BAVirtual

Established in 2000, BAVirtual is Virtual Airline which has a membership of 1250 virtual pilots. These members include aspiring teenagers, active and retired airline captains, and flight simulation enthusiasts alike. It is a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation, that fulfils a role to provide a structured, hands-on educational environment for aspiring pilots that accurately mimics the operations of British Airways.

Through a partnership with the global VATSIM, BAVirtual provides an environment where individuals can learn about the principles of flying for an airline to a fairly advanced level, using commercially available software to create a simulated 'virtual airspace' that is identical in navigational terms to the real world. This highly realistic system acts as a 'knowledge gateway' for aspiring pilots, by allowing them to assimilate some of the more challenging aspects of airline flying but in a relaxed and pressure free environment.