Establishing the concept for LewisAire operations was a process that required essentially no forethought at all; LewisAire would be a bush-flying outfit located somewhere in the Canadian wilderness, and we would serve the isolated towns and settlements within practical reach. 

 

   But setting the protocols for membership was a different matter altogether:  Should we leave the doors completely open to whoever wants to join?  Should we have strict membership and training requirements?  Ultimately, we opted for the middle ground: We kept an attitude that this is --as it is with any virtual airlines-- a hobby, not a profession, and we felt that strict, tough membership requirements would deter many who wanted to join in the fun.  On the other hand, we also knew from experience that without any guidelines at all, it would soon turn into a chaotic, meaningless snake pit.  So with those two realizations in mind, we looked at some other criteria:

1. We would maintain as much realism as possible.

2. LewisAire would be managed as a business, which means that we’d have limited time and resources, same as any other business.

3. We would develop and maintain a fun, exciting, and challenging environment for the members.

 

   We stirred this soup to what we feel is a pretty darned good recipe:  Something that’s quite easy to join but does have a few requirements that will hopefully assure sanity; a place where beginners can learn all about the fine art of bush-flying, and a place where the more experienced flyer can enjoy challenges fitting his/her ability.

 

   In sum, it’s not difficult at all to become a member of LewisAire, but it is a “business” and our work is important, so be aware that LewisAire is not a playground for those seeking a new toy this week.  We do offer an “Observer” level for members who do not wish to fly or participate otherwise in flight operations; feel free to hang out and see what’s going on, and we'll do our best to keep you entertained.