At a shopping Centre

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At a shopping Centre
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any of us cannot help but
wonder what it would feel
like to be behind the controls
of a real airliner. Although it is
possible to buy time on a Full Flight
Simulator (FFS) used bv airlines for
training their pilots, at around f6OO
per hour it is not a realistic option
for most of us. This will remain a
distant dream and we have to make
do with exploring the virtual earth on
our desktop computers.
Recentlv there have been some
interesting new developments in the
flight simulation market. A number
of new companies are springing up
that operate custom-built, highfidelity airline simulators that can be
hired by the public at a price much
Iower than hiring professional
trainers. This finally gives us the
chance to experience what it is like
to take to the skies in command of a
highly realistic virtual airliner. One of
these is made by a company called
iPilot, founded by Wolfram Schleuter,
an avid flight simulation enthusiast as
well as a qualified private pilot. iPilot
has ambitious olans to roll out a
UK-wide network of flight simulators;
all located in major shopping centres.
The first of these to see was opened
this summer at the Bluewater
Shopping Centre, located close to
Dartford in Kent. PC Pilot was kindly
invited to evaluate this fascinating
oroduct and to learn more about how
the company operates.
The simulator is based on the
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by Richard Benedikz
rLY & t8Y'
Boeing 737-7O0 NG (Next Generation)
family and uses Microsoft Flight
Simulator 2004 with scenerv add-ons
for improved visual detail. Although it
is mounted on a fixed olatform rather
Centre in Dartf1rd in Kent, but the company plans to
open lacilities at other locations auoss the UK
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Although the simulator is fixed-based, it is very realistic and
has been used by professional pilots as a cost-effective tool for
practicing skills and knowledge-building ahead of examinati0ns
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The Flight Test
I was introduced to my Training
Captain, Will Tangney, an experienced
commercial pilot, ahead of stepping
onto the flight deck. As I made myself
comfortable in the left seat and had a
look around, I was impressed by the
realism of the cockpit - very different
from sitting in front of your desktop.
than being motion-based, it is very
realistic and has fullv functional
Instruments and systems including
overhead panel, autopilot and FMS
(Flight Management System). In fact,
the simulator is regularly used by
qualified pilots in preparation for
exams or type ratings. They even offer
a special package for professional
pilots or those undergoing training, so
they can use the simulator to build up
their knowledge and experience.
Although it is not approved as a
training device, it is still very useful in
gaining experience.
iPilot is the first company in
Europe to open up a flight simulator
experience in a major shopping
centre and with 27 million people
passing through the Bluewater
Shopping Centre every year, the
potential for expansion is enormous.
Since opening the simulator on June
20,2OO9 there has been a very
positive response from the public and
they are now working on a project for
a second simulator based on the
Airbus A32O, which will be located at
the Trafford Centre in Manchester. ln
the future iPilot plans to open up
sites at shopping centres not only
across UK, but also Europe - many of
which will be operated under a
franchise agreement. These will be
based on the Boeing 8-737NG and
Airbus 4320 models, although they
are also looking at introducing a
Boeing 8-747-400 simulator as well
as mobile simulators to cater for the
corporate entertainment market or
for personal hire.
After a short briefing and
familiarisation with the layout, we
discussed a suitable flight based on
my experience. We would start with a
short flight from Paris Charles de
Gaulle to London Heathrow so I could
perform the start-up procedure and
program the FMS and autopilot. Will
read out the before start-up checklist,
allowing me to find my way around
the overhead panel, which is an exact
replica of the real thing. After starting
the engines it was time to program
the FMS, which involved selecting the
departure runwav, the correct SID/
STAR and entering the waypoints.
Once the start-up checklist was
completed, we taxied to the active
runway and Will ran me through the
take-off briefing.
After we received the take-off
clearance I lined the aircraft on the
centreline and we were readv to roll.
advanced the power levers to 6Qo/o to
allow the engines to stabilise before
The flight deck is a life size
replica of the B-737NG
The aircraft is flown using a life-sized contrcl column
that is an exact replica of the real 8737-700
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applying take-off power. As the aircraft
accelerated down the centreline, Will
called out 80 knots, then Vl and rotate.
