning from voluntary leave will
be reinstated.
Members wishing to return after being
terminated for inactivity should contact the CEO - outlining the reasons behind
their inactivity and to confirm their commitment to fulfilling the minimum
flight requirements to maintain pilot currency.
3.3 Hub Transfer Request
Hub Transfers can be requested via "My
Career", and clicking on the "Request Hub Transfer" icon. Please
note that you must include a reason for the transfer. Only one (1) hub transfer
may be requested every three (3) months. Reassignment to another hub may not be
immediately available due to hub staffing requirements.
3.4 Leave of Absence
Pilots requesting a LOA (Leave of Absence) can
do so by filing the LOA form located under Pilot Operations on the main menu.
Each LOA can have a duration of 90 days maximum.
Please do not wait until you are close to or past currency to request a LOA as
we need time to process the request. New hires or re-hires may request a LOA
after 2 months of continuous service with
Liberty Air Group. Any special requests to deviate from this policy must be submitted to
the CEO via PM or email.
Please note that individuals requesting LOA for Military Leave or special leave
of absence due to elongated emergencies should make the request using the form
and also PM or email the CEO. Please include as much information as possible
about your leave, including expected return date and a way to contact you (if
needed). We request that you do stay in touch with Staff and/or other members -
so that we know how you are doing.
3.5 Transfer Hours from other VA's
Pilots may be given partial credit for previous flight time flown with a recognized
virtual airline. Recognition will be based on activity, time flown, and other
factors. The amount of transferable hours will be decided on a case-by-case
basis and shall not exceed 25 hours. These hours shall be validated with the
previous VA. Pilots will provide a valid link and/or contact information so
that previous VA service can be verified. If a pilot requests consideration of
transfer hours the pilot must PM the CEO with the required information. Pilots
must request transfer hours credit prior to completing one month of service
with Liberty Air Group. Requests outside
of the one month time limit will not be considered. Pilot flight time from a VA
that is acquired by Liberty Air Group will be credited in full at the time of
integration into Liberty Air Group.
______________________________
4. Pilot
Ranks and Privileges
|
Hours |
Rank |
Route
Privileges/Additions |
|
|
0-9 |
Junior
Flight Officer |
|
Commuter Routes
- US Hubs |
|
10-24 |
Flight
Officer |
|
--- |
|
25-49 |
First
Officer |
|
Domestic
Hub Routes (US based pilots) |
|
50-99 |
Captain |
|
Series
Flights |
|
100-199 |
Senior
Captain |
|
|
|
200-349 |
Commercial
First Officer |
|
|
|
350-499 |
Commercial
Captain |
|
Mexico/Central
|
|
500-749 |
Commercial
Senior Captain |
|
|
|
750-999 |
Commercial
Commander |
|
--- |
|
1000-1499 |
Commercial
Senior Commander |
|
--- |
|
1500-1999 |
ATP
First Officer |
|
--- |
|
2000-2999 |
ATP
Captain |
|
--- |
|
3000-3999 |
ATP
Senior Captain |
|
--- |
|
4000-4999 |
ATP
Commander |
|
--- |
|
5000+ |
ATP
Senior Commander |
|
--- |
All pilots - regardless of rank - may concurrently fly
the US Capital Tour while flying their scheduled
routes.
NOTE: Each higher rank level still
carries the responsibilities
and privileges of all previous
rank levels.
______________________________
5. Flight
Assignments and Routes
All
pilots have the opportunity to fly and complete the
5.1 Pilots - Advancement through the
ranks will allow pilots to fly Series Flights, Canadian,
All pilots shall depart from their last arrival
point for all scheduled flights (this included all flights beginning with "FA" or "LBY"
in the scheduled route number). If you departed KORD and arrived at KLAX, your next
departure shall be from KLAX. Special exceptions will be considered for Capital Tour (CT)
and Tours & Events (FTE) routes. Questions on this policy shall be directed to a Staff member
for further information.
5.11 New Hire Pilots
All new hire pilots start out with the rank of
Junior Flight Officer. For US based pilots - the first 25 hours of a new hires
career will comprise of commuter routes only (those scheduled routes with
turboprop and regional jet aircraft). After the initial 25 hours flight time,
US based pilots may fly any route in our
5.12 Qualified Line Pilots
US based line pilots holding the rank of First
Officer or higher are able to fly any routes that their rank qualifies them
for, along with routes below their current rank.
All pilots holding the rank of Captain or higher are
able to fly Series flights. Series flights may consist of up to twelve (12)
scheduled flights from the Liberty Air Group schedule. The last flight in the
series shall return to the pilots assigned hub. It is
the pilot's responsibility to ensure they are able to fly a scheduled flight to
return to their assigned hub on or before their twelfth flight.
5.2 Route
Privileges
All
route privileges are listed in the Pilot Ranks and
Privileges table (see '4' above). If there is a question on whether or not you are
qualified to fly a specific scheduled route, ask PRIOR to flying the route.
