B747-400 Sim

[Billy the Kid]

I wonder if anyone knows, where I could book a couple of hours of B747-400 sim time in europe. I understand things may have changed post 9/11 regarding security.

Any leads will be greatly appreciated

[Lucifer]

I very much doubt you will get anywhere: if not banned by the authorities, most airlines have instigated their own ban, and in the presence of anonymity on this forum, I very much doubt and hope nobody will be releasing details of where it may be possible unless you were personally known to whoever were to take you. Regrettable but understandable at the moment - sorry I can be of no help.

[chrishowley]

Sorry to disagree with you but I hope people would continue to support those wanting to enjoy the opportunity to fly in whatever form. We still need to support both the training and the dreams of those wanting a taste of the aviation industry. It should be the job of government intelligence and security forces to determine when training is being taken for the wrong purposes and not the job of those with simulators - frankly now we are post 9/11, I think if we have basic intelligence a terrorist should now be put off walking in off the street and trying to buy sim time.

What I am trying to say is yes we need security and yes we need to better at it but I often feel that some of these reactionary moves are giving people comfort when we haven't done much to improve security. I am very tempted to write here a number of errors I have seen recently but would probably be criticised for doing so - however I do not want to quote these to show where the weaknesses are but rather to show that we are giving people comfort by banning steel cuterly, locking cockpit doors etc when other obvious risks have been over looked. Ultimately most of us are safe in the skies because people do not want to cause harm for the most part not because someone took my pair of tweezers from me at the security screening point. Unfortunately I feel that your suggestion that people should not have access to sims is shortsighted - I want to encourage as many wanabee pilots as possible while genuinly managing the real risks of terrorism.

It is very understandable why we will no longer have flight deck visits but in the same way (as has been frequently stated here) very sad because it is quite frankly people's dreams we are dashing.

[groundbum]

hear hear, and bring back flight desk visits

[Lucifer]

There is no private flying of any kind on BA simulators at the moment - time is only leased out to other airlines or for contractual work of a similar nature. I believe that is very old information you have there.

Yes it is sad I agree that people's ambitions cannot be fostered so readily, but I stand by what I said above, both in that I would not want AT THE MOMENT to freely give details of where it is possible, AND that I doubt it is possible to get on a -400 anywhere in Europe.

The only way I think it would at all be possible is if you were personally known to a crew at a smaller outfit.

[ 14 February 2002: Message edited by: Lucifer ]</p>

[reverserunlocked]

Sorry Billy but you aren't going to get very far with virtualaviation.com because they've been stopped from doing sim sessions by GE and BA, the owners of the sims they were using.

If you need some big jet time, I'd try European Aviation (www.euroav.com) who have BAC 1-11, 727 and L1011 sims for a reasonable rate.

Be warned though that you gotta send them a copy of your passport before the session, which they send off to Special Branch for some background checks.

Or you could try the rather old but still quite fun Trident sim which is up near Biggin Hill and privately owned by a chap called Andy Mattocks. His number'll be somewhere in the archives.

[Billy the Kid]

Thanks for the help. . .I have a check ride in the future, so only the -400 will do.

[Dick Whittingham]

I know this is not the same, but if you need to practice just full procedures, including emergencies, on a PC based system, look at the Aerowinx Precision Simulator PS1.3 This has full simulation of systems, FMS, ACARS, etc and can be set up for various airline/engine fits.

Dick W

[Long Range Cruise]

I have that simulator for fun. It set me back £189.00 Although im on Airbus, the b744 is fun, with most principals still the same. You get a large hand book with it too, so take in all that reading and you should be up and away! Email me if u got any questions.

[Long Range Cruise]

Actually, PPRuNe it, so everyone else can find out stuff. There are more people than you who may want it <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Thanks