Air Traffic Controller Takes Work Home, Builds Personal Flight Simulator

Posted: April 19, 2012 at 9:15 pm


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Photo: Contra Costa Times.

James Price lives a relatively simple life as an air traffic controller and licensed pilot. Oh and he also built a flight simulator in his garage using a real Boeing 737 cockpit.

In the year 2000, Price bought himself the nosecone section and cockpit of a 1967 Boeing 737. Over the last 12-years Price retrofitted his partial fuselage into a personal flight simulator.

Price stripped the interior of the aircraft section and replaced everything with modern parts to make it function like a real cockpit. This included new seats, pedals, throttles, dual flight controls for the pilot and co-pilot, switches, and a new panel with completely modern instruments. Price and his friend Matt Ford also programmed the flight simulator themselves.

The rig sits inside of Prices three-car garage in Pleasanton, California surrounded by three projector screens that display computer-generated surroundings. The only drawback of the setup is it does not yaw or roll like some fancier rigs. Instead the cockpit only vibrates when the plane maneuvers or because of simulated turbulence.

Of course like any DIY project, Price is not done yet and says hell tinker with it for years to come. Be sure to check out the Mercury News for its full interview with James Price.

[Mercury News via Kyle Wiens via Make]

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Air Traffic Controller Takes Work Home, Builds Personal Flight Simulator

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April 19th, 2012 at 9:15 pm




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