Want to feel the chill of landing in Delhi in zero visibility on a foggy winter night or the constant chatter from Air Traffic Controller (ATC), the buzz from another aircraft, radio telephony and the beauty of the ever-changing sky?
“TheCockpit”, a flight simulator at the Delhi airport, gives passengers an opportunity to feel the rush of flying a Boeing-737 aircraft while waiting for a flight.
The birth of the simulator, launched in March this year and slowly becoming a hit with passengers, began with a conservation that veteran pilot Ehsan Khalid, the brainchild behind the project, had with a chartered accountant friend of his.
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“My friend Ashish Pant was one day telling me about his childhood dream of becoming a pilot and how it is an impossible dream to fulfil. The dream of being seated in the Captain’s seat and commander an aircraft, and get the complete feel,” Captain Khalid recalled.
The 48-year-old veteran pilot with almost 30 years of flying experience under his belt, started his career with the Air Force and later joined civil aviation, working with Air Sahara and Kingfisher Airlines. In between managing “TheCockpit”, he still flies chartered aircraft for corporate houses.
He said pilots are used to the experience and rush of flying and simulators are available for their training, but nothing like this was available for people who are not trained pilots.
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The conservation with Mr. Pant triggered the idea and after five months of hard work, the state-of-the-art flight simulator was ready.
The flight simulator is a life-size replica of a Boeing-737, with many of its parts being original.
“Some of the things have been cannibalised from other aircraft, some items imported and others created, but we have tried to provide the real ambience of a cockpit here,” Captain Khalid said.
“Everything inside is an exact replica — from the fuselage and down to the switches. We have been able to replicate most of the functionality of the aircraft motion,” he said.
The veteran pilot added that the simulator is also helpful for those who are afraid of flying.
“Once you are in the Captain’s seat and know how it works, it reduces the fear of flying. When a passenger handles the gears, the fear and insecurity go away,” he said.
The cost of experiencing the simulator, located in the departure area of Delhi airport’s Terminal 3, is about Rs.2,500 without taxes for about half-an-hour.
The passengers get to occupy the Captain’s seat on the left hand side, while a trained pilot on the right hand seat assists them during the “flight”.
From the simulated visuals of about any of 24,000 airfields in the world to the sounds of engines roaring behind you, passengers get a complete experience. Other simulations include navigating different kind of weather and traffic.