Pilots who fly routes outside of their rank limits will not receive credit for
those routes.
NOTE: Each higher rank level still
carries the responsibilities
and privileges of all previous
rank levels.
______________________________
6. Code
of Conduct
6.1 General
Conduct
We understand that from time to time there may be
differences of opinion. While we respect these differences and promote active
discussion, the following are classified as unacceptable behavior.
Participation in any of the following constitutes violation of the Liberty Air
Group Code of Conduct:
·
Use
of foul or unsuitable language toward ANY member of the Liberty Air Group community
via any means (including forums, PM's, email, TeamSpeak,
etc.).
·
Defame, abuse, harass,
threaten or otherwise violate the rights of others.
·
Publishing,
posting, uploading, distributing or disseminating any inappropriate, profane,
defamatory, infringing, indecent, obscene or unlawful material, topic, name or
information to any Liberty Air Group venue (including pornographic or sexual
explicit materials).
·
Upload files
that contain software or other material protected by intellectual property or
privacy laws, unless you own or control the rights thereto or have received any
necessary consent in writing.
·
Upload files
that contain viruses, corrupted files or other similar programs or software
that may damage the operation of another member's computer or any Liberty Air
Group venue.
·
Restrict or
inhibit any other member from utilizing and enjoying the communication services
available through Liberty Air Group and its resources.
·
Harvest or
otherwise collect personal/identifiable information about others (including
email addresses) without their explicit consent.
·
Hacking or
attempting to hack any of Liberty Air Group's online systems or services.
·
Violate any
applicable US/local laws or regulations.
·
Willfully
initiate, instigate or participate in any political discussions. There are
other forums on the web for political discussion, please use them.
·
Advertising of
any type, without the express consent written consent of the CEO and Executive
Staff.
You are
expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner when using any
Liberty Air Group resource. This can be accomplished
by abiding by the Liberty Air Group Code of Conduct. Any violation of the Code
of Conduct may result in the suspension and/or termination of your Liberty Air
Group accounts and termination of Liberty Air Group membership.
6.2 Company Website, Forums,
Resources, Etc.
6.2.1 Forums
The forums are a place for
friendly discussion, debate and making new friends. They are not the place for
inappropriate or aggressive arguments of any sort. Any persons found to be
engaging in aggressive/inappropriate behavior on the forum will be subject to
code of conduct violation.
6.2.2 Discord and TeamSpeak
All members of Liberty Air
Group are welcome and encouraged to utilize Discord and TeamSpeak.
Push-to-talk is required for all users of Discord and TeamSpeak.
During your chatting and discussion on Discord and TeamSpeak, you
are expected to respect all members participating in the discussion. We
encourage free thought and expression (you may discuss your own personal
views), but know when to stop. Comments classified as derogatory to any group
of people, including but not limited to race, sexual orientation,
political/religious affiliation and/or nationality will not be tolerated.
Harassment, name-calling, spamming, constant channel switching, etc. will not
be tolerated. Always be positive, friendly and helpful.
If your conversation is
limited to only certain members connected to the server, you should move to
another (private) channel.
If you are unable to
follow the rules on TeamSpeak, you will be warned,
kicked from a channel or banned from the server entirely for a period of time.
That time period will vary depending of the nature of the offense.
Abusing Server
Administrator (SA) privileges will result in an immediate suspension.
6.2.3 Other Liberty Air Group Resources
Use of other Liberty Air
Group resources (automated ACARS client, multi-player, site hosted chat, etc.)
which are available or may become available to members shall carry the same
code of conduct rules as outlined in sections 6.2.1 and 6.2.2 above.
6.3 Other
Websites, Forums, Social Media, VATSIM, Etc.
Liberty Air Group is committed to promoting a positive environment
within the VA and in the general virtual flying community in all forms of
media. It is imperative for all of us to act in a manner that reflects
positively on ourselves and that does not bring undue or unjust criticism on
Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir or LibertyAir.
Like any other organization in today’s technological world, Liberty Air
Group has found a need to set some guidelines and rules for the use of social
media and other forms of media used by Liberty Air Group, whether offered
through third-party providers, or Liberty Air Group itself. This media has been
created for promoting our VAs and to help with
information sharing, training and to build a sense of community. In an effort
to maintain a professional and comfortable environment for pilots of all ages
and backgrounds, we are asking for your cooperation and compliance with the
following:
6.3.1 Facebook
- The Facebook pages has been restricted to active
pilots only.
- Please do not post any pictures, links or make any comments that may reflect
poorly on you, or bring undue and unjust criticism of Liberty Air Group,
FreedomAir and/or LibertyAir.
- Please limit the nature of the Facebook page for
the promotion of our shared hobby and interests
6.3.2 Other Websites, Forums,
VATSIM, IVAO, Etc.
