Turning dreams into reality.

When I was a kid, around six years old, my father would take me to the airport to enjoy the weather and have a fun time. I used to see the Boeing 747-100s, 737-200s, Airbus A300 & the fabulous Lockheed Tristar. I would visit the pilots in the cockpit and become charmed by its interior - though, back then, the cockpits were mainly gauges.

Yes, it did; that is true. IVAO flamed the spark inside me to chase my dream. I have learned a lot from the network, which helped me during my basic training lessons.

READ. Knowledge is power. A good pilot knows their aircraft well. Keep yourself updated.

As before, excellent knowledge is an asset. Attitude is a crucial factor in learning. Do not be shy; ask as many questions as you need to understand. Know your stuff well. The same applies to IVAO, following the instructions of the Training Department, both at a Divisional and Headquarters level.

The network hugely assisted my training, and my instructor was surprised and impressed by my knowledge level, which made his job easy.

Being a real pilot is something tremendous & I want to share my experience with every single member of IVAO. I did it; you can do it, too. I like air traffic control on the network as much as possible. It is our turn to return the favour and help IVAO in any department we can.

I have a lot of memories. I cannot honestly remember all of them. But the worst experience I ever had was losing a friend. One of my best memories is when I was having lunch during a long-haul flight. The controller contacted me a couple of times, but sadly, I was not in the cockpit. My father asked, "Is X your callsign today?" I said yes. He said a guy was calling you.

In real life, I would love to fly the Airbus A350 one day; it is a beautiful piece of art. I also pray for the return of the Boeing 747 to the skies. Currently, I fly the A320 Family. I love to fly light aircraft on my simulator, especially the Cirrus SR22. I also like to fly the B777 for long-haul flights.

By listening to its members. Put members' interests as the top priority for any updates or developments to the network. Acquire experienced people to join and be part of the community.

You will never regret joining IVAO. Reach out to your divisional staff for guidance & help before your initial flight or controlling session. Read about IVAO as much as you can to understand your stuff correctly.

Becoming a pilot is a passion and an inspiration. I believe every pilot has a story to tell. IVAO was one of the major pillars that encouraged me to keep focusing on achieving my dream and believing in myself that someday, one day it will come true and it did. Considering that becoming a pilot has a lot of struggles in the beginning in terms of the cost of training and volume of information to grasp in a short time, however discipline is the key for success in this field and I strongly believe that IVAO’s network implemented a robust and disciplined approach.

The first time I saw a flight deck was in Microsoft Flight Sim 2004, and that was enough for me to affirm that this is what I wanted to do. Flight simulation not only encouraged me to become an airline pilot but also made me familiar with the aircraft’s systems and NOP/SOP’s and still up until this day I keep using the flight simulator in order to test some failures, shoot some abnormal procedures and practice what if scenarios… besides even in real life as real pilots, we undergo checks in a simulator.

I would say that no excuse is an excuse for not pursuing your dream. For all the future pilots out there thinking that they don’t have the money for the cost of training (I didn’t, I had to take a loan), or don’t have the best grades (I didn’t, I had to do business and management degree before joining aviation), or only be willing to join their national carrier and not accepting to work outside their country (my country rejected my application because of a corrupted system) or don’t have the support (All of my family and friends were against me pursuing this career) or maybe think it’s too late to start (I started at 25) etc. again no excuse is an excuse, anyone can give up, anyone can give in and settle for a sense of security but not everyone can keep going through the highs and the lows and still have fuel to keep going. Chase your dream!

Discipline is key in this career. With discipline you will succeed in your studies and respect the challenges of the job in terms of situation awareness, knowledge and mainly teamwork and leadership. Also CRM is crucial; you will be flying with different people all the time. But the most important point I would say is to always stay humble and avoid complacency, stay ahead of the aircraft at all times, don’t be afraid to speak up of things don’t seem to go the way you think it should be going and always stay up to date with the manuals.

IVAO played a vital role in ATC phraseology; it made me overcome the fear of all student pilots in the beginning of their training when speaking with ATC at an initial stage. Also with the training documentation that is provided by IVAO is gave me a head up when I started my training and was at all times ahead of the syllabus.

The passion is always there and IVAO fuels it even more. What I enjoy now most is since I am a training staff; I help new members and student pilots with their ratings. I encourage training and share my knowledge and experience with other members as way of thanking the IVAO community and returning the favor for what once I was a student member getting trained to now helping other pursuing as much as I can their career.

