News

Welcome to 2025!

Southwest Virtual Airlines is excited to welcome you to 2025! As we take off into the new year, we’re thrilled to celebrate our accomplishments in 2024 and share a glimpse of what’s ahead.

2024 Highlights:
- Over 148,400 flight hours logged
- More than 74,200 flights completed
- A community of over 1,800 active pilots
- Launch of the Interactive Co-Pilot, enhancing realism and support for every flight

These achievements reflect the incredible dedication and passion of our pilots. Thank you for making 2024 a year to remember!

2024 Year in Review Video:
Relive the highlights of 2024 by watching our special Year in Review Video. It’s our way of saying thank you and celebrating the incredible journey we had together. Watch the video here.

What’s Coming in 2025:
We’re planning even greater milestones this year, including:
- A brand-new website to enhance your virtual flying experience
- Updates to LUVCARS
- Compatibility with MSFS2024
- New awards and challenges to celebrate your accomplishments
- Re-opening the Training Department in February with a revised syllabus and fresh content
- Rank changes and more!

In addition, we’ve released a new Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and a revised Code of Conduct. Both documents are now live on the website under HR>Policies. Please take a moment to review these important updates.

We’re also hosting a Town Hall on Saturday, January 18th, at 11:00 AM Central. This is your chance to hear about our plans for 2025, ask questions, and share your ideas.

Thank you for being part of Southwest Virtual Airlines. Together, we’ll make 2025 our best year yet!

Blue skies and safe landings!

The Flight Path Ahead for Southwest Virtual Airlines

Dear Pilots,

As we move into the final month of the year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we have been on as a virtual airline. Just over 16 years ago, Southwest Virtual Airlines (SVA) was founded with a simple vision: to create a virtual airline built for pilots—a welcoming, inclusive, and innovative community, rather than one driven by competition.

Back then, we began as a small group of just 75 pilots, united by a shared passion for aviation. Today, we are a thriving community of over 1,800 members, representing one of the largest and most engaged virtual airlines in the world. Our growth has been a testament to the dedication and talent of each of you—whether you’ve been here since the beginning or joined us more recently. Together, we have built something truly extraordinary.

With this growth comes the need to ensure that SVA remains positioned for a sustainable and vibrant future. After much reflection, I have decided to step down as CEO of Southwest Virtual Airlines, effective January 1, 2025. This decision was not made lightly, but it reflects my full confidence in the future of SVA and in the leadership that will guide us forward.

I am eager to announce that SVA will transition to being owned and operated by a nonprofit organization. Matt Grimes, will begin transitioning from his current role as Chief Operating Officer to Chairman of the Board of Directors for the nonprofit. This poises Matt to ensure SVA has the structure and oversight it needs to thrive in the years to come. I am deeply grateful to Matt for his service and dedication to Southwest Virtual, and I know his influence will continue to be a guiding force to this community.

Furthermore, I would like to name Braden Thompson to take over as CEO on January 1, 2025. Braden’s experience and commitment to our mission make him an excellent choice to lead SVA into blue skies. In the coming days, he will share his vision and announce additional leadership team updates.

As I look ahead, my greatest wish is that we continue to build upon our legacy, finding new ways to engage, grow, and set the standard for what a virtual airline can achieve. The future of SVA is bright, and I am confident that it will remain a community where aviation enthusiasts can connect, learn, and inspire one another.

While I will no longer serve as CEO in the New Year, I am not saying goodbye. I will remain a part of this community as a pilot on the Flight Operations team and will continue to offer support for LUVCARS 5. Stepping back from the day-to-day management of SVA will allow me to focus on what I love most: being a pilot and enjoying the incredible community we have all built together.

Finally, as we reflect on the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each of you. Your dedication, enthusiasm, and commitment to this organization have made SVA what it is today. Thank you for being part of this journey, and for the continued trust and support you have shown.

I am excited for what lies ahead and cannot wait to see all that we will accomplish together in this new chapter.

Best Regards,
Ryan

November Newsletter

Click here to view the November 2024 Newsletter!

iFly MAX8

Dear Pilots,

We are thrilled to announce the pre-release of the iFly MAX 8! However, we want to inform you that LUVCARS, initially developed for use with this aircraft, is currently encountering some issues due to recent updates made to the iFly MAX 8.

As the aircraft is not yet in its final release state, our team is diligently working to address these bugs and ensure full compatibility with LUVCARS 5. We appreciate your patience as we work through this process.

We anticipate having a fully compatible version of LUVCARS 5.0.28 available by the end of the upcoming weekend. In the meantime, pilots can continue logging flights with the iFly MAX 8 using LUVCARS 5.0.27, though please note that the Interactive Co-Pilot and uplink features will be unavailable.

Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support!


BRADEN THOMPSON
Vice President of Operations
vpo@swavirtual.com