WORLDFLIGHT 2025: BEFORE IT ALL BEGINS

The anticipation is building. As I write this blog, WorldFlight 2025 looms only five days away. It was about six weeks ago a friend of mine mentioned that WorldFlight was opening up their teams and creating an "Affiliate Team" category. Originally, WorldFlight was created and operated with teams who were flying full simulators - of which my friend had.

Since 1999, the organization grew and more and more flight simulation enthusiasts built their full-scale cockpit models at home, at the office, wherever. These models included Airbus, Boeing and other models.

As WorldFlight grew with both the hobby and technology, it began to grow a reputation around the world as a premier event. There seemed to be only one issue. The universe of those who could participate was rather small. Out of the corpus of flight simmers, the number of individuals or even groups of individuals who have the additional means and access to flight simulation parts to build full-size Airbus 320s, Boeing 747s and the like are very small. Moreover, for those of us without a full sim, or even with major components as we work on our sim, we were excluded as well. So, the best we could do was sit in front of our computers and watch streams of our favorite pilots.

The Spirit of Community is a special commemorative livery designed for WorldFlight 2025

Fast forward to 2024. WorldFlight tested a program to allow several non-full-sim pilots into the mix. It was a resounding success and this year, 2025, there are more than 15 official teams and 18 affiliate teams. Proudly, BRAVO 737 has a team this year!

Background over, the butterflies begin. If you aren't familiar with WorldFlight, the long-of-the-short is, flight simulation pilots fly to destinations all around the world. They begin in Sydney, Australia, circumnavigate the globe and return to Sydney for a homecoming leg. This process takes about seven days and many, if not most stream their trips. Teams ususally take turns flying and the event is to building community within the flight simulation

community as well as raise money for non-profit organizations around the world. We started six weeks planning, creating liveries for our team and others, engaging the WorldFlight staff (who have been lovely by the way), creating new stream overlays, ensuring our sims are working at the highest level and looking at maps, charts and tools to guarantee the best flights possible. This is all for fun, but you want to have a good showing for yourself, your teammates and for the WorldFlight folks. The VATSIM network is the backbone to this endeavor and it is important to maintain a level of immersion, professionalism and critical flying during this next seven days.

Our team will begin with Capt. Hawke from Charlie Thirty One fame taking the first several legs from Australia to New Zealand. I will then pick up the mantle and fly from Antarctica to South America. Capt. Hawke will fly us through the United States and then Arcade Mack, the third member of our team will take selected routes between Capt. Hawk and myself to traverse through Europe and to Asia. Once in the far East, Arcade Mack will jump back in and navigate the Japanese Coastline and into Malaysia. Capt. Hawk and I will tag-team the last few legs and I will bring the team in for the final leg into Sydney.

How can you engage you ask? Great question! We are raising money for Patriot PAWS Service Dogs based in Rockwall, Texas. We have a donation form on our page and the donations go directly to Patriot PAWS. Please make a gift if able. Also, you can watch the three of us live (although at all hours of day and night) as we fly the WorldFlight Legs. Finally, you can take a look at the schedule to see when we are flying and encourage us either on chat or via Discord as we are often flying 10 or 15 hours straight.

WorldFlight 2025 will come and go seemingly faster than I can write this blog. Flights will make their final approach on November 8! I ask you support all WorldFlight teams during this amazing event. Our pilots are flying for the basic love of aviation, flight simulation, the community the hobby creates and Patriot Paws and their mission to help veterans in need. We look forward to seeing you all as we fly and when we return with greater knowledge and tall tales of which we will wax poetically!