Platinum Airways, the Open Skies virtual airline, is in festive mood this December. Destination of the Week will be visiting four airports that are associated with special traditions: looking after our children in the festive season. Ho Ho Ho’s culmination is Platinum’s traditional Christmas flight out of Santa’s home airport in Finland.

Four years after our first Ho Ho Ho series, Platinum Airways is revisiting special treats for children in Santa’s month as they are celebrated over the world. On 6 December, Belgium and the Netherlands have Sinterklaas, the bearded saint dropping presents for kids through chimneys. As Sinterklaas resides outside Madrid, Spain, our first Ho Ho Ho (2) DOTW is LETO – Madrid’s Torejon Airport. Amu Navruz is Iran’s version of Santa, and that’s why our second DOTW is Teheran’s OIIE – Khomeiny Airport. Next, we’ll be paying tribute to Flying Santa on the US East Coast with a visit to KHMT – Hemet-Ryan Airport. And we end the series with our traditional Christmas DOTW: Santa’s HQ near EFRO – Rovaniemi Airport.

As per usual, each DOTW comes with official charts for each airfield and links to add-on scenery when available. It concludes with a video selection with real-world approaches, ground traffic and Continue reading →

Platinum Airways, the Open Skies virtual airline, has announced its April DOTW theme: Waterworks. The series will visit four engineering masterpieces that are related to water.

Water is a crucial element. Some countries have too much, some too little. It can pose a serious threat to nature. And it offers engineering challenges. Waterworks will pay tribute to four engineering masterpieces that have solved major issues. The series will start with a visit to the Suez Canal that eliminates many days of sailing between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Our destination will be Port Said (HEPS) on the northern side of the canal. Our second Waterwork is the Panama Canal that addresses the issue of having to circumvent South America. We’ll be flying into Marcos Gelabert Airport (MPMG). No country in the world knows how to deal with water better than The Netherlands, and we’ll visit the Delta Works, an engineering work of genius to protect the Zeeland province against floods of the magnitude of the 1953 disaster that claimed more than 1,800 lives. The closest airport to the Delta Works is Rotterdam Airport (EHRD). We’ll conclude Waterworks with a visit to Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport (KLAS), the closest large airport to Hoover Dam, a source of power and water, and a major leisure attraction.

Each DOTW comes with charts to be downloaded and links to Continue reading →

Platinum Airways, the Open Skies virtual airline, is starting 2016 with a slippery Destination of the Week series. Skating on Thin Ice will visit four large glaciers on as many continents.

It has become a tradition at Platinum Airways to dedicate each year’s first destination of the Week series to a wintery theme. 2016 is no exception, as the very virtual Open Skies airline is off to four airports that are close to four significant glaciers. Skating on Thick Ice kicks off with a visit to Antarctica, home of the world’s largest Lambert Glacier, and of the Wilkins Runway (YWKS), an ice runway in the East. From there, we move on to the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska, and its main access airport of Yakutat (PAYA). Our third Skating on Thick Ice DOTW is Skardu Airport (OPSD), the closest airport to the Siachen Glacier in disputed territory between India and Pakistan in the Himalaya – OPSD was selected only on the basis of proximity. We conclude Skating on Thick Ice with a glacier in Patagonia: the Perito Moreno, and its feeder airport, Armando Tola (SAWL).

Each DOTW comes with charts to be downloaded and links to scenery files. A selection of YouTube videos usually contains flight deck and ground views with landings and departures. Continue reading →

Platinum Airways, the Open Skies virtual airline, will pay tribute to the world’s most successful film series, James Bond aka 007. Live And Let Fly, the December 2015 Destination of the Week theme, will visit five airports that are linked with key Bond personalities.

