Chapter 4: Frustration
The next reunion over the Teamspeak line reunited frustrated people from every part of the world. Even some pilots in neutral parties quit flying on VATSIM.
Yvan: What the hell are you guys doing? Don't tell me you have quit flying online too!
Jere: Dude, we're done. Neutral parties keep taking the toll of the fighting between SkyTeam and OneWorld.
Mika: We're getting sick of being shot down every time.
Emma: When things look bad, we can't just give up on VATSIM! SkyTeam can shoot us down so easily because they vastly outnumber us, right? But if we became significantly better than they do...
Rodrigo: We can't get better because SkyTeam guys keep shooting us down!
Yvan: We have been defeated in Europe, but the Americas are not quite lost to us... they postponed the Americas portion of the fly-in because of the huge mess made in the European and Asian portions.
Emma: But before we get back to VATSIM, you'd just fly offline. The AI traffic is about the skill level SkyTeam crews are. We can't adjust the flying skill of the AI but we can adjust the density of the traffic. Go get SkyTeam AI traffic and flightplans. What do you say, guys? You can... just fly aimlessly or you can fly with a definite goal in mind.
Meanwhile, in the VATSIM Headquarters, near London Heathrow, the Board of Governors watch carefully what is happening in the network.
David: Oh no... they have finished destroying every single aircraft in the KZOA ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center).
Norman: How many aircraft were in there?
David: Over 30.
Kyle: There are over 120,000 pilots who log on to VATSIM. Are you going to say that all their aircraft are going to be shot down if there is nothing we can do to help them?
Orest: Yes. And it won't be long before everyone gets really frustrated and stop flying/controlling altogether.
Richard: It may very well lead to the end of the Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network.
But some elite pilots just stand in VATSIM and try to win back the turf they lost in the fly-in by simply harassing the lots of SkyTeam traffic online and bring the balance back to Virtual OneWorld. As Yvan circles around Atlanta from Miami and when low on ammo and fuel, lands in an airport out of the Atlanta TRACON (Terminal Region Area Control). Or Emma which circles around KIAH (Houston-Bush Intercontinental, U.S.A.) and destroys the aircraft in and out of that airport.
Mika: I got to go around, my left-clicking finger hurts.
Rodrigo: Come on, you can do it!
We see scenes of endless, offline drills against AI-controlled aircraft, increasing in density every time, to get to the level of traffic Emma and Yvan shoot down when online. The airspace may vary, some JAL and Cathay Pacific fliers are fighting in Eastern Asia, others fly close to their home bases or the home airports of their enemies.
Ross: This fly-in just gave extra zeal to our enemies. The Supervisors say that there are four OneWorld-based pilots, none of them being American, which lead the fight against SkyTeam.
Ruth: Are they strong enough to defeat SkyTeam's top pilots?
Orest: We ran the numbers, even with their amazing skill, they have a 90 crash probability. They'd be flying through a slaughter.
Richard: There has to be... some way we can help them!
Kyle: What about... the N790 EMP?
Roland: Quiet, Kyle, you never spoke of the EMP.
Kyle: But maybe these pilots are those the prophecy foretold of!
Roland: It is NOT an option!
Richard: What is the N790 EMP?
Kyle: When SATCO was created, one of the programmers put a special weapon into the network's inventory. But it was considered too powerful for anyone to possess, so it was stored on a CD. Apparently it could made the ammunition explode along with the enemy avionics and electrical systems, ultimately causing the aircraft to explode when hit.
Ross: But it was foretold that one day pilots/ATCs who could wield these weapons might reveal themselves.
Richard: Who foretold this prophecy?
Kyle: Paul. He's the Singapore FIR (WSJC) chief controller.
They enter the secret room of the VATSIM headquarters and get to the room where the CD containing the N790 EMP was stored.
Kyle: Behold! The N790 EMP!
Richard: We must get this weapon to the ones they have proven to destroy the virus plaguing VATSIM.
Kyle: Let's hope they don't start the battle before we can reach them.
