Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | Airline Operations |
Typical New Pilot Question |
DVA1833
First Officer, B737-800
Joined on August 14 2004
Midwestern United States
17 legs, 39.1 hours
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 09:53 ET by Jennifer Conner
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Just joined DVA today - and have to say this is a very impressive VA. Believe me, I looked for a long time and DVA stands out.
I'm pretty much exclusively a PMDG 737-800 driver and was wondering if the airline uses a common cost index? I have cost indices for some other airlines, but haven't been able to find anything for Delta.
Look forward to seeing all of you online as soon as I can establish a reliable internet connection - that's going to require investing in Satellite DSL and the removal of a tree. Unfortunately, it's a neighbour's tree so this isn't going to happen overnight.
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DVA822
Senior Captain, B777-200
Joined on September 05 2002
Quincentenary Club
Million Mile Club
"I love the smell of jet fuel" Northeastern United States
589 legs, 2,254.6 hours
47 legs,
112.9 hours online 97 legs,
400.7 hours ACARS 16 legs,
39.2 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 10:01 ET by Trevor Fenimore
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Hey Jennifer,
Welcome to DVA, we are always glad to add women pilots to our roster. Regarding your question about CI, I don't fly the PMDG 737 that much, but when I do, I use 80 as the CI. If you ever need anything at all, do not hesitate to post here, or to e-mail any of the staff members. We have a great group of pilots here who are always willing to help out, and have fun!
Welcome,
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DVA1427
Senior Captain, MD-11
OLP
Joined on December 14 2003
Online Double Century Club
50 State Club
Tri-Jet Triumph
Globetrotter
Moose Club
US Capital Club
Everett 250 Club
Quincentenary Club
DVA Twenty-Year Anniversary
"Livin' in the Dog Pound!" Kannapolis, NC
558 legs, 1,984.3 hours
250 legs,
611.8 hours online 384 legs,
1,530.5 hours ACARS 38 legs,
82.7 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 10:02 ET by Lewis Gregory
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Sure, it could happen overnight. All you need is a chainsaw and the cover of darkness.
Welcome to DVA! I'm not a 738 driver so I don't know from cost indices, but we have a lot of PMDG fans here, so you'll get an answer quickly I'm sure.
Lewis GregorySenior Captain, MD-11
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DVA1767
Captain, B727-200
Joined on July 02 2004
Century Club
Online Century Club
Midwestern United States
107 legs, 156.8 hours
104 legs,
153.2 hours online 6 legs,
12.1 hours event 501 legs, 763.5 hours total
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 10:02 ET by Michael Carter
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Welcome aboard Jennifer. Sorry, I'm not a bean counter, but I do try and save on fuel when I can.
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DVA1679
Senior Captain, A320
Joined on May 16 2004
Triple Century Club
Online Triple Century Club
"flightdeckproductions.com" Utica, MI USA
322 legs, 620.4 hours
300 legs,
591.4 hours online 115 legs,
194.0 hours ACARS 5 legs,
11.3 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 10:04 ET by Larry Foltran
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Welcome!!!
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DVA809
Senior Captain, B737-800
OLP
Joined on August 25 2002
B757 100 Club
Online Century Club
Everett 500 Club
Six Century Club
Million Mile Club
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
"If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going" Birmingham, AL USA
674 legs, 2,377.4 hours
199 legs,
468.4 hours online 338 legs,
1,438.0 hours ACARS 11 legs,
84.4 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 11:24 ET by William Chambers
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Jennifer - welcome. I don't through in my 2 cents here very often but your question interested me. Based on my limited knowledge 50 as a cost index is the typical ECON index you will want to use on 737s. I currently am using some other software to run my flight deck and 50 is what they recommend for an ECON setting and is what most airlines will tell their pilots to use on the 37s. Hope that helps.
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DVA1385
Captain, B767-300
E-MAIL
Joined on November 09 2003
Century Club
"www.flyaoamedia.com" Western United States
122 legs, 479.3 hours
72 legs,
282.0 hours online 36 legs,
162.1 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 12:32 ET by Chris Palmer
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Jennifer, you are my new best friend. I fly the PMDG and would love to help you out. Maybe even fly sometime. Catch ya later!
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DVA1633
Senior Captain, L-1011-100
Joined on April 17 2004
Century Club
Den Haag, Zuid-Holland NL
163 legs, 437.6 hours
2 legs,
11.5 hours online
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 14:23 ET by Sander Jordans
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nice to see a lady around, welcome!
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DVA1767
Captain, B727-200
Joined on July 02 2004
Century Club
Online Century Club
Midwestern United States
107 legs, 156.8 hours
104 legs,
153.2 hours online 6 legs,
12.1 hours event 501 legs, 763.5 hours total
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 14:53 ET by Michael Carter
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Could I have a bean-counter explain that formula to me please? I didn't take accounting at University and have no idea of what this it.
If it helps save money for the airline I'm all for it, but the performance charts come first.
