Here I am in a 737-200 full motion simulator in Las Vegas..Thanks to PanAm Intl. Flight Acadamy.. Four hours of flight time on Oct. 14th and 15th..It was a blast.. I am IFR rated so that helped.Ray LunningSurprise AZ.

Lucky lucky!

Nice picture Ray. I hope you enjoyed as well but you didn't tell us your experience how was it to be, please tell us more with pictures :) I wish my first simulator experience was on classical cockpit. I hope I can find a chance to visit PanAm academy if I visit to LAS someday.

A fair request, so here goes: I am now 72 years old and have a Private,Commercial License with SEL ,MEL and IFR rattings... My last plane was a 1979 Cessna T210..I have owned three different planes.. I do not fly anymore..Can't pass the physical... I had always wanted to try an airline type simulator..The 737 was my choice..I made a few calls and found PanAM International Flight Academy.. They are based in Maimi, Denver, Las Vegas and Cincinnati.. I made my contacts thru Denver.. They booked me into a 737-200adv in Las Vegas, which is a 5 hour drive from where I live..The 737-200 is an older model with analog gauges... I believe there are some security issues before you can use one of these simulators... I needed to show a passport or birth certificate and have a Pilots License with an IFR rating...I assume these are requirements as that is what they requested.... I scheduled two hours on Oct. 14th and two hours on Oct 15th...I had an instructor named Jay who pushed me to the limits... From the outside the simulator is as big as a house...They call it a box...The Flight Deck is a "real" 737-200adv... In every way, right down to the jump seats where a FAA examiner can watch ..Not needed for my flight as they were not FAA.. In the rear is a panel for the instructor to program the simulator....Input weight, fuel, weather, location etc...We did all our air work out of KJFK..After we got seated we had a brief review and then we got started.. Adjust the seat...There are several release levers to position yourself... Review the brakes and rudders... another adjustment is availible.. Next we went thru the check list and did a start on each engine...Jay would handle the Flaps, gear and radios. Mostly Nav input... We first practiced Taxing... not that easy.. The rudders only move +/- 7 degrees each direction.. To make big turns you use the "tiller wheel" on the pilots left... Very sensitive.. Easy to over steer which I did...Soon I was able to make a 180 degree left turn on the runway... We did our takeoffs and landings on 4R... First take off was easy and we climbed to 3000ft.. There I just did some turns and tried to hold 210knots and 3000ft.. As any student does there is a tendency to over-correct...Seems I was always trimming.. It takes some practice... Jay then gave me haedings for the ILS for 4R Our approach speed was 136 knots..(based on weight)...First landing was OK though I needed a bit of help.. To finish the first day we did a vew more take offs and landings....I must note here...NO AUTOPILOT was used.. hands on flying only...We did use the Flight Director.. Also there is no "scenery" just a dark sky.. runways were lit and visible...So you head stays in the cockpit.. On the second day Jay had the engines running and we took off and did a VOR approach to 4R.. Jay then demonstrated "backing up" a 737 on the runway using the thrust reversers...It does back up.. We then took off and climbed to 10,000ft.. Here we did steep turns 45 deg. bank..Only allowed +/- 100ft... I was close not perfect... We then tried the Auto Pilot.. Works just fine...With the AP now OFF we did (or Jay did) a gear down/full flaps stall and recovery... I then did two recoveries from an unusual attitude...That's where I look down and the instructor leaves the plane in a nose up or down attitude... I then have to look up and recover to straight and level... Did good... I then descended to 3000ft for an IFR into KJFK 4R... Ceiling 500ft visibility 1 mile.... Did OK We then took off and Jay killed the right engine.. My go-around at 1000ft was OK..Landing not too good. But I got the message... One more ILS and we were done.... It was a BLAST.. I thought I did well....but it was harded than I thought... Jay was on me all the time... These instrustors want you right on the numbers.... I doubt anyone without real flight time could fly this thing... That means you can't learn on a desk top.. You will crash... You may get by if you use the AP all the way.. My experience helped me....Hope this was not tooooo long...Ray LunningSurprise AZ [email protected]

Nice picture Ray. I hope you enjoyed as well but you didn't tell us your experience how was it to be, please tell us more with pictures :) I wish my first simulator experience was on classical cockpit. I hope I can find a chance to visit PanAm academy if I visit to LAS someday.

Ray thank you very much.It is excellent explanation about your experience, at least I could imagine how did you fly. According their security issues, I think I don't have much chance to visit there as a foreigner. (but who knows?) I've 4 hours simulator experiences in 737NG (2hrsX2session in different times) in Istanbul.We have unbelievable chance in here becouse a flight simulator center is open their doors to amateur aviations if they have available times (or they manage to time if you have limited time). I don't think so, it never like taste as "analog " and "legendary" plane :)

Thanks for the report, Ray; looks like a lot of fun. I was aware of an outfit that does "mini-type-rating" sessions in 737NG's in Houston, but not these people in Vegas. May have to look into that....

Awesome "flight report" Ray. Sounds like you had fun as I had fun reading about it. I know Continental has an NG simulator weekend programe for anyone with a PPL.