Sims for skills at Sherburn Aero Club

Club member John Crossland organized a flight sim show at the Leeds-based Sherburn Aero Club last month and was astounded at the event’s success. “We officially opened the doors at about 10.30am and I didn’t get home until nine that night. There must’ve been about 300 people in total.”

A keen PPL and sim enthusiast, John whipped up support from a range of associated companies including RC Simulations, Hields Aviation, virtual airline Fly UK and The Yorkshire Flight Simulator Group. Three new members joined as a result of the event and the club took bookings for four trial flights.

John is an active PPL, gaining his licence in 1999 and he flies about three or four times a month in the club’s PA28 or Robin 2160. He’s also a fan of flight sims. “You can really top up your flying skills on a sim and I wanted to break the myth that it’s all about gaming,” he explains. “FS2004 is excellent for getting practice on the instruments and for VOR tracking.”

Andy Medley from Fly UK won the top raffle prize of a trip in Hields Aviation’s R44 ‘eye in the sky’ traffic helicopter, which reports to Leeds’ local radio station, Radio Aire. John says he’d consider another event next year, but he’d get some help with the event organisation as it ended up being a much bigger task than anticipated!

W: www.sherburn-aero-club.org.uk