The idea of Noble Air was first conceived in June 1994 by Tim Virkler with its hub in San Francisco. Since that time, Noble Air has grown by leaps and bounds and now represents the largest and most diverse pilot base of virtual airlines currently in operation online. Noble Air provides services to all major cities around the world via 23 hubs (see Noble Air ) run by a team of more than 50 dedicated volunteers.

The aim of Noble Air is to bring flight simulator pilots together and give them new goals to achieve using their flight simulator program. They can learn how to fly different aircrafts under different conditions. They can learn all about preferred instrument flight routes, standard instrument departure (SID) and standard terminal approach (STAR).With freeware modules available, they can have direct contact with virtual air traffic controllers, using the latest voice technology to guide them while flying using the same techniques as that of the professional pilots.

Pilots will be able to achieve higher ranks by flying more hours on airline scheduled routes assigned by their Hub Captains. Throughout the course of their career, pilots will face new challenges and achieve a new level of enjoyment from their flight simulator. The Flight Simulation community has hundreds of like minded pilots, from occasional simulator pilots to professional pilots, who share the same interest and love of aviation. It is our goal to introduce the new simulated airline pilot to this community of enthusiasts and improve their enjoyment of flight simulation and aviation in general

The Atlanta hub was initially established in 2001, under the leadership of Dave Neely as first Hub Captain, operating from The William B Hartsfield International airport, Atlanta, Georgia. Since its inception it has grown to a community of about 12 pilots. The hub has Intercontinental, Domestic and Regional flights from Atlanta which provide service to Europe, South America, Mexico, Canada, the US, and Asia. These also connect with flights from many of Noble Air's other hubs. There is also a fledgling Cargo operation.

This Operational Manual covers specific procedures used by the Noble Air Atlanta Hub. The Noble Air Operations Manual provides information for Noble Air general operations.

Noble Air Atlanta Staff

David Howells, Hub Captain
Vacant, Assistant Hub Captain
vacant, Director Of Operations
Vacant, Director Of Cargo

Joining Noble

Joining Noble Air is simple, If you are joining from the Atlanta hub's homepage, simply click here.The Hub Captain or the Assistant Hub Captain will reply to you within 24 hours. Your first assignment will be to fly down to Atlanta from the city of your residence. Once you are in Atlanta you need to send in the Flight report to the Hub Captain who will be keeping track of your flying hours. You will receive a pilot ID number direct from the Hub Captain and you will be placed on the Atlanta roster after you have made your first flight report. Pilots of our hub need to put in their flight report weekly.

NEW PILOTS: Please read this whole manual and also the Noble Air Operations Manual found in the Noble Air main page. At a future date, the hub management may consider implementing check rides for all pilots. At present, there is no requirement to complete check flights. So, if you have just learned using Flight Simulator, or have used it for years, please JOIN THE Atlanta HUB OF NOBLE AIR. We require the following information:

1) Full Name

2) Home airport

3) Email Address

Don't hesitate to ask questions! We are here to help and to clarify any queries you may have.

Flight Assignments

Consult the Flight Schedule for information on flight numbers, destinations, times and aircraft used.

Here at the Atlanta Hub we do not use a "bid" system and pilots are free to choose flights from the schedule. Alternatively, pilots may wish to fly to destinations that are not included in our schedule with or without intermediate stops. These flights can be reported as CHARTER flights using the alternative flight report form. Every Monday our Roster page is updated to reflect hours submitted from each member pilot.

Flight Report

When you have completed your week's flying, you must submit a flight report via our Flight reporting form to the Hub Captain.

The departure and arrival times listed in the schedule are for Gate Departure ie Pushback and Gate Arrival ie Engine shutdown. Your report should list gate departure and gate arrival times using the 24-hour clock, and both times must be in the same time zone, preferably ZULU/UTC This will allow the Operations to compare the actual flight times to the schedule, and make any needed schedule updates. You may make your flight reports as detailed as you wish; we at Noble Air do enjoy hearing of pilot's exploits during their travels.

Flight Times

The flight arrival and duration times in the schedule are an indication only. They have been worked out to take account of the expected flight time, pushback and taxi-ing times and take no account of prevailing weather conditions. For those pilots who wish to take advantage of actual /virtual weather during their flights, arrival and duration times may vary significantly.

