Fantastic experience bought as a birthday gift for my 40th. We were made to feel very welcome when we arrived. Covid checks swiftly out of way we were offered a hot drink and settled down for the half hour video introduction.
Captain Pete then came to join us and we discussed what I fancied doing and what he could set up for me. After a lot of laughs we headed to the simulator. The A320 simulator is a thing of beauty; a real cockpit turned into a simulator where every button and switch works as it should. As a novice enthusiast I wanted to do a few short flights and learn more about how to fly the real thing so I could indulge the fantasy and take some knowledge back to the home PC sim.
The first flight we did was a start-up and push back from Heathrow T5 and on to land at Gatwick. The motion on the A320 sim is limited to the forward axis but don't let that put you off, it feels great and really adds to the realism, especially on takeoff. Pete was brilliant at talking me through it all and answering my (probably irritating) questions about what the acronyms were and what everything did.
The second flight we did was taking off and landing at Seattle with a tour of the mountains. The scenery is great in the sim, the only slight let-down is that you can only see out your front and side windows and not those on the other side. I believe this is due to the screen projection method. It would have been nice to have got a full wraparound view, but didn't really detract from my experience since I was more interested in the realism of the simulator itself as opposed to visuals. Pete informed me that the 747 sim has a full view out.
The final flight was from London City to Heathrow for a chance to use full TOGA thrust and a steep ascent. Great fun and a final short opportunity for me to apply what I learnt.
An absolutely brilliant experience made all the better for Pete's knowledge and friendly nature. Highly recommended for anyone, but especially (mostly) armchair pilots like myself! The time flew by....
Read moreAs an aviation enthusiast, but amateur (sim) pilot, I cannot rate this experience enough. I had the pleasure of meeting Chris (the new business owner) and receiving my training from Paul today. Paul's professionalism and experience was evident throughout, calmly coaching and teaching, and always making me feel comfortable and ensuring that I was comfortable with his instructions and at ease with his expert direction. Pauls approach is such that he was able to cut through my lack of experience and guide me, never making me feel uneasy about being such a novice behind the controls, even coaching me to have some fun, beyond anything a real world situation would allow. Suffice to say, I'm absolutely hooked, therfore I've purchased another 120 minute session, and I cannot wait for that. If you have ever considered or wished that you could 'have a go' at experiencing what it's like to be an 'actual pilot' then this has to be for you. Without doubt, you'll love it. Thanks guys, I'll see...
Read moreWow, this was brilliant! Had this as a birthday present and was sent all details via email; extremely well organised and informative. When we arrived, we were greeted by Nigel who was very friendly and showed us the simulator we had chosen. It transpired that there was an issue with it but we got offered alternative options and Nigel was extremely helpful to take the time to explain everything and show the other simulator options available. The pre flight brief was very informative and interesting, which helped when taking the simulator itself. The simulator was fantastic and Nigel did everything to enhance the experience, of which his help and knowledge was second to none. Very happy with our day and grateful to the FSM team, especially Nigel for his help! Fully reccomended for anyone, great day out and will be going...
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