Hi everyone,
It's been a while and the pieces have moved around the game board a bit, so it's probably a good time for a quick refresher on a few points.
Firstly, there is a HM vacancy at Washington DC at present. Feel free to apply if you meet the HM criteria.
Secondly, a timely reminder about flight hours. Managers are required to log at least one flight a month. This is the bare minimum. Here is an ecerpt from the original decision:
"Once a
manager is designated inactive, he has 3 days to file. Failing to do so
is an automatic forfeiture of his management position.... The flight logs are public record now, and it sets
a bad example have management not logging hours.... The
excuse of: "because of my real world obligations...." does not hold
water. No flight time in 30 days? If they are that busy then they
should not be holding a management position. In the event of a
temporary situation, all that needs to be done is to request a leave
of absence and someone will fill in." This is taken seriously. Past history has shown that managers who don't fly are usually (not always) neglecting their other duties as well. It's as simple as letting your DHO know you will be away for a while. Please remember this. It is the DHO that monitors this and if we don't know, you risk your position. You should also keep your hub informed via the forum so people don't send emails that aren't going to be answered (for legitimate reasons)
On the point of the forum, this is a key communication tool. This is where the debates occur regarding changes to the airline. It can also be quicker to get answers to questions here, as there is almost always somebody looking at the forum 24/7. Please encourage hub members to consider joining up on the forum. If you don't have a say, you can't complain if you don't like a change!!
On the point of forum discussion, remember that regardless of the topic, it is a discussion, not an argument. And please remember that it is the EC that makes the policy decisions, not the membership. Having said that, the EC need as much information as possible to make informed decisions, so participation in debate is a good thing. From experience (and I'm talking real world experience with managers), I have found it is best to supply a sound argument based on facts. An emotional argument such as "This is a stupid idea." does nothing to advance an argument, and is almost worthless as it provides no information on which to make a decision. A better argument is "I don't think this is a good idea because ..." The tone is less argumentative and you have provided reasons for your opinion. Remember, if everyone used the excuse "If it isn't broken, don't fix it" we'd be driving model T Fords and zooming around the skys in Wright flyers.
Please remember that good cummunication is the key to good management. HM's and AHM's need to be communicating to run the hub. There are no hard and fast rules as to how a hub should be organized, so we need to be talking to each other to make sure it all happens. Because this is world-wide company, again the forum is the best place to reach a wide audience. Naturally email is usually the best way to communicate about routine matters between levels. Also remember that there is a chain of command. If you have problems (read grievences) you should address these to your immediate superior. If you get no satisfaction, you have the right to escalate this to the next level of management. While it is sometimes tempting to do so, it is very poor form to jump over levels of management and go straight to "the top". In the real world this can have career ending consequences. I've seen it happen.
So, from the above topics, it is really important to know your management structure. There is a page on Westwind that shows who's who in management. Please keep your email details up to date. If we can't find you to ask important questions, we can't be held accountable for decisions made on limited information.
On the plus side, I would encourage people to occasionally go out of the comfort zone. Fly a different type of aircraft occasionally. Fly at a different hub. Yes, you can fly any routes at any time and in any aircraft you are rated for. Just don't try putting a 747 into YBAF (try it and you'll see why!!) The route pages are suggested routes and often based on real world routes. Did you know there is a regular route from Perth, Australia that lands at a mining strip in the middle of the bush. No lighting, no navaids. If you don't already, try flying with real world weather. It certainly adds a challenge. Try some cargo runs. And for the biggie, don't forget the charters. Charters allow you to fly local tours, fly anywhere from point A to point B, and there are some great challenges there. One really popular one at present is P002 - round the world to every country capitol. Other charters are designed to showcase different scenery in FS that the authors have found, often with some challenges thrown in. The Himilayan tour with a landing at Paro is one. Landing on tiny lakes in the Himilayas in a float plane operating right at the edge of the performance envelope is another. Or how about landing a helicopter in the middle of a stadium surrounded by massive light towers. There is literally something for everyone in the charters so check them on the Westwind website. Also, thing about flying VATSIM occasionally. The procedures are not hard to learn and are as close to real world as you will get. Newbies to VATSIM should NEVER feel threatened, and the vast majority of controllers will provide helpful information to get you started. And there are plenty of VATSIM pilots and a few controllers in Westwind as well. VATSIM is a bit like parachuting. It's not for everyone but everyone should give it a go at least once!!
So, at the end of the day, its all about having fun and helping others find the fun as well. Sometimes we need to have rules to ensure everyone gets a fair go and to give SOME structure to the big picture. But at the end of the day it is all about us giving others an environment to enjoy their flying in. Some pilots want to be social, some prefer to just do their own thing. Some prefer real world settings (real weather, VATSIM) others are happy to use the basic FS features. At the end of the day, management exists for the pilots of the company. If we pick up a few management skills along the way, that's a bonus for us. Happy flying and good managing.
Tony H, WWA1587
Director Hub Ops - North America East
Director of Charters - Asis/Pacific region
VATSIM Controller S3
Boy am I busy.