Trilogy, Sci-Fi, virtual universe, Victorian but not steampunk, flies prop bi-plane through the outerspace through breathable aether

[Hrh]

So the books I'm looking for were a trilogy. I read them several years ago on an e-reader. Likely published since 2000. The screen on my reader died and so did my NAS that I stored books on! So I can't look up anything I previously had.

In the first book the protagonist is a person of minor nobility in a Victorian era kingdom. He has a propeller driven bi-plane and decides to go to another planet, which is easy, because you simply fly there through the luminous, breathable, aether. On the way he buzzes a cruise dirigible full of tourists.

The solar system is rather small, and the sun is actual fire, not fusion. I don't remember who he visits. I don't remember the second book at all.

The third book he is leading a military charge against "ghosts" on a planet dedicated to a perpetual war. The tech of the war is about the level of World War 1, continual trench warfare and artillery raids.
POTENTIAL SPOILER:(view spoiler)[ The ghosts are remnants of computer memory because everything about this universe is virtual, it's a simulation in a real universe (presumable ours). (hide spoiler)]

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Hrh, are you still looking for this or did you find it?