FT Flight Simulator Outing to BAFT Cranebank - 10 October 2014 [UK]
 

I want to float the idea of a FT outing to a simulator some time later this year. I have been thinking about this for a while but was just waiting to post to see what others thought and whether anyone might be interested, and if so how many.

A bit of background on my own experience so far. I am very enthusiastic/geeky about flying, and I know a few others on here enjoy what happens in the cockpit as well as just being sat in the back enjoying the champagne.

I have one hour in a Cessna 172 which I did last year, and which you can read about here. I do plan to go for a PPL at some stage, but money and time needed mean it won’t be for at least a year or two yet.

I have also been for a couple of Emirates sim sessions at their Aviation Experience near the O2 arena in London. This is very much at the more fun end of simulators. The only things that work on the cockpit are the throttle (inc. reversers), yoke/side stick, rudders, foot brakes, and gear. The primary and navigation displays work but you can't adjust anything on them. There is a speedbrake lever and a flaps lever, but neither work. All the buttons shown are just graphics, there are no working buttons. So basically it does feel like a very sophisticated home simulator, kind of FSX but sat in a simplified cockpit. It is not equivalent to a full simulator, and there is no motion. However, if you accept these limitations it is actually very enjoyable.

I also went to Virtual Aerospace near Northampton in February on their 737 simulator. This is basically a fully workable fixed base cockpit with fsx graphics projected in front. More absorbing and real than the Emirates experience, but still not a full motion or fully wrap-around graphics.

I am also due to go to the 737 iPILOT simulator at Westfield in London in April so will see what that is like.

The Virtual Aviation simulators at Cambridge seem to look good as well, and I would like to try them at some stage.

Lastly, the most realistic would be the BAFT simulators at Cranebank. I haven’t tried them, but GodAtum has and did a report here. This would be the most expensive and hardcore option - btw, have a look at GodAtum's A320 home cockpit he is building - very impressive!

So options might be

• Emirates Aviation Experience, London
• Virtual Aeropsace, Northampton
• iPILOT, Westfield London
• Virtual Aviation - Cambridge
• BAFT, Heathrow

Cost depends on what we choose and the level we would want to pitch it at. To give an idea, Emirates is very much at the fun end and this is reflected in the price of £45 for 30 minutes, whereas BAFT at the most serious end is £399 for 1 hour in a 737-400, or £449 for 1 hour in a 747-400 or 777-200. The other options are somewhere in between. I haven’t contacted any of them to see what they may offer for a group.

I realise we have a wide spectrum of experience on these things, but hopefully it would work. Maybe a group of 6-8 might be ideal. Anyway, if enough of us do want to do it we might look at a suitable date in summer or autumn, probably a Saturday afternoon since we can do this and head off for a few drinks in the evening afterwards.

Let me know what you think.

If it's BAFT, I'm interested. The others, not so much... fixed-base = meh.

BAFT have some group prices on their website:
http://www.ebaft.com/corpent/corpent.htm

I took my team to cranebank last year for our annual team build event instead of the usual quad bikes and activities type if event.

There were 45 of us and we did the whole corporate day with time in small groups on the 747 and 777 sims and the aircraft evacuation safety activities and briefings

Very professional, a great insight into the workings of all the crew and well worth the price for what we got on the day and how we felt afterwards as better informed travellers

Highly recommended

Cheers

So if I buy BAEC Option 1 I could get 3 hours Sim time for £1400? Sheesh, that's cheaper than buying an Alienware PC and MS-FS :D

However, registering a vague interest in burning a few quid ... shame I need to go to LHR instead of LGW. I see the personal cost mounting :(

This could be something I am interested in should it be the BAFT one and the wife feels generous for my birthday :)

I'd be interested in BAFT

Count me as interested. I've been waiting for Bruce Dickinson's flight 666 simulator to become available again later this year, this will certainly be a grand replacement, but as always is assuming I am allowed out for a weekend later in the year.

Thanks for the replies so far. Interesting that BAFT has got the most attraction so far. It is the most expensive option.

Looking at the corporate rates that mgiarc linked to it looks like to get an average flying time of 45 minutes per person it would be £350 per person, and for 60 minutes £425 per person.

Thanks for all replies. Looks like it will be BAFT then and list of poeple interested are:

12939
jcm9000
000
baileysserpant
T8191
GodAtum
KARFA

I also have a work colleague who has said he would ike to come along if possibe - he is not on FT.

I will get in touch with BAFT in the next few weeks and report back with costs/format/possible date etc.

Can you collect Avios? :D

I would definitely be interested. May I suggest CTC Aviation?

1 hour in an A320 full-motion is £549 for 3 people.

Just a warning, BA and CTC Wings are very hard to book as obviously real pilots train in them. i had to book 3 months in advance for my BA flight.

Only if you land the plane successfully :p

No tier points though as although this will be in BA metal it will be booked under the KARFA codeshare - KARFA is only a oneworld affiliate rather than a full oneworld member ;)

Thanks GodAtum, I will have a look at that. Although from a purely selfish point of view their locations in Bournemouth and Southampton are not the easiest for me to get to. Interesting that they offer an A320 simulator though - I know traditionalists like the yokes on Boeing aircraft, but I have found the side stick good to use.

Just a quick update. Sorry nothing seems to have happend since mid March. I was away from 18th and only just got back last Saturday. I have emailed BAFT to get information and should have something to share soon.

I have had a reply from BAFT now from the same chap who I think BotB spoke to in order to organise the safety course which happened back in January. He seems every helpful and knows about FT as well which helps.

For 8 of us we would be looking at something along the lines of Option 5 as shown in the BAFT corporate pages, so we would have 2 simulators for 4 hours and we would average 1 hour simulator time each. The cost on the BAFT does not inlcude VAT, so normally Option 5 would be £4080 in total (£510 per person). However, we have been offered a total price of £3400 so a bit more manageable £425 per person.

Unfortunately weekends are not possible for a group booking, so the options are weekdays and the time slots available would be 0700-1100, 1100-1500, 1500-1900, or 1900-2300. My own preference would be a Friday and probably 1900-2300 as (coming from the regions) I would only need to take half a day off work and wouldn't have to worry about getting back for working the next day. For those in London or around the South East you could come in the evening and there would be no need for any holiday being used.

I have also checked with my work colleague who said he may want to come and he would still be up for this as well.

We have been recommended to use the 747-400 simulators and they have the latest virtual systems on them apparently.

If we booked for a date within 3 months it would be difficult so choose what we wanted due to availability. However, beyond 3 months is much better and we should be able to book our choice of date & time. In order to do this we need to book by the end of May at the latest.

Bearing all the above in mind, can I suggest the following dates and times:

• Friday 5 September 1900-2300
• Friday 12 September 1900-2300
• Friday 19 September 1900-2300
• Friday 26 September 1900-2300
• Friday 3 October 1900-2300
• Friday 10 October 1900-2300

EDIT: see here for change of possible dates comments.

Could everyone please post which they can and can't do for these four. I have also checked with my work colleague who said he may want to come and he would still be up for this as well.

As the cost is fixed at £3400 and remains the same whether 8 turn up, or say 6 turn up if 2 drop out at the last minute, I think these have to be firm commitments, and indeed you may have to pay your share individually to BAFT on a non-refundable basis when we book.

This is still very much open to anyone who would like to join and not just to the ones who have already expressed an interest.