Get your chocks off

Riding in the UK's most advanced flight simulator

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ll be arriving back in Bluewater shopping centre in just a few seconds. I hope you enjoyed the flight as much as I did.” – that was the monologue going through my head as I safely touched down in the middle of Kent’s commercial paradise to complete my first ever piloted flight.

Confused? Buckle up and I’ll explain. Upstart virtual aviation providers, iPilot have introduced Europe’s first commercial high-street flight simulator in Bluewater, in order to offer Joe and Jane Public a chance to captain their very own flight. Following the success of its first shop, and a flurry of bookings, a second instalment has recently been created in London’s Westfield shopping centre. Needless to say, it’s not what you expect to find in the average shopping mall, but what it offers is something refreshingly different to the usual suspects of high street shops that dominate commercial centres.

Not entirely sure what to expect, and being a complete novice when it comes to flying planes, I was intrigued and went along to test it out for WideWorld.

Pre-flight checks

My initial thoughts were that pro flight simulators were solely for pilot training, and run by overly-expensive national carriers. Upon arriving at the simulator I was assured that no prior experience was needed. What the iPilot offers is essentially a ‘learn by doing’ approach, in an entirely safe scenario. In fact, a lack of experience is preferred in order to fully enjoy the experience.

I clambered into the vacant pilot seat, sweaty of palm and dry of throat. I tried my hardest to keep my nerves in check as veteran 30-year commercial pilot Captain Brian Summers slotted into the First Officer’s seat next to me. After explaining the ins and outs of the FMS (Flight Management System), the autopilot, the engine backups and every other flashing light possible, it was clear that I was in capable hands.

All that separates the flight deck, modelled faultlessly on a 737NG Boeing jet, from the shopping mall is a thin curtain, but the transformation that happens when it is drawn is staggering. Suddenly you are no longer....

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