Recently, Lausa Air has jump started a groundbreaking (daresay, revolutionary) initiative designed to reward its virtual pilots, not with virtual paychecks and virtual swag, but with cold, hard cash… through PayPal.  This is “a pilot incentive program with real-live sponsors for its virtual pilots,” said a Lausa Air representative, “and with this new program, we can show our pilots how much we appreciate their dedication and loyalty to Lausa, and the Lausa Air Brand.”

Long-time Lausa supporter, Air Medical Group (www.airmedgroup.com) has again stepped up to be a part of the landmark proposal. “We would not be in a position to offer our pilots such substantial returns were it not for Joe Gonzales, the Air Medical Group, and their continued support,” the representative continued, “nor would we want to be. They have been with us from the beginning, and we are proud to be partnered with such an innovative and dedicated organization that helps so many all around the world.”

Using VAFS to track pilot activity, the pilot reward system acknowledges the aviators with the highest hours per month, and also the aviator with the most number of segments flown. Because Lausa Air has routes ranging from 50 nm to those in excess of 8,000 nm, ideally, no single pilot would be able to have both the highest hours and most flights in any given month. With this hierarchy, the regional pilots of Lausa Air’s City Flyer have a chance to be rewarded for their contributions to the virtual airline.

Here are the numbers: $30 (US) for the pilot with the highest recorded hours for the month. $10 (US) for the pilot with the second-highest recorded hours for the month. $20 (US) for the pilot with the highest number of recorded flight segments for the month. There are rules and regulations, and the rewards are not paychecks for services rendered but rather a simple way to inspire and motivate pilots.

Lausa Air is the virtual airline for London Aviators USA, or Lausa (lausa.co.uk), which offers training to anyone interested in learning the ropes as an air traffic controller or pilot. As a part of the ever-growing online community, Lausa and Lausa Air have partnered with real-life aviation professionals who share this same mission.