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DVA953
Senior Captain, B737-800
E-MAIL
Joined on November 17 2002
50 State Club
Double Century Club
Online Double Century Club
"V1 means V1..." West Lafayette, IN USA
214 legs, 376.8 hours
211 legs,
373.0 hours online 117 legs,
223.6 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 14:56 ET by James Brickell
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If I remember correctly..cost index is the cost per minute in cents divided by passengers. Probably wrong though..do a search for it on Google.
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DVA1767
Captain, B727-200
Joined on July 02 2004
Century Club
Online Century Club
Midwestern United States
107 legs, 156.8 hours
104 legs,
153.2 hours online 6 legs,
12.1 hours event 501 legs, 763.5 hours total
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 15:10 ET by Michael Carter
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Yep, you'd have to be a bean counter for that. Safety of the aircraft and crew (pax) comes first with me; if it interferes with the accounting office so be it.
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DVA1767
Captain, B727-200
Joined on July 02 2004
Century Club
Online Century Club
Midwestern United States
107 legs, 156.8 hours
104 legs,
153.2 hours online 6 legs,
12.1 hours event 501 legs, 763.5 hours total
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 15:14 ET by Michael Carter
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I forgot to add if it makes any difference, that the B722 burns about 16.5 pounds of fuel per mile at optimum cruise.
Say at 2 bucks a gallon wholesale for Jet-A, that's about $4.90 a mile average if I did my computations correctly.
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DVA1767
Captain, B727-200
Joined on July 02 2004
Century Club
Online Century Club
Midwestern United States
107 legs, 156.8 hours
104 legs,
153.2 hours online 6 legs,
12.1 hours event 501 legs, 763.5 hours total
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Posted onPost created on
August 16 2004 15:17 ET by Michael Carter
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I come up with 13.9 cents a mile. But I really don't know if that includes salaries for every employee, maintenance, etc. I'm also not sure if I did the computation correctly but I believe I did.
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DVA1833
First Officer, B737-800
Joined on August 14 2004
Midwestern United States
17 legs, 39.1 hours
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Posted onPost created on
August 17 2004 02:46 ET by Jennifer Conner
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First of all, thank you all for the warm welcome. That was very cheering to see here when I signed on at 0430 (local) this morning!
Cost Index is a term applied to a lot of things, so it's hard to track down. In the context we care about it's the relationship between time dependant costs (leasing costs, crew time, etc.) and fuel costs (average cost of fuel for the airline or for a particular route). In an example I found, an 1800 nm flight might take 3hr 50 min and burn 20,000 lbs fuel cruising at FL380 with a low cost index. With a high cost index the same flight would take 3hr 25 min and burn 23,300 lbs of fuel at FL280. It's my understanding that low cost indices would be the rule for discount airlines because they enjoy relatively lower labor costs; whereas an airline like Delta with higher labor costs would use a higher cost index as crew and maintenance costs are, to an extent, a function of time in the air. But, since this sort of information is probably considered proprietary by the airlines - it's hard to come by.
To my knowledge, the PMDG 737NG is the only FS a/c modelling cost index.
My reason for asking the question originally relates to the fact that I've been totally spoiled by the 737NG and try to do load, fuel, etc. as realistically as possible - while still maintaining the best "on time" record I can. So... if I run across any information on what our favorite airline uses as its cost index - I'll be sure and post it here.
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DVA1767
Captain, B727-200
Joined on July 02 2004
Century Club
Online Century Club
Midwestern United States
107 legs, 156.8 hours
104 legs,
153.2 hours online 6 legs,
12.1 hours event 501 legs, 763.5 hours total
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Posted onPost created on
August 17 2004 04:31 ET by Michael Carter
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I should be so lucky to get that kind of mileage out of a B727. That'll never happen but I know you were giving an example. It takes me 20,000Lbs to fly 800 miles. It's very expensive to operate.
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DVA613
Senior Captain, B727-200
OLP, VFRADV
Joined on June 17 2002
50 State Club
Events Century Club
Million Mile Club
US Coastal Club
US Mountaineer Club
Commuter Conquest
Globetrotter
Everett Millennium Club
Bi-Millennium Club
Online Twenty Century
DVA Twenty-Year Anniversary
"Beware of the Green Baron!" Charlotte, NC USA
2,417 legs, 3,904.2 hours
2,240 legs,
3,528.0 hours online 2,051 legs,
3,066.5 hours ACARS 130 legs,
238.7 hours event 165 legs dispatched, 103.9
hours
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Posted onPost created on
August 17 2004 05:23 ET by David Keech
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The PSS airbus series figures in the cost index also. I would just go by the charts PMDG supplies. A CI of 50-100 is an average. Though since this is a simulated environment, CI as high as 300 or even 500 are not unheard of. I look at it this way, if you are behind schedule and need to make up that time in the air, up the CI as high as you dare, but remember your fuel burn ratio.
