Online aviation network, VATSIM, have issued a statement online announcing the establishment of VATSIM Inc, a non-profit organisation, in a move to ‘grow and strengthen itself while ensuring a financially stable and healthy future’.
The network was initially created by a group known as the VATSIM Founders, who held ownership of the hugely popular online aviation network since its inception, together with the VATSIM Board of Governors, for over 20 years. Crucially, according to their statement, it was these original founders who ‘helped pay for many of the expenses that coming with running a network like VATSIM’.
The VATSIM Inc. corporation, legally based in the United States, sees the VATSIM Founders pass ownership onto the newly formed group, which will be led by a newly formed Board of Directors, who they say will serve two-year terms and ‘oversee the financial and legal aspects of VATSIM’.
According to their press release, VATSIM will now accept charitable donations, stating ‘everyone that wishes to support the VATSIM network financially will now be able to’. The team state that the change will enable the network to ‘grow and strengthen itself while ensuring a financially stable and
healthy future.’
Donations will be entirely voluntary, but the document states will ‘not entitle account holders to receive any additional benefits or services while using the VATSIM network.’
Their announcement states an emphasis will be placed on education, while maintaining the network will remain free-to-use.
You can read the full press release here.
