Prepare for take off

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This article was published 27/09/2022 (1209 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prepare for take-off, steps away from shops, the Old Spaghetti Factory and the Red River. Oh, and you could be in the pilot’s seat.

Pilots Club Winnipeg is launching its Boeing 737 flight simulator in the Johnston Terminal this week.

“It’s more than a video game,” said Chris Crawley, an instructor with the company. “It’s got such a high learning curve. When you pull things off, it’s just super rewarding.”

The simulator is an exact replica of a 737 cockpit, said co-creator Yuri Gedgaf. This means switches on the ceiling, multiple gauges on the dashboard, airplane chairs for two and 220 degrees’ worth of visuals.

“(Customers) do what they would do in real life,” Gedgaf said. “We give them headphones, and we communicate (with) air-traffic control.”

Crawley is in pilots’ ears, acting as both wingman and cheerleader from his home.

“I’m constantly amazed at how someone who has no experience can (learn),” he said.

He’s been instructing for the Pilots Club’s CF-18 fighter jet simulator, which opened in August of 2021.

“It’s like, ‘OK, follow me, let’s see what you can do,’ and we can go from there, whether it’s a simple flight (or) something pretty complicated,” Crawley said. “It’s very rewarding when I hear glee on the other end.”

The Boeing 737 simulator is a passion project nearly three years in the making for Gedgaf and his partner Dave Wilson.

Gedgaf, an engineer, has been immersed in the world of flight simulation building for 20 years.

There are online communities of such enthusiasts, Gedgaf said. He and his partner would create them at home.

“It seemed like many people were interested in trying (simulations). We decided to try to be something bigger,” Gedgaf said.

Pilots Club gathered equipment from Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, the United States and Canada.

Gedgaf and his partner built some parts and wrote software.

They began assembling the 737 cockpit replica and the CF-18 fighter jet simulator in 2019. When they needed extra space, they moved into Manitoba Technology Accelerator’s downtown headquarters.

However, there’s no two-metre distancing in a 737 cockpit.

“(Pilots Club) actually had the 737 up and ready to go, but (they) had to close it because of COVID rules,” said Marshall Ring, Manitoba Technology Accelerator’s CEO.

Still, the company went forward with its CF-18 prototype — a single-person experience — last year.

The Boeing 737 has joined its estranged sibling on the first floor of the Johnston Terminal, encased in a 1,000-square-foot glass space, showcasing flight simulations to passersby.

People would often stop and show interest when just the fighter jet type was available, Crawley said.

“Yuri (would) come on the radio and go, ‘There’s people watching — let’s put on a show for them,’” Crawley said. “I do the best I can — I do my loops and rolls.”

Usually, such machines are limited to professional pilots’ training, Gedgaf said. Pilots Club Winnipeg is not certified to conduct actual pilot training. Still, former pilots have tried the simulators and given positive feedback, Gedgaf said.

Sessions vary based on skill level and can last 45 minutes to over an hour. Beginners undergo a pre-flight session where staff teach customers how to use the controls.

New “pilots” experience a take off and landing the plane.

“It feels like a giant roller-coaster ride,” Ring said. “It’s a great simulation experience.”

It’s all about learning, Crawley noted.

Prices begin at $75 for 45 minutes. Pilots Club Winnipeg recommends the simulators for people aged 13 years old and up to accommodate size requirements.

The company sells timeslots on its website pilotsclub.org.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com