When using sources outside of Liberty Air Group, please adhere to the
code of conduct stated above. Present a professional attitude when discussing
or representing Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir and/or LibertyAir.
It is permissible to advertise for Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir and/or LibertyAir elsewhere, as long as that site allows it, you
provide a direct link to "http://www.FreedomAir.us" or
"http://www.LibertyAirVA.com" and post in our forums indicating the
location (provide a link) of where you advertised.
6.3.3
Participation with outside VA’s
- There is NO restriction on pilots being a pilot here and with another VA.
- Pilots with this VA can be on staff at another VA.
- Staff at Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir and/or LibertyAir
can not be on staff at another VA.
- Recruiting pilots from Liberty Air Group, FreedomAir and/or LibertyAir to another VA is strictly prohibited.
______________________________
7. Operations
7.1 Pilot
Currency
You must fly at least one Liberty Air Group
approved scheduled route every 45 days using our automated ACARS system (kACARSII) to maintain your currency (one-way, not
round-trip).
New or re-hired (returning) members must file their first report within 14 days
of hire using kACARSII. Failure to do so will result in
termination for inactivity without notice. Special exceptions may apply if the
member contacts Flight Dispatch and receives an extension.
We
are aware that there are “non-virtual” schedules to be maintained.
We do ask that you remain in “Active” status on the roster. Apart
from that, YOU determine how often you fly.
7.2 ACARS Usage
All scheduled flights shall be flown using the kACARSII program and submitted automatically to the Liberty
Air Group website.
Flight Dispatch will not approve a manual fight unless there is some specific
reason listed in your submitted flight report (in the comments section). If
your computer crashes, flight sim stops working or
some other reason - list it. Do not make a habit of filing manual reports. If
we see a string of manual flights, we hope that you will contact Staff for
technical support. If we see a string of manual reports without any reasons,
those PIREPs will be rejected. Again, please do not
make a habit of manual reports. If you need help with the kACARSII
software or anything site related, contact a Staff member for technical
support.
Also note that kACARSII
can save your flight as set up in kACARSII under
"Recovery, Settings". It is recommended to set this for 15 minutes,
check all 4 boxes and set minimum altitude to 1000 feet AGL. This will save
your flight and allow you to recover it if your sim crashes, you lose electrical power, etc.
7.3 Scheduled Routes
7.3.1 Aircraft
Usage
· Pilots shall use the aircraft type specified in the scheduled route or an approved substitute for the selected flight. Any aircraft used outside of this policy will result in the PIREP being rejected.
· Pilots are responsible for selecting an aircraft with sufficient range and shall load adequate fuel to safely reach their destination or alternate airport, including holding patterns. Landing at intermediate points for refueling or in-flight refueling is not permitted.
· If the pilot determines that the specified or approved substitute aircraft is unable to complete the selected flight segment safely, the pilot shall notify Staff via PM or email prior to commencing the flight for further instructions.
· If a pilot chooses to use an approved substitute aircraft, the pilot must change the aircraft in kACARSII. To do this, enter the desired flight number - click "Get Flight Data" - under "Aircraft Information", select the approved substitute aircraft and click "Load". This will load the applicable aircraft and change the Registration, ICAO and Passengers under "PIREP Data". Then proceed as normal.
7.3.2 Altitude
Assignments
· Pilots shall climb to the cruising altitude listed in the schedule for the specified route.
· Schedules are created to reflect a realistic cruise altitude for the aircraft type used on each route segment.
· Submitted PIREP's that do not indicate the flight attained TOC (Top of Climb) will be rejected.
· Pilots may, at their choosing, fly at an altitude higher than listed in the schedule. Also, once TOC is attained, pilots may elect to descend to a lower cruising altitude to take better advantage of winds aloft. If descending to a lower than scheduled cruising altitude (after TOC is attained), pilots are reminded to use an altitude appropriate for the aircraft type being used.
7.4 Accelerated Flight Time
Use of Accelerated Flight (increased sim rate)
shall adhere to the following policy
1.
Use of accelerated flight time is optional - the
maximum rates shown below are mandatory
2.
Pushback at departure gate to TOC (Top of Climb) = 1x
3.
TOD (Top of Descent) to engine shutdown at arrival
gate = 1x
4.
Total scheduled flight time 2 hours or less = 1x
5.
Total scheduled flight time greater than 2 hours up to
4 hours = up to 2x maximum
6.
Total scheduled fight time greater than 4 hours = up
to 4x maximum
7.
Use of accelerated flight time shall be limited to
level cruise flight only
8.
PIREPs submitted that do
not meet the above listed standards will be rejected
Note: If you choose to use accelerated flight time, you will only receive
hour's credit for the actual real time it took to complete the flight, not the sim hours. So, if the flight took 6 hours in sim time, but you flew it in 4 hours real time (because you
used accelerated flight time), you will receive 4 hours credit in the PIREP
system. This is hard-coded into the kACARSII program.
______________________________
8. Reserved
for future use
______________________________