Having a go in a flight sim in the UK?

[Sepp]

Flight Simulator Experiences - Virtual Aviation (http://www.virtualaviation.co.uk/products/fun/)

[Sepp]

How odd... according to the timestamps I'm seeing, my reply seems to have been posted before your question!

[whatdoesthisbuttondo]

Hi everyone, my friend wants a go in a flight sim for his birthday, what's the most realistic/best sim available for hire/red letter days etc.

It seems lots of small operators do sim hire but was looking for some recommendations from anyone here.

Do the airline used sims like GECAT BOEING the people in Burgess Hill easyjet use etc let joe public hire them by the hour?

[mutt]

Sepp, your ability to see into the future is amazing.... Do you know tonight's Lotto numbers :)

Mutt

[pax britanica]

I would recommend vitual aviation
Had two shots at it both shared experiences -wish they were longer but its not cheap for understandable reasons.

Really interesting and great fun with very good instructors .

As along time frequent flyer and aviation follower (grew up half a mile from LHR) it was fascinating experience-I 'flew' a 737-800 and an A320 -interesting contrast with 737 looking very very dated compared to the airbus.

Both very easy to fly -that is if theres no wind and weather and every thing works. Throw in some bad visibility and a crosswind and you realise very quickly why there are special skills involved in piloting , things get very hard very fast -maybe a few airline finance department people should be forced to see what an approach and landing looks like at night in heavy rain and gusting cross windwind.
Great day out PB

PB

[Sepp]

@ Mutt:

Yes, I really ought to go get a ticket! :D

[whatdoesthisbuttondo]

Thanks for the replies so far! So quick they even appeared before the question was asked!

Does anyone have experience of some of the cheaper flight sims like

Flight Simulators - Flight Simulator Gift Experiences - Flight Simulator Experiences - Simulator Experience Gifts - Fly a Simulator (http://www.realsimulation.co.uk/)

Presumably the cheaper ones aren't full motion and are much less realistic?

[Doug E Style]

There is a fixed base 737 sim at the Westfield shopping centre in west London. No idea how much it costs but at least you have some good restaurants on hand when you've finished.

[TSR2]

Does anyone have experience of some of the cheaper flight sims like

Flight Simulators - Flight Simulator Gift Experiences - Flight Simulator Experiences - Simulator Experience Gifts - Fly a Simulator

Yes, I have had a session on this very simulator about 15 years ago.

Although it is a B732 simulator, it is full motion and very realistic. I would strongly recommend a one-to-one session which gives you a 30 minute briefing followed by 60 minutes in the simulator conducting a range of flying excercises including numerous take-offs and landings, a real time flight from LBA to MAN and a stall recovery.

Highly recommended.

[mmitch]

The Concorde flight sim at Brooklands is fixed motion, but is very realistic.
There is an instructor with you.
mmitch.

[Twinotterguy]

There is a fixed base 737 sim at the Westfield shopping centre in west London. No idea how much it costs but at least you have some good restaurants on hand when you've finished.

I took my younger niece in this few years back, even though its not full motion its good and cheap too if you go there during a certain period of time which is described as not so peak time. You also get discount for your next visits.

[whatdoesthisbuttondo]

Are the BA flight training sims the same ones the BA pilots use? Are they 'de tuned' to make it easy and fun for the public or is it exactly the same sim?

It seems odd that BA sims are so much cheaper to use than the company linked to earlier?