It would be interesting to see who is still here from the early days. If you have a 6 digit number that’s a good clue that you aren’t a nugget.. I flew my first VATSIM flight on 26 June 2005. So that is twenty years ago, or 20+ years. I have been a member of VATSIM for 83% of its existence. Are there any plank-owners out there with double-digit numbers?
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I’ll chime in.
Opening Day. Actually, 2 weeks before opening day. We controllers from SATCO were given the opportunity to join the network and have our controller ratings transfer over, as those controllers needed to be established without going through the training for various divisions all over again. So we were able to sign up, and upon verification, have our SATCO ratings carry over with us. A week after opening day, SATCO shut down permanently.
BL.
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First flight 2003-02-01 of which I remember nothing. 5 days later I remember flying the C-172 vfr around ESSA scared to death of what to say to those controllers.
I can see October 2001. before that i was on IVAO
Hmmm! My number is 931363, so an ‘early’ one. However, my virtual flying flying times only start in 2015. Vatsim hours are now 4,800 or so.
812012 here. I also joined from SATCO at the very beginning of VATSIM as a UK controller. I still am and what’s more, I’ve been here all the time in between, controlling and a bit of flying pretty much every week since,
Like many of us, I have watched VATSIM grow into the mature organisation it is today - and it’s still developing!
My only regret is that I was already nearly 50 when I first discovered SATCO.
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Interesting nostalgia 
Started at SATCO days and IVAO. Just peeked the statistics. Looks like my first flight anniversary is due in two weeks, will clock 24 years now…
Unfortunately not so many hours though, just scratching 1000 hours. In this period life changed from edge to edge. The online flying was immense help with my PPL, but both suffered long breaks and pauses.
I’m trying to make my flights with some goal in mind, fseconomy, destination, navigation challenge, weather , IFR procedures etc. The overhaul time cost for a flight is significant. I strive to do 99% of the flights online no matter what and would guess with presence of 95%.
Really puzzles me how people manage to devote many thousands of hours, especially if they really attend them fully.
- Enjoyed every flight. Regards to all
I came from IVAO and never look back, my number is 894556. I don’t remember on what year I join probably 2003-2004.
Greetings All!
I came over from the old SATCO days, 819777. I did take a long break but my number was still in the system and I was able to continue right were I left off.
I also started at SATCO sometime between 1997 and 1999. Now it feels I grew old with VATSIM. 
Another 6-digit old fogy here… July 11, 2003 was when I took the plunge and began learning. I was lucky because a lot of the VATMEX people were either alumni or active in my VA. SUR Air, so I was prety much handheld during my first months, as were all noobs in the roster. Of course, once the old hands judged us “trained”, the real demanding standards were enforced, and the constant ribbing for even the smallest mistakes continued off-VATSIM in the sim and VA forums that were popular in those days (some of us still bear the unflattering nicknames from 20 years ago =D). We also had the good luck of having an IRL controller as VATMEX1, good old Javier Casarín who steered the division through the first years and fostered a very collegial ambience among controllers and pilots.
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I started sometime in the late 90s controlling at Atlanta, back when it only had four runways. Doing everything by text certainly had its challenges!
Intersting that you state your ID is 931363 where your forum account is 1129929.
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I don’t know how that happened, but you are quite correct: my Vatsim ID number is 1129929. Must be an age thing 
I flew on and off for a while and have been lurking for the last decade. One of these days the urge will come back.
Looks like my first flight was on 2003-11-24 21:45:00.
Time literally flies when you’re having fun 
I signed up in 2005 when I was 15 
Hi,
Long time simmer, retired Air Traffic Controller of 32 years and a flight sim fanatic.
Today was my first ever vatsim experience from KSFO-KSEA in the B772ER.
I had a great experience with the controllers. I’m 63 and really enjoy the disciplined environment. Thank you for taking my sim experience to the next level.
I’ve got over 17,000 hours logged in MSFS over the years. I look forward to more amazing experiences.
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Great to hear!
What we have with online networks such as Vatsim and the level of realism it offers is absolutely amazing! I’m grateful every day I use it for giving me a chance to experience aviation in such a realistic environment!
I’ve been enjoying this hobby for decades and during all these years, the two most important things which truly took things to the next level include online flying and VR. I have airline pilot friends and when they’ve tried my setup, they have been absolutely blown away by the realism you can achieve in the comfort of your home!