RogerS
Established Member
Gave myself a day off yesterday and went down to London to The Science Museum. Main aim was to have a go at conducting in the University of sound...a little gem of an exhibit. Full details here. Conducting is hard!
I'd also booked to see the Space Station on iMax 3D and also wanted to try the Red Arrows 3D experience and have a go in the Flight Simulator. The 3D was awesome....odd times I'd seen bits and pieces, the depth was never that impressive but this iMax was simply stunning. You felt you could reach out and grab an astronauts boot that was hovering a couple of inches from your face.
The Red Arrows 3D was also brilliant and shot from the cockpit of one of the planes during their display. It was further enhanced by sitting in seats that banked etc to follow the video. Until you actually see this video, I did not realise just how close they flew. 6ft or so ....stunning.
Then onto the old Flight Simulator. I've been in some before including the CAA-approved Virgin Airways 747 flight simulator and while it was OK never seemed to compare with the real thing...having been up with one of the country's top acrobatic pilots. I also thought that this flight simulator actually tracked a Red Arrow display and that I just sat there and was 'driven' so to speak.
So into the cockpit (that seats two but there was just little old me), told to remove all loose items from my pockets (didn't quite understand why), and told about the controls. Controls? Ah...OK. Hood closed, lots of clunks and suddenly we're off. Huge amounts of oversteer by me and getting thrown all over the place. "This is GOOD" I thought and then it suddenly dawned on this idiot. This was a full 360 degree simulator....so let's roll this puppy......woo hooooo....and the other way...yeee harrrr....Christ, this is fun. Loop the loop ? Yup...over the top and back over , roll inverted for a while............bloody awesome. All too soon it was over, and I got out with a stupid grin all over my face.
Brilliant fun....almost as good as sex. So I had another go.
Go down...take the kids.
I'd also booked to see the Space Station on iMax 3D and also wanted to try the Red Arrows 3D experience and have a go in the Flight Simulator. The 3D was awesome....odd times I'd seen bits and pieces, the depth was never that impressive but this iMax was simply stunning. You felt you could reach out and grab an astronauts boot that was hovering a couple of inches from your face.
The Red Arrows 3D was also brilliant and shot from the cockpit of one of the planes during their display. It was further enhanced by sitting in seats that banked etc to follow the video. Until you actually see this video, I did not realise just how close they flew. 6ft or so ....stunning.
Then onto the old Flight Simulator. I've been in some before including the CAA-approved Virgin Airways 747 flight simulator and while it was OK never seemed to compare with the real thing...having been up with one of the country's top acrobatic pilots. I also thought that this flight simulator actually tracked a Red Arrow display and that I just sat there and was 'driven' so to speak.
So into the cockpit (that seats two but there was just little old me), told to remove all loose items from my pockets (didn't quite understand why), and told about the controls. Controls? Ah...OK. Hood closed, lots of clunks and suddenly we're off. Huge amounts of oversteer by me and getting thrown all over the place. "This is GOOD" I thought and then it suddenly dawned on this idiot. This was a full 360 degree simulator....so let's roll this puppy......woo hooooo....and the other way...yeee harrrr....Christ, this is fun. Loop the loop ? Yup...over the top and back over , roll inverted for a while............bloody awesome. All too soon it was over, and I got out with a stupid grin all over my face.
Brilliant fun....almost as good as sex. So I had another go.
Go down...take the kids.