Meeting new friends who share the same mental picture, enjoying group flights and division/IVAO events, training and assessing trainees, but the most memorable experience is the feedback I receive from various members about my contribution to the IVAO family.

My first aircraft I got type rated at was the Airbus A320 series, a fantastic airplane. I thought this would be my favorite aircraft; of course your first type will always be the closest to your heart. Then due to operational requirements I had to be shifted to the Boeing 777 series (200LR-300ER and Freighter), being a long term Airbus pilot, I was not happy with this shift in philosophy, at the end of the day we all know the staying that if it is Boeing , I am not going! Plus I lost my well known Airbus tray table! However, after experiencing the B777, this machine is a beast and the philosophy behind the airplane is simple. It is more pilot friendly than the Airbus.

There is always room for improvement, I would suggest focusing more on the training department team and helping members with motivated and enthusiastic trainers, and why not implement a rank proficiency check, the same way we do in real life aviation, where we undergo every 6 months a simulator check to assess our license and rating, maybe we can implement it as well in IVAO in order for each member to keep updating his current rank.

If you are looking for a great online platform to release your aviation skills and learn real life disciplined procedures, or if you are only joining for fun and want to have a glimpse of the real life aviation world both ATC or pilots…IVAO is the place to be. Happy landings!

From my earliest memories, I always wanted to be a pilot. Mainly due to the fact that every summer I would visit my family, but when I was 12 years old I was invited to the cockpit of an Air France Boeing 747 during the landing phase and it was at this moment I knew for sure I had to become a Pilot.

It helped so much for my progress and preparation. It saved me a lot of time and money.

Never give up. Be disciplined and ask a lot. The more information you have, the better your decision will be.

The first thing is attitude. Be humble and always listen to the advice shared by others. This is a fantastic way to learn what is good and what is not good to do.

After this, it is about improving your knowledge as much as you can to compensate for your lack of experience.

IVAO can always assist in providing the knowledge and creating an environment similar to real life to prepare when you reach that point.

It has provided me with a wealth of knowledge and the ability to meet great friends.

Knowing people from everywhere in the world. That now, are very good friends and a visit every time I fly to their bases.

All the achievements that I was able to do for the IVAO Members. Young members that I knew helped and now they are real pilots and good friends.

This is a difficult question. All aircraft are great, but each operation is different. However, I like technology, so Airbus is winning. Let’s see the B777X. I would say 90 to 95% realistic is the A320 Fenix and FSLabs and B777 from PMDG in the sim, which is very well simulated.

The interaction between the members and the Training Department. Create a real-life environment for the members to enjoy and understand how things are done.

Don’t think, do it, and do your exams!

My time in this fantastic career started when I bought X-Plane 7 for around 10€ when I was 15. I remember spending every Friday and Saturday evening trying to fly the Boeing 777 somewhere in Spain while trying to understand what I was doing. Eventually, researching online, I found IVAO and different virtual airlines offering training for their members.

At some point in my life, I realised that I was dedicating more and more time to this. Then, I started going with my friends to our local airfield every Saturday morning until I decided that I wanted to be involved in this environment for the rest of my life.

Yes, it did indeed. Flight simulation made me interested in this amazing world.

Be ready for everything. Aviation is an amazing world, but it can be tough sometimes. Fight for your dreams; with consistency, everything is possible.

Discipline and consistency. I think IVAO can bring you these two main things. I think having a good circle of friends in the network helps. I would encourage all our members to search for an engaging virtual airline, join their flight school, and start taking lessons with them.

IVAO has helped me a lot with radiotelephony and the application of procedures. This network can provide you with a lot of knowledge. IVAO made my life easier.

Being able to participate in different activities, like events, worldwide.

When I assisted with the first real-life event, it was amazing to be able to put a face to those voices.

The Boeing 737-800. Since I started IVAO, the 737 has caught my eye. I have spent most of my hours in the network flying this aeroplane, and I do not think I will ever have a new favourite aircraft again.

Use all the resources that IVAO provides you. Start using their outstanding training department and, when gaining knowledge, continue with their World Tours and Events.