I made that mistake and the PMDG 737 does a very night job for mid air refueling
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DVA613
Senior Captain, B727-200
OLP, VFRADV
Joined on June 17 2002
50 State Club
Events Century Club
Million Mile Club
US Coastal Club
US Mountaineer Club
Commuter Conquest
Globetrotter
Everett Millennium Club
Bi-Millennium Club
Online Twenty Century
DVA Twenty-Year Anniversary
"Beware of the Green Baron!" Charlotte, NC USA
2,417 legs, 3,904.2 hours
2,240 legs,
3,528.0 hours online 2,051 legs,
3,066.5 hours ACARS 130 legs,
238.7 hours event 165 legs dispatched, 103.9
hours
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Posted onPost created on
August 17 2004 05:24 ET by David Keech
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One more thing, if you are on a dial up connection, you can still fly online. I do and have no issues.
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DVA1833
First Officer, B737-800
Joined on August 14 2004
Midwestern United States
17 legs, 39.1 hours
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Posted onPost created on
August 17 2004 11:59 ET by Jennifer Conner
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It's not the dial-up itself, David, it's the tenuous nature of the connection - I frequently get dropped. However, reading the VATSIM material it appears that dropping and having to re-connect isn't the end of the world for a pilot. So I joined and am presently working my way through the new pilot reference materials. This is going to be great!
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DVA1767
Captain, B727-200
Joined on July 02 2004
Century Club
Online Century Club
Midwestern United States
107 legs, 156.8 hours
104 legs,
153.2 hours online 6 legs,
12.1 hours event 501 legs, 763.5 hours total
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Posted onPost created on
August 17 2004 15:00 ET by Michael Carter
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From what I've read of the controller material, your aircraft symbol will turn a lighter shade and the trace will continue for several minutes on the last reported heading after being dropped.
Long enough for you to re-establish either your dial-up connection or your VATSIM connection. I've been dropped off the VATSIM network more often than by my dial-up provider.
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DVA085
Senior Captain, MD-88
Joined on July 05 2001
Online Quadruple Century Club
Six Century Club
""This is the way we ride" "Worldwide" Oak Ridge, TN USA
619 legs, 1,144.2 hours
529 legs,
971.2 hours online 251 legs,
478.7 hours ACARS 39 legs,
86.2 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 17 2004 15:09 ET by Tyrone Weston
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Welcome aboard Young lady. I hope DVA gets ya hooked.....
T. Weston
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DVA1140
First Officer, B757-200
Joined on March 16 2003
Double Century Club
Western Europe
254 legs, 1,137.4 hours
10 legs,
24.5 hours online 324 legs, 1,393.2 hours total
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Posted onPost created on
August 17 2004 15:43 ET by Daniel Counahan
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WELCOME WELCOME you have join the best VA i know and the best group of people.
Cheers
Dan C
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DVA630
Senior Captain, B777-200
Joined on June 22 2002
Million Mile Club
DVA Twenty-Year Anniversary
Eight Century Club
Online Seven Century Club
Everett 250 Club
B757 100 Club
"Flightsimaroma therapy." Bainbridge, PA
873 legs, 2,775.4 hours
783 legs,
2,429.4 hours online 487 legs,
1,454.8 hours ACARS 19 legs,
64.1 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 17 2004 16:53 ET by Kenneth Rodriguez
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Welcome Jennifer. Hope you find yourself a nice little niche here at DVA. You have come across a good group of people from which to get information concerning our beloved hobby. Hope to see you in the virtual skies real soon.
Enjoy.
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DVA1791
Captain, CRJ-200
Joined on July 18 2004
Northeastern United States
17 legs, 30.6 hours
5 legs,
6.3 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
September 14 2004 18:29 ET by April Townsend
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jeesh, I'm late as always
Welcome to DVA Jennifer =)
~April
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DVA1580
Captain, B767-300
COMM
Joined on March 16 2004
Century Club
Everett Century Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary
Caryville, TN USA
199 legs, 476.5 hours
70 legs,
168.4 hours online 84 legs,
232.9 hours ACARS 4 legs,
10.4 hours event 27 legs dispatched, 71.5
hours
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Posted onPost created on
September 14 2004 21:25 ET by Scott Breuer
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sheesh april, only a month
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DVA1778
Senior Captain, MD-88
Joined on July 06 2004
Online Century Club
Triple Century Club
"Fly Douglas Jets!" Milwaukee, WI USA
358 legs, 1,172.8 hours
153 legs,
345.4 hours online 107 legs,
334.7 hours ACARS 18 legs,
35.0 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
September 17 2004 15:59 ET by Ali Ghasemz
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Hi Jennifer,
Welcome to DVA. I am a little late but I guess it's okay. I just had one question. Aren't you the CEO of Virgin Atlantic VA.
May be mistaken. Anyways welcome.
Ali
Ali GhasemzSenior Captain, MD-88
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DVA1833
First Officer, B737-800
Joined on August 14 2004
Midwestern United States
17 legs, 39.1 hours
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Posted onPost created on
September 18 2004 05:32 ET by Jennifer Conner
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Used to be Ali. Virgin's part of the Flying Tigers Group. A while ago, almost all the CEOs and half the training department at Flying Tigers Group either resigned or were fired - including all the women (draw your own conclusions from that). Happily, DVA is superior to Flying Tigers Group in every respect. I also belong to the Virtual Pilots Association so I can fly GA or obscure airlines when the mood suits me.
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