The mobile MD-80 cockpit. First event

I'm now an MD-80 flight instructor :cool:

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Sunday we have closed our town festival. I took my mobile MD-80 cockpit with me over to the festival site Thursday. This day was setup and testing, and this went so well that I opened up for the audience. I had decided that the audience had to make a landing round at Tacoma airport in Seatle, here are many visual landmarks that can guide the student around and the runway is wonderfully long. This trip takes around 20 minutes all inclusive.



People were very positive surprised when they stepped into the very old caravan (the same age as the first MD-80 from the year 1979) I was suddenly very busy and the crowd stood and waited for their turn. I would like to keep a detailed log of each flight, but gave up I was to busy.


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The success was great and people came back again to get a ride. I do not know how many hundred times I've said "nose up, nose down, slightly to the left, slightly to the right, in the last 4 days but it is many.

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The audience was far from approx. 7 years and up to the retirement age, but mostly children. Several beginners, I successfully talked into a nice landing.

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At times, the caravan packed with people. Cockpit capacity was over 100% so it was not everybody who wanted a ride that got it.

My open times were as follows:

Thursday: 18.00 - 22.00
Friday: 16.30 - 23,30
Saturday: 11.00 - 00.30
Sunday: 11:00 - 14.00


Of course, all the flights for free.

I do not have the exact number of flights, but I guess it must be around 70 trips.

Several peoble wanted me to come with the cockpit for other events such as: concert, RC flight events, flea market, children's birthdays.

It's been really fun, busy and instructive.

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(Find the caravan)

This has been the ultimate test of the half-finished cokpitet and I had only minor insignificant crashes.

Unfortunately I do not have many pictures or video from my event, I sat mostly with my back to the audience and I just did not have the time.

I'm considering whether I should have a companion with me on the next trip so we can share the tasks and give a little theory of flight before they fly, then there will be more time for flights.

Congratulations Claus. Sounds like a successful story and that you had lot's of fun.

Thanks for sharing your experience and I look for more in the future :)

Matt Olieman

Great to see the simulator being involved in the local community. Everyone looks as though they had great fun!
Well done :)

Best Regards

Nice idea, but I guess you need an airco unit to keep heads cool in there with all those screens.

JWS

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JWS

Nice idea, but I guess you need an airco unit to keep heads cool in there with all those screens.

JWS

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No problem with the screens. The hole simulator uses approx. 1700 Watts

But the nine computers located at the former toilet room has given me challenges.
The solution was a large hole in the bottom of the caravan and in here are mounted four fans blowing cold air into the computers and in the ceiling window is placed a kitchen hood motor that pulls the hot air out.

People talk of nothing else in our small community at the moment :cool:

When I got it home again, so I had to have a little fun ride in the simulator, pure relaxation ;)