At the end of April this year, members of our local group in Braunschweig had the unique opportunity to visit the flight simulator at TU Braunschweig. This simulator offers an incredibly realistic replication of the cockpit of a modern Airbus A320 and is part of the Institute of Flight Guidance (IFF). Like the real aircraft, the simulator’s cockpit is equipped with two seats, reflecting the fact that the A320 is operated by two pilots. This setup allowed two participants to sit in the cockpit at a time, taking turns in the pilot’s seat.
Given that most of us had little to no prior flying experience, a staff member from TU Braunschweig was on hand to guide us through the process of controlling the aircraft. While most participants managed to handle the takeoff with relative ease, navigating back to the airport and executing a smooth landing proved to be much more challenging.
This experience was not only entertaining but also highly educational. It provided a rare opportunity to experience aviation from a practical standpoint rather than just through an engineering lens. Concepts such as QNH for altimeter calibration or approaches using the ILS system, which are typically covered only in theoretical lectures like flight measurement technology, could finally be applied in a hands-on setting.
Moreover, this excursion gave participants the chance to truly feel what it’s like to handle a large commercial aircraft, experiencing how it behaves in the air and how the fly-by-wire system assists the pilot, such as by maintaining the aircraft’s attitude without requiring constant input.
Overall, the participants were thrilled with the hands-on experience in the flight simulator. The excitement was so palpable that we are already planning to offer this excursion again in the near future.
AS Braunschweig