Sydney Airport Message Board - 737 Simulator for Katoomba

New flight sim opening in Katoomba:

http://vsjet.com.au/

And a story in the local paper:
http://www.bluemountainsgazette.com....e/2392514.aspx

Quote:

Flying high at The Edge
BY SHANE DESIATNIK
14 Dec, 2011 09:36 AM

It can take up to two hours to drive to Sydney airport, but soon it will be possible to “fly” directly from Katoomba to Canberra and back in half that time.
Lawson-based flight simulator production company VS Jet completed its biggest project last week — a multi-million dollar replica Boeing 737 type full-motion simulator — which will become the latest tourist attraction at The Edge Cinema complex in Katoomba.

VS Jet will offer guided flight experience packages run by former pilots inside the impressive simulator, which features a full-sized cockpit, highly responsive operational controls, surround sound, motion effects to make you feel every bump of turbulence and realistic graphics.

The system’s software enables users to fly in real time from a choice of 24,000 airports, in any weather, day or night.

There is even other air traffic to watch out for in the sky and on the tarmac.

VS Jet simulation systems director Andrew Jack took the Gazette for a 30-minute virtual flight on December 1 while doing final testing in the Lawson factory, enough time to take off from Kingsford Smith in clear, sunny conditions, do a ‘touch and go’ landing at Richmond RAAF Base and return to Sydney.

For 10 minutes he let the Gazette take full control of the cockpit controls when flying towards Katoomba over the Blue Mountains — a noticeably more turbulent period for all the ‘virtual’ passengers — before dipping down to Lake Burragorang’s surface and soaring over its hilly perimeter.

“It usually takes about four months for us to make a flight simulator but this one is the biggest we’ve done so it took 10 months,” Mr Jack said.

“It has a mix of real and replica aircraft parts, the software is provided by Lockheed Martin but locally-based software developers added extra features like feedback from the control force loadings and main instrument panel.

“The base is capable of supporting up to 27.5 tonnes and was made to our design by another Lawson company called Frametech and parts are sourced locally as much as possible.