It is important to note that Noble Air pilots earn credit for only actual flight times. If you do fly a route using the accelerated time feature, be sure to mention this on your flight report; only actual 1-to-1 times will be credited.

Promotions

Pilots earn promotion in one way: by flying regularly, reporting and accumulating the flight hours needed for each rank.  Promotion is automatic on gaining the required hours.

Flight Planning

As in the real world of flying, you should plan your flight prior to departing. Although this is not a requirement, planning a flight does add to the realism (and smooth operation) of your flight. Charts are necessary for accurate and safe flying, even in a simulation. Check your local airport and see if there are any Fixed Base Operators or airplane shops that may have out-of-date real-world charts they may be willing to part with. You might try finding charts at a local military airfield if there's one nearby. You can also call or write NOAA to get their catalog of charts and other information on flight. Alternatively, there are a number of flight planning programmes available on the Internet.There are a number of tools available to help with this task. If you have any questions or problems, ask the Hub Captain or Assistant Hub Captain

Flight Conditions

Pilots are encouraged to make their flights as realistic as possible, as this adds to the excitement and authenticity of the simulation. Using real-world altitudes and setting realistic (and real-world) weather conditions will help enhance the experience. For a realistic experience, Squawkbox offers an Air Traffic Control simulation as well as real world weather updates. If you have any questions about Squawkbox operations, contact the Assistant Hub Captain for guidance.

Pilot Status

The roster will be reviewed every two months. Any pilot not on Leave of Absence who has not filed a report in the last 60 days will receive an e-mail from the Hub Captain. If you do not respond or ask for a Leave of Absence within 30 days you will be put on the inactive pilot roster. If you still do not respond within a month your name will be removed from our roster.

A Leave of Absence or temporary reassignment is granted ONLY by the Hub Captain. Your status will appear on the hub Roster

Assignment to Other Hubs

Pilots may elect to change hubs, either temporarily or permanently, by notifying their present Hub Captain. He in turn will contact the Hub Captain at your destination to pass along your hours, rank, and RTW award.

Round-the-World Flights

Any pilot not already possessing one can earn a RTW award and the right to add the letter "G" to their pilot ID by asking the Hub Captain for permission to embark on a round-the-world flight. The email should contain your proposed itinerary, along with a note about the aircraft you plan to use. The following rules govern for-credit RTW operations:

Management will create and forward a certificate commemorating the RTW award soon after it receives a flight report claiming credit for the final leg.

Time Conversions

Pilots are expected to report flight times in 24 hour format when filing reports each week. Arrival and departure times should be converted and reported in the same Time Zone. Do not report departure time in one time zone and arrival time in a different time zone. To avoid confusion it is recommended that you use UTC/ZULU time.

At Atlanta flight durations should be reported in "hrs:min" format.

Flight Altitudes & Flt Levels

Pilots at Atlanta are requested to use ICAO-standard enroute altitude and flight levels in all operations except when directed otherwise by Air Traffic Control. Note that there are some exceptions, additions or modifications in certain countries. For further information, please see the charts and documents applicable in each country or area of concern.

ICAO STANDARD CRUISING ALTITUDE DIAGRAMS

On-Off Airways Below FL290 IFR IFR   VFR VFR 180º to 360º Altitude in Ft 001º to 179º Altitude in Ft   180º to 360º Altitude in Ft 001º to 179º Altitude in Ft 2000 1000   2500 1500 4000 3000   4500 3500 6000 5000   6500 5500 8000 7000   8500 7500 10000 9000   10500 9500 etc etc   etc etc

On-Off Airways at or above FL290 IFR IFR   VFR VFR 180º to 360 FL's Feet 001º to 179º FL's Feet   180º to 360º FL's Feet 001º to 179º FL's Feet 310 290   320 300 350 330   360 340 390 370   400 380 430 410   440 420 470 450   480 460 etc etc   etc etc

NOTES: 1. "FL" means FLIGHT LEVEL and is correctly used ONLY when referring
to altitudes at or above 18,000 feet (FL 180). Below 18000 feet, the term "ALTITUDE" is used.