I pulled back on the yoke and raised the
pitch attitude to 15 degrees. When the
aircraft became airborne, Will called out
the positive rate of climb and I leaned
over to raise the landing gear.
We had agreed that I would'hand'
fly the aircraft to begin with to get a
feel for the controls. Following the SID
The throttle quadrant feels very realistic and
includes all the controls found in the real aircraft
was relatively straightforward because
the route was laid out on the NAV
display. After reaching our cruise
altitude ot FL24O, I switched the
autopilot on and started planning the
arrival. Approximately 30nm from the
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airport I tuned the avionics to runway
271 at Heathrow. I had also opted to
hand fly the approach and although
the aircraft felt very stable, due to
the higher speeds, things happened a
lot faster, which made following
airways without overshooting a little
tricky. As I intercepted the glide
slope, I dropped the undercarriage
and set the flaps for landing, armed
the auto-spoiler and switched on the
landing lights (phewl). I managed to
hold the ILS reasonably well and
although I was a touch too high over
the threshold, the landing was fairly
smooth with plenty of runway to
spare. The main difference oerween
flying an airliner and smaller general
Kai Tak airport, which is famous for
its checkerboard approach on to
runwav 13. While the instrument
approach procedure (lAP) is not too
difficult in qood weather, the real
challenge is the turn on to final
approach. The localiser is offset
nearly 50 degrees to the runway and
you have very little time to align
yourself on 'short final' which is
particularly challenging when flying a
large jet. Once the approach was
programmed into the FMS, following
the correct track was relatively
straightforward as the flight path was
displayed on the NAV display. I must
.
aviation aircraft is that you need to
fly it on to the ground and avoid
floating over the runwav as the
touchdown speeds are much higher
and it is very easy to run out of
Tarmac. You also need to remember
to lower the nose wheel to the ground
after the main gear touches down for
better directional control. After
touchdown the spoilers automatically
deployed and I engaged reverse
thrust until 80kts. We had arrived in
one piecel
lf you look ctosety. you can see the $
avionics stack in the centrc consote i
For the next flight, Will set me up
at Shenzhen International airport in
Hong Kong. I was to take-off and flv a
full instrument approach to the old
confess that on this occasion I did
use the auto throttles to give myself
more time to prepare for the final
part of the approach.
As I reached 'decision height',
things started happening very quickly
as I prepared to make the turn to
finals. This is a crucial stage of the
approach, because if you turn too
early or too late, you may not be able
to align the aircraft with the
centreline and you will have to
go-around. In actual fact, I turned too
early (against Will's advice!) so there
were some frantic moments while
tried to get the Boeing aligned on
very short final. I just managed to
pull the landing off although it was a
little bit close for comfort! | thanked
the gods I wasn't in a747
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Conclusion
I spent just over an hour in the
simulator and it was time well spent.
The whole experience was very
immersive and despite being in the
middle of one of Britain's largest
shopping centres, as I entered the
cockpit I immediately forgot my
surroundings. For most of us, this is
as close as you can get to the
experience of flying a real airliner
and I would highly recommend you
pay this centre a visit! Although it is
a little bit on the pricey side, I still
The flight deck of the Boeing 737 NG
series is desiqned to reduce workload
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instructors are very ftexlb e and
riendly and you can get as much (or
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as little) hands-on exper ence as you
require. iPilot is aiso constantly
improving the simulator and the
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The simulat1r c0nsists 0f three rear-m0unted passenger
seats that can be used to view the progress of the flight
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next item on the list is upgrading the
projector for better surround view
and adding force feedback to the
yoke, which will make the flight
model even more realistic. As for
me, I can't wait to see their Airbus
A32O simulator. ffi
, The thrust levers c1ntrol the engines via
lined the
aircrafit on
the centreline
and we were
rcady to roll
a FADEC (Full
Authlity Digital Engine)
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