For anyone who has ever wondered what it is like to fly a fighter jet or an airliner, it is easy to find out.
There are flight simulators (SIMs) all over France, and anyone can book one.
I went to AviaSim in Bordeaux, which is handily located inside a hotel.
When you walk into the room, there are two seats for the pilots and another four aeroplane seats behind them where your nearest and dearest can sit and watch.
Everything is very authentic, except that there are no seat belts and you do not wear a headset.
I was greeted by Louis Roger, a newly qualified pilot, who explained that we were in a replica cockpit of an Airbus 320 (the type of planes often used by EasyJet).
He went through all the controls, knobs, buttons and displays, explaining what they all do.
'It all felt very real'
When Louis switched the computer on, the screens lit up and there we were, on the runway in Marseille. (He can programme it to be on any runway you like).
We went through some checks and then started the take-off run.
Apparently people often find it tricky to keep the aircraft in a straight line, but I am pleased to say we did not shoot off sideways, or have to restart the programme.
In a very short time we were airborne and on our way to Nice.
As soon as the plane started ‘moving’, the whole experience felt very real.
We had to retract the landing gear and the flaps, we checked the heading and we could have set the AP (Automatic Pilot) but decided it would be more fun to fly the plane manually.
Simulator mimics genuine tasks
The scenery was very accurate and realistic, responding as we steered the plane over the hills with the sea on our right.
It did not take long before we spotted Nice airport in the distance and began descending towards the runways.
The experience does not include using the radio, but there is so much to do, preparing the plane to land, that you do not miss this.
Flaps and landing gear need to be operated, the speed has to be reduced, and you need to get on the descent path.
You have to watch the instrument panel and keep the plane steady using a pair of lime-green diamonds, but you also need to keep an eye on the runway.
It is actually quite tricky, but we managed.
Pilots use professionals simulators
Louis finished his commercial pilot training in October 2023. “I trained to be a pilot for Airbus 320s and this is my first job, while I’m searching for a contract to fly. It’s a great way to continue practicing my skills, and also I love sharing my passion for aviation.”
Professional pilots train on SIMs, which are like large closed boxes on hydraulic arms, so the cockpit actually moves as the pilots ‘fly’ the plane.
But Louis says these SIMs cost millions of euros, which is why they are not used for leisure experiences.
“Some people receive a session on a SIM as a present. Lots of keen 16-17 year-olds come along to see if aviation is really for them.
Other people just come out of curiosity.
We also run courses for people to overcome their fear of flying.”
Louis says that mostly fear is the result of not understanding how an aeroplane works.
“We do a lot of theory and we show them all the security features on the plane, and the way it will continue flying even if something breaks down, because there are so many back-up systems.
With turbulence, people think there’s a hole in the air, but is not true. The only real danger is unsecured items which could be thrown about the cabin, or of course passengers who are not wearing their seatbelts who could fall over.”
In theory, a flight simulator could be built to resemble any plane at all, but most SIMs are mocked up to resemble commercial airliners.
It is also possible to find SIM centres that allow you to ‘fly’ fighter planes and helicopters.
“Some people come back over and over again,” says Louis.
I am not at all surprised. I might even go back myself.
AviaSim have SIMs all over France, and there are lots of other companies offering flights in a ‘simulateur de vol’. All commercial pilots speak English.
Prices at AviaSim start from €109 for one person for 45 minutes, for the 'airliner', 'fighter plane' and 'helicopter' experiences.
