Post by Joao Paz on Aug 22, 2005 22:51:00 GMT -5
And hello to all from the Alaskan Winds Main Office! 
First of all, thank you to Milt Chambers (AW MP Manager) and Dan Morand (TWF MP Coordinator) who first started talking about what became the Virtual Flight Group. Thanks also to Frank Seigler and Valmee Lucena, and all the Staff that is putting it all together!
Following Dan's footsteps here goes....!
My name is Joao Paz, just turned 42, born and living in Porto (Oporto as it is known internationally) on the north coast of Portugal - the most western of the european countries, right over the Atlantic. Porto is the homeland of what you may know as Port Wine ;D right from the vinyards of the river Douro banks, the 2nd major river in our country that meets the Atlantic right here close to home.
I am married to Luisa, who's also a flightsimmer and the greatest supporter of my hobby, and the stepfather of Teresa - that thinks we're nuts ;D . I'm a violin/orchestra teacher, a database programmer, a VA manager and also an aircraft painter (but I still see myself as a pilot
).
I started simming around 95, I think, but it was only when Luisa offered me FS98 for Christmas that it became serious business. Then I discovered the net, FlightSim.Com, downloads, addons, MPs, FS racing and Alaska Gold VA which got me into the Alaska bug and the wonders of bush flying.
Then one fine day in March 2000 I uploaded a couple of pages and called it Alaskan Winds. Some days later, on the very same day, Bob Smith and Don Hogue became AW001 and AW002, the first pilots of our roster! Don I'm sure most of you know, a wonderful person and pilot, is still an active member of all the companies in our Group! Hei buddy!
I don't know.... but I think we got to the 400 pilots in a flash! So much so that I had to take some steps back and take a serious break away of FS in early 2003. Alaskan Winds was on hold...
...but to my amazement, later that year I posted a shy note at our Group's Forum and suddenly all the guys were there again!
Milt Chambers joined us on October 2003 and quite naturally became our MPM. Our weekly sessions soon proved to be the backbone of AWs comeback, with some 10 or 15 pilots together week after week for a long time!
Alaskan Winds is a pilots company and, in spite of my countless hours at it, is to them that most of the credit should go. I can only say the best about their unvaluable contribution in all areas, their dedication and the great bunch of nice people they are
I hope that you all can meet all of them now!
At the time of this writing AW has 2 sister companies: L'Air Azur (vintage and classic propliner flying) and Adventure Flights (no rules, great scotch ;D)
I hope we, AW, can contribute our share to the success of the Virtual Flight Group - translated in fun for all. I'll comit to that.
About the VFG, personally I'm sure it will be a great and positive experience to Pilots and their Companies. I trust it will be good for all! I'm ready to admire the work of my colleagues and the skills of their pilots, and I'm ready to learn from that. I already learned that in community the fruit of our work grows stronger, and also that it is that - and not isolation - that will reveal each Company's character and uniqueness.
I really like when I read pilots asking about their own VA IDs, if they'll be able to keep them in VFG - defending them. Awsome! VFG is not a VA. Is a flightsim lounge for all, to gather and go out flying and come back together again and share experiences. And still life goes on as usual at BWA, AAS, TWF and AW!
OK, this was supposed to be a welcome note ;D
So Welcome to all - AWs, TWFs, AASs and BWAs,
Welcome to the visitors just passing by
and Welcome to those who eventually decide to join one (or all!) of these 4 great companies to help us make this project a really fun one!
Great to be here!
Joao Paz, Alaskan Winds CEO
First of all, thank you to Milt Chambers (AW MP Manager) and Dan Morand (TWF MP Coordinator) who first started talking about what became the Virtual Flight Group. Thanks also to Frank Seigler and Valmee Lucena, and all the Staff that is putting it all together!
Following Dan's footsteps here goes....!
My name is Joao Paz, just turned 42, born and living in Porto (Oporto as it is known internationally) on the north coast of Portugal - the most western of the european countries, right over the Atlantic. Porto is the homeland of what you may know as Port Wine ;D right from the vinyards of the river Douro banks, the 2nd major river in our country that meets the Atlantic right here close to home.
I am married to Luisa, who's also a flightsimmer and the greatest supporter of my hobby, and the stepfather of Teresa - that thinks we're nuts ;D . I'm a violin/orchestra teacher, a database programmer, a VA manager and also an aircraft painter (but I still see myself as a pilot
).I started simming around 95, I think, but it was only when Luisa offered me FS98 for Christmas that it became serious business. Then I discovered the net, FlightSim.Com, downloads, addons, MPs, FS racing and Alaska Gold VA which got me into the Alaska bug and the wonders of bush flying.
Then one fine day in March 2000 I uploaded a couple of pages and called it Alaskan Winds. Some days later, on the very same day, Bob Smith and Don Hogue became AW001 and AW002, the first pilots of our roster! Don I'm sure most of you know, a wonderful person and pilot, is still an active member of all the companies in our Group! Hei buddy!
I don't know.... but I think we got to the 400 pilots in a flash! So much so that I had to take some steps back and take a serious break away of FS in early 2003. Alaskan Winds was on hold...
...but to my amazement, later that year I posted a shy note at our Group's Forum and suddenly all the guys were there again!
Milt Chambers joined us on October 2003 and quite naturally became our MPM. Our weekly sessions soon proved to be the backbone of AWs comeback, with some 10 or 15 pilots together week after week for a long time!
Alaskan Winds is a pilots company and, in spite of my countless hours at it, is to them that most of the credit should go. I can only say the best about their unvaluable contribution in all areas, their dedication and the great bunch of nice people they are
I hope that you all can meet all of them now!
At the time of this writing AW has 2 sister companies: L'Air Azur (vintage and classic propliner flying) and Adventure Flights (no rules, great scotch ;D)
I hope we, AW, can contribute our share to the success of the Virtual Flight Group - translated in fun for all. I'll comit to that.
About the VFG, personally I'm sure it will be a great and positive experience to Pilots and their Companies. I trust it will be good for all! I'm ready to admire the work of my colleagues and the skills of their pilots, and I'm ready to learn from that. I already learned that in community the fruit of our work grows stronger, and also that it is that - and not isolation - that will reveal each Company's character and uniqueness.
I really like when I read pilots asking about their own VA IDs, if they'll be able to keep them in VFG - defending them. Awsome! VFG is not a VA. Is a flightsim lounge for all, to gather and go out flying and come back together again and share experiences. And still life goes on as usual at BWA, AAS, TWF and AW!
OK, this was supposed to be a welcome note ;D
So Welcome to all - AWs, TWFs, AASs and BWAs,
Welcome to the visitors just passing by
and Welcome to those who eventually decide to join one (or all!) of these 4 great companies to help us make this project a really fun one!
Great to be here!
Joao Paz, Alaskan Winds CEO
