Thinking of booking a full-motion simulator experience, some questions...

Question

I'm tired of flying the PMDG 747-400 in FS2004 (it's modelled pretty accurately, but just isn't the real thing). I'm thinking of saving some money up to have an experience on a full-motion simulator. The 747-400 isn't available (:-(), so my next option is either the 757/767 one (which is in Manchester - a bit of a drive away), or the 737-300 and 737NG which is situated at my nearest airport (LHR - EGLL - London Heathrow, but I'm not too keen on as the MCP confuses me compared to the 747-400).

So it will most likely be the 737 (-300 or NG, either one will do). Firstly, for people who aren't pilots and have gone on one of these, what things do you get to do? Can YOU, yourself, choose what to do, or does the accompanying captain tell you what you'll be doing?

For those who ARE pilots and have flown the real thing, how do these compare? Obviously, like with everything, nothing compares to the real thing, but I think before I definitely become a pilot (which, at the moment, I have my fullt heart set on(!)), I want to see what it's like in one of these things as they're next to the real thing, and to have a full cockpit presented infront of you seems a pretty good.

Thirdly, are they worth the money? They're pretty costly (~£1094).

Many thanks.

Answer 1

Put your money toward some real fight training or toward some other instructional materials. You're not ready for full motion. They're great. But you're not ready.

Answer 2

Sorry, but after the terrorist attacks on the world trade center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC, they stopped allowing people to rent full-motion simulator time on large jet aircraft unless they are an approved commercial pilot enrolled in an approved training curriculum and they have passed a background security check. You might be allowed to tour a simulator training facility and see what these simulators are like, but you won't be able to fly one. I suggest that you contact a company such as Flight Safety International and see if they give tours to student groups.

Answer 3

Why don't you want to find a plane and instructor, a suitable pasture, and actually fly?  What you need is stick time in a J-3.

Answer 4

I'll answer the question directed to people who are pilots:

Full motions simulators are like the real thing in the sense that they look and feel like the real thing.  I'm not talking about how they fly.  I'm saying that every switch, button, k**b, seat, armrest, window, cup holder, everything is exactly like the real plane as the same parts are used.  All of the avionics are the real avionics that are in the plane.  For this reason, they are great.  They allow a new airline pilot to concentrate on things they may not have dealt wit before, all in a controlled environment instead of doing it on passengers dollars.

Now, given that, full motion simulators fly nothing like the real airplane.  They're not used to teach a pilot what inputs he/she needs to make on the yoke to do this or that.  They're more for practicing procedures and profiles.   For example, what a pilot should do in the case of an engine fire.  You're not practicing how to fly the plane on one engine, but practicing what checklists to run, etc.  Personally, I think the fact they move around is almost pointless.  The motion really does nothing for you, except maybe give you a headache, as it still feels nothing like how a real airplane moves.

Personally, I don't think it's worth the money, but then again I've spent many hours in those things and I hate having to be in one.  If you love to fly, then go for a career in aviation.  What's the worst that can happen?  You end up not liking it and move onto something else in life.  Just have a back-up career plan.

PS.  I and many other pilots never saw a full motion simulator until my first airline job.