I do love FLIGHTand am waiting for Alaska. Some of you might find this interesting while things are kind of slow on the forum.

I voluntree at a "Challenger Learning Center for Science and Technology" located in Woodstock Illinois. There are 47 such centers located in the continental U.S. We run space flight simulations with mostly 5th grade classes from around the surrounding area. That would be 10 and 11 year old kids. We operate a space craft simulator and a full ground control room. It is very gratifying to watch the kids learn to communicate, solve science and math problrms as they relate to the mission, and handle the onboard emergencys we throw at them. The Challenger Centers were started by the familys of the space shuttle Challenger crew that was lost on the fateful cold Florida morning in 1968. I know I will never forget.

 

For you Heavy Iron people. The Woodstock center has a 737/ Airbus hi-bred full cockpit simulator that was donated and installed about 10 years ago. It has not been used for the last 3 years. It just became to costly for a not-for profit organization to maintain the (8) 10 year + old Dell PC's that operate all it's systems. I say 737/Airbus because it uses side stick controllers rather than floor mounded column and yoke of the 737. It seems to be a combination of the two. It was build by MPC a maker of flight simulators for the military and civilian markets. It would need some major updates but it is all there. It has three over head projectors. This would be a good project for someone. If interested a deal would have to be worked out with the exective director of the Woodstock Challenger center, Steve Otten.

 

[email protected] the web site is www.challengerillinois.org Lots of other links there also.

 

Perfect project for someones spare bedroom. We would just like to find a good home and TLC, it is a shame not to be used. So if you know someone who might be interested please pass on the contact information. What fun it was when it was up to speed. Just think what it would look like with FSX or FLIGHT.

wow! throw a bed over there, a kitchen over there, and rent it out as an apartment! Those set pieces are wonderful.

Cool! 8 computers to run that thing.

_{Sorry about that. The Challenger disaster was of course 1986 not 1968, darn dyslexia.}

I'm trying to imagine the look on my girlfriend's face if I "surprised" her with that purchase...