Don’t think about it twice! Haha! Join, have a look around and enjoy the experience! 😁

I discovered my passion for aeroplanes many years ago when I was still a child by trying out Microsoft Flight Simulator X at a friend's house. From that moment on I knew I wanted to be an airline pilot and all my life I have been chasing that dream until I achieved it last year.

However, I come from a humble family and could not afford to become a pilot because of the high cost of the licences. Therefore, I first got a degree in aerospace engineering and after several years of working in the industry I was able to complete my pilot training.

Of course, in fact it has helped me a lot before, during and after becoming a pilot. I think we are very lucky to have this technology that allows us to learn great things about the profession long before we get into a real aircraft.

I always recommend people not go straight into studying pilot licences. It is better to study first for a university degree or have some work experience in the sector. Aviation is a very volatile sector and very difficult to get into, so it's always good to have a plan B in case things don't go as planned. Also having additional experience in the sector always gives you an advantage in a selection process so it's a win-win situation.

A pilot has to have a high situational awareness and a mental capacity to deal sometimes with undesirable situations that require a low response time. This is why simulation, although it does not give you the manual flying skills needed to fly a real aircraft, can help you gain practice with procedures so that you can get much more out of each real training session. In this sense IVAO additionally helps you to fly in a realistic environment, which adds to the learning curve of a pilot by giving you the necessary knowledge of aeronautical phraseology and procedures used in real aviation.

Before I had the money to become a pilot I only had the simulation. For me, the discovery of IVAO was a game changer as I was able to realistically simulate airline operations. Thanks to this, when I started my pilot training, I had a big advantage over my fellow pilots as I had already spent many hours flying in the simulator and the knowledge was already there. This made it easier for me to learn to fly as I could always get something extra out of every flying lesson.

The passion that many of the members put into it, both when controlling and flying. The events are a reflection of this, as dozens of people join together from their homes to do something they are passionate about and that is what unites us, the passion for aviation.

For me the most memorable moments in IVAO have been when I have been live on Twitch flying with my community. I really enjoy creating content with them, both flying and air traffic control. The laughs are guaranteed and we all learn something new every day.

It has always been the Boeing 737-800. It's a fantastic aircraft because it doesn't have as many automatisms as the Airbus fleet and it's always a challenge to fly it, especially in manual flight. Also, because of this, you never get bored on board as there is almost always something to do.

I think IVAO is doing a great job in the virtual flying community and is currently on the right track. There is always room for improvement, of course. Perhaps it could invest more resources in the training department, as this would make it easier for people without the resources to become real pilots to learn everything they need to be pilots from home in a realistic and rigorous way.

Take the time to read the manuals on the net and learn how to fly in VFR conditions first. A lot of people start on the net directly with an A320 or B738 and then you ask them to do any basics beyond using the FMC and they get overwhelmed. In real life nobody starts out flying IFR, so there is no rush to get to flying airliners. Enjoy the learning process from the ground up, it is wonderful.

I have some flashes from my childhood where my toys were basically airplanes. My father used to take me to the airport to watch B727s, F100, B732s and my passion grew even more.

Definitely yes, when I first played FS95 I knew it would help me a lot.

Don't get distracted, keep focused, it's not easy but it's worth it. Knowledge and experience cannot be taken from you, so invest in your career.

IVAO can help in many ways. First with networking itself, I made a lot of friends since 2001. It can help with practical stuff, such as ATC communications, airplane systems, airport operations and many more. To be a successful pilot, there is no magic, follow the rules, especially the golden rules, understand that you will be learning every single day, be humble and professional.

Every new add-on study level is a great surprise, so I can practice procedures and routines while I can train my phraseology. I can relax by flying small airplanes to challenging airports. Many scenarios can help you build your attitude as a pilot in real life.

Nowadays I am giving back everything I received in the past. So I can share what I have learned and learn even more, being able to help members during training or even with the Tours. Being a Staff in such a big division is challenging but I can help more than I could in the past. Helping other members is enjoyable.

My best memories come from the past, when I started doing IFR procedures as it should be. Learning and applying something in a period where documentation, updated charts and good addons were basically zero, was really memorable.

The B747-8F was a really nice experience. The childhood dream which I would never imagine could be real. In the sim, I have no real preferences, depending on what I am looking for that day, mood stuff. It could be from a simple E110 to a big jet.

Keep improving softwares and systems.

Try it, then enjoy it!