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Old Sep 29, 2013, 4:34 am
  #1  
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OT: A320 home cockpit flight

Hi all,

I'm currently in the process of building an A320 home cockpit. As I know BA operate the A320 I thought some members might be interested in having a flight. It is still a long way from completion but I'd like to gauge interest.

If there are any BA pilots on here and are interested in training using this I'll be happy to accommodate them.

Here are some pics of what it will look like:



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Old Sep 29, 2013, 4:39 am
  #2  
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I wouldn't normally use this phrase, but OMG!

I hope this wasn't liberated in the same style as bags of crisps from the Flounge!
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 4:49 am
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Wow, ok! Where would you even begin to build such a thing?

You seem to be missing something though, seats.

On my list of things to do before the end of the year is to have a 'flight' in a simulator but the ones around Sydney all seem to be non-motion. I'm wondering how immersive the experience is though.
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 4:55 am
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I've done 4 hours in a 737NG sim at Gatwick and 4 hours on the 744 at Cranebank.

In answer to your question about how immersive is a full-motion sim: very.

Apart from the limitations of the external visuals on the older sims, the flying experience is indistinguishable from the real thing.

The newer sims have very convincing photo-real externals.

The fixed-base sims with the new externals are actually pretty good, and make up for the lack of full-motion.

Mike, who's rubbish eyesight stops him having a Class 1 medical and following at least two particular dreams, so it's the closest I'll ever get...
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 4:58 am
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I have been on the 777 sim at Cranebank and it was awesome. I managed to grease it on at the first attempt, although dropped the nosewheel rather too quickly in the excitement.

If I won the lottery a sim would be one of my first purchases.
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 4:58 am
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Originally Posted by matthandy
On my list of things to do before the end of the year is to have a 'flight' in a simulator but the ones around Sydney all seem to be non-motion. I'm wondering how immersive the experience is though.
Been on the 747 simulator at Cranebank, and it is really impressive just how real it seems with the motion.

And that cockpit, well, that's a seriously impressive piece of kit!.
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 5:26 am
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A320 home cockpit flight

Thanks for the kind comments

It's going to be in my bedroom but I'm planning to move to a rented office space in south London. Ill then have enough room for better visuals (a 180 degree screen with 3 projectors) and a full size cockpit shell.

Unfortunately it's not as impressive as a £20 million full motion one lol.
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 5:34 am
  #8  
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I took my wife for a couple of hours on the 737 at Cranebank. Chosen because we understood that it was more of a feel of a traditional flight as it wasn't fly by wire. It was the most wonderful and memorable experience. I want to take her on the 747 before they dissapear and I'm saving my pennies. I wish they'd do a sale again.

Needless to say she was a much better pilot than me and I scared the sh*ts out of the residents of Canary Wharf.
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 6:48 am
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MS BTC blagged me several hours on Transaero's 737 SIM as. Birthday Prezzie. She thinks it will be more fun than flying as SLF or fixing the dam things... Though I not fixed anything since BAC 111 and trident days. I agree
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 7:10 am
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Very Impressive indeed. Good effort!

Non motion sims can be quite good if the visuals are right.
Obviously motion on is the best and very realistic. Used to have to regularly use C-130 and L-1011 sim for ground running qualification but often managed to get some flight time if sims not booked afterwards.
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 7:35 am
  #11  
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
I hope this wasn't liberated in the same style as bags of crisps from the Flounge!
Maybe the OP works at Tolouse? There was a story of a worker at the Linwood car factory. He used to take home a car part every day and inside two years he had made himself a Hillman Imp.

I admire your dedication. ^
My wife would say......"that's just a dust collector".
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 7:46 am
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Originally Posted by BahrainLad
I have been on the 777 sim at Cranebank and it was awesome. I managed to grease it on at the first attempt, although dropped the nosewheel rather too quickly in the excitement.

If I won the lottery a sim would be one of my first purchases.
And a team of engineers to keep the wretched thing running
globalste is offline  
Old Sep 29, 2013, 7:55 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by BahrainLad
If I won the lottery a sim would be one of my first purchases.
Despite it not flying or floating or......, it is better to rent it!
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 7:55 am
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Wow, that's a really nice job. I rekindled my own sim at the beginning of the year, after decades of dipping my toe in and out. This time I spent quite a lot of time on it, getting the hardware working pretty well, with a full set of panels and controls for a C172. After two months though, I wondered why I'd spent all that money and time on a sim when I could be doing it for real. So I did, and I received my licence a couple of months ago. Now I just need to find the next man-project!
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Old Sep 29, 2013, 11:03 am
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
I hope this wasn't liberated in the same style as bags of crisps from the Flounge!
I'm quite certain the cockpit doesn't have a sign saying "please do not remove from plane".
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