The Singapore FIR (Flight Information Region) organized a fly-in, which is actually a controller test for his senior controller rating, ranked as C3. Paul, the chief controller of that particular FIR, stands ready to evaluate the test subject, but this part of the flight is out of Tong's radar reach, as he hands them off from Center to Approach, the second manned position of Singapore. Emma flies as SIA (Singapore Airlines) 328 for the test. Said student requested VFR and IFR traffic, basically two different types of flying (Visual Flight Rules is weather and altitude-restricted while Instrument Flight Rules can fly at just about any time)
Paul: Singapore Airlines 328, cleared ILS runway 20R.
Emma: Singapore Approach, cleared ILS and to land runway 20R.
At the same time, Yvan (still as JAL010) is also vectored to RWY 20R, so much as to try to park as close as possible to SIA328. Because he received a few special "gifts" from Emma via e-mail.
"Hi. Whoever you are, I admire your flying skill in battle. Though to land, you have to resort to the NAV HOLD or the autoland, so do I. Here are scanned photos of me so you can still think of whom you ought to protect in our final battle against SkyTeam. I don't expect neither Northwest nor Korean Air not to show up at 2200Z because they were exhausted of battling you and your aircraft over the Strait of Korea. I know the U.S. as a whole is to become an immense battlefield, so we as JAL pilots have to take off from a set airport. American takes off from Dallas, LAN from San Diego, what about we used up Denver?
We have lots in common: a common love for flying to start with. Also, our burning rage against SkyTeam will help us defeat the rogue pilots plaguing VATSIM, shooting down innocent aircraft. I hope we can get to fly together after the conflict ends.
Regards,
Emma"
Yvan looks at the photos Emma sent of her and, at his eyes, she is the prettiest lady pilot in the world. But Emma wishes to know more about the history of VATSIM and, ultimately of online flying at large. For that purpose, she went into the Teamspeak line.
Emma: I have the feeling that VATSIM is not everything in virtual aviation history. Is there anything else to it?
Yvan: Of course! SATCO was the ancestor of the two major networks of today: IVAO, or International Virtual Aviation Organisation and the VATSIM as we know today. There is not much to history: SquawkBox 1 and ProController were launched in 1997, thus marking the start of SATCO. When management disputes broke over, a year later, the former was split in two and IVAO was formed on December 16, 1998 and SATCO was rebranded VATSIM in 2001. That's all there is to know about VATSIM's history.
After doing their pre-flight checks offline, players piloting JAL aircraft log in and are parked on the tarmac at Denver, at 1900Z. They all get ready to line up RWY34L/R, awaiting the signal of the ATC to take off.
Guilherme: Japan Airways 10, cleared for takeoff runway 34L.
On the Teamspeak line, all JAL aircraft behind the OneWorld 777-300, registered JA8941, piloted by Yvan) waited for the instructions of the KZDV ATCs.
Yvan: Stand ready for takeoff! ATC gave clearance to take off runway 34R!
The other 777-300, as Emma used a more classic aircraft than an A350-1000 to shoot down the SkyTeam guys since her defeat over the France-Italy border, was the beginning of a long chain of aircraft taking off from the 16s.
Emma: Evryone has macroed their radar localizer buttons?
Izumi: Hang on, I'm adjusting my autocannons to maximum firing rate.
Yvan: Nice...
Takahiro: What's the TCAS macro?
Emma: Shift-0.
Takuya: This fly-in can last more than twelve hours. What if you ran out of food midway through it?
Trond: Don't worry, I have that covered. JAL719, more bread!
Shai: Right away, son! Have a good flight!
Hideyuki: I think the Delta crews see us...
Takahiro: Let's do this!
Takuya: Yeah, my mom said I had to be in bed at 2100Z.
Emma: Is everyone ready?
All pilots pushed their Ident buttons on their transponders and they all appeared on the TCAS of all aircraft and all radars with sufficient range within their respective positions' ARTCCs.
Yvan: Japan Airlines pilots, OneWorld maintenance crews, passengers of the world... MOVE OUT!