 Early November saw the release of Spectre, the 24^th Bond movie, and what better way to enter the Christmas holiday season than an evening out with the kids for the ultimate toys-for-boys big screen release. Live And Let Fly visits five airports that are linked with as many key James Bond personalities. The series starts with a visit to Edinburgh (EGPH), the birthplace of the first Bond ever, Sean Connery. Our second Bond destination takes us to an airport that is close to one of the three homes of another Bond actor, Roger Moore, who spends a lot of time in Crans-Montana, Switzerland – an ideal opportunity to tackle the great approach into Sion (LSGS). Live And Let Fly number 3 brings us to Dublin (EIDW), the closest airport to Navan, Co Meath, and Pierce Brosnan. The two final Live And Let Fly DOTWs are on the western side of the Atlantic. The Bond theme owes much of its success to its initial producer, Albert R Broccoli, who was born in Queens, NY – hence our visit to Continue reading →

Platinum Airways, the Open Skies virtual airline, has announced yet another Destination of the Week theme. In November, Platinum Airways will visit Mother Nature’s best Special FX show on earth: the northern and southern lights.

With the long polar night setting in on the northern hemisphere, the area close to the magnetic North Pole is preparing for one of the most spectacular shows on Earth: aurora borealis or the northern lights. This natural phenomenon of breath-taking magnitude attracts thousands of people, and Platinum Airways will transport them to four airports that are close to where the action is. Special FX kicks off with Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Our second destination is Yellowknife (CYZF) in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Special FX number three takes us to Ivalo Airport (EFIV), near the Kakslauttanen Arctic resort in northern Finland. And we end Special FX with a visit to Hobart International (YMHB), in anticipation of next year’s aurora australis or southern lights.

Special FX will try to explain what causes this natural phenomenon. Each DOTW comes with charts to be downloaded and links to scenery files. A selection of YouTube videos usually contains flight deck and ground views with landings and departures. Continue reading →

Platinum Airways, the Open Skies virtual airline, is entering the northern hemisphere’s summer with a brand new Destination of the Week series. Ticket to Ride will visit eight airports that are located near just as many theme parks.

The northern summer holidays are well upon us and what better way for young and old to enjoy than visiting eight major theme parks around the world. The first Ticket to Ride takes us to Orange County Airport (KSNA), not far from California’s Disneyland. The second Ticket to Ride takes visitors to the Legoland Discovery Center to Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK). From there, we’re on a rollercoaster at Six Flags Arlington, Texas, via Arlington Municipal (KGKY). We then cross the Atlantic, to Phantasialand in Brühl, not too far from Köln-Bonn Airport (EDDK). Shenzhen Happy Valley is our fifth Ticket to Ride, with Shenzhen Boan (ZGSZ) as our DOTW. We then travel to Aussie World and Sunshine Coast Airport (YBSU) in Queensland, Australia. Brazil has some great theme parks too, such as Beto Carrero World close to Florianopolis-Hercilio Luz International Airport (SBFL). Our last Ticket to Ride is a treat for the older youngsters among us: Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi (OMAA). All Tickets to ride are accompanied with charts to Continue reading →

Platinum Airways, the Open Skies virtual airline, is celebrating its 250^th Destination of the Week with a special series that was compiled by its own pilots. Runway 250 will visit past and future of this popular feature by the Open Skies virtual airline.

As Destination of the Week #250 was approaching, Platinum Airways asked its pilots how this milestone had to be celebrated. 25 posts in the Platinum Airways Pilot Lounge forum later, a new Entebbe Airport (HUEN) on the Equator, symbolizing Platinum Airways’ policy to cater for virtual pilots in the northern and southern hemisphere. Although DOTW tries to visit new airports, some airports have featured twice. The second RWY250 destination is the first airport to have reached that status: Innsbruck’s Kranebitten Airport (LOWI) that first appeared in the Conquest of the Snowy Mountains theme and again in the Thin Air series, as the highest European airport with a scheduled service. The third RWY250 destination was the common denominator of several requests: an airport capable of accommodating heavies, a challenging approach and an icon. The result was the Checkerboard approach of Kai Tak (VHHH). The final RWY250 corresponds with Continue reading →