Seasoned Pilot Brings Simulator To Delhi Airport

Wednesday, 14th October 2015 at 03:21am

Delhi airport officials observed that its first simulator installed at the airport last March is gaining popularity among passengers who wish to make good use of their idle time.

Putting up the simulator was the idea of seasoned pilot Ehsan Khalid who was then talking with a friend who had badly wanted to be a pilot but unfortunately failed to be one.

Captain Khalid has been a pilot for about three decades now. He first served as a pilot for the Air Force but later left the service to take on the job of a commercial pilot for airlines like Kingfisher and Air Sahara. Now in his late forties, he has turned to flying chartered planes for various companies while also managing the Delhi simulator known as "TheCockpit".

He said that simulators are widely used by would-be pilots as part of their flight training but are not readily available to those who are not in the aviation profession.

He said he drew inspiration from a friend who had dreamed of flying and thus after nearly half a year of doing the works, the simulator was ready for set up.

The installed simulator takes on the size of a typical 737. To come up with a perfect model, some of its parts had to be imported or customised. A number of its parts were also taken from real aircrafts. According to the captain, the interiors were designed to hold instruments one would see in a real cockpit, including instrument panels. Moreover, those using the simulator will be able to experience almost all the basic aircraft movements.

According to the seasoned pilot, those who have aviophobia or fear of flying might be able to shed their anxieties about flying once the simulator is sampled. It can be a great learning experience for people who are not aware of how a pilot flies his plane and how the aircraft works. Having a basic understanding on these subjects may help ease anxieties.

Users who are settled at the Captain's seat will experience how to control an aircraft amid various weather conditions and traffic. Throughout the simulation, the user is guided by a skilled pilot who is seated beside him.

The simulator can be found at Terminal 3 of Delhi airport. For a price of Rs.2,500 (exclusive of tax), passengers may use the equipment for approximately 30 minutes.

By: Pete Lee.