How to Choose Your Flight Simulator Experience

So you’re ready to take the captain’s seat of a real Boeing 737-800 Simulator — the only question left is how long you want to stay there. Our flight simulator experiences come in four lengths, from a 30-minute taster to a full two-hour gate-to-gate flight. The right one comes down to how much time you want in the seat, whether you’re bringing someone along, and how deep you want to go. Here’s an honest guide to help you choose your flight simulator experience — and no, you don’t need any aviation experience for any of them.

The quick answer

• First taste or a tighter budget → 30 minutes
• The sweet spot most people pick → 60 minutes
• Serious enthusiast, one flight start to finish → 90 minutes
• The full airline experience, or sharing with friends and family → 120 minutes

How to choose your flight simulator experience

Each session is one-to-one with an experienced instructor beside you, in our 1:1 replica flight deck with 225° 4K wrap-around visuals and a choice of 26,000+ airports worldwide. Here’s what changes as you go up in length.

30 minutes — Taster Experience

Exactly what it sounds like: a first, unforgettable taste of flying a 737. In half an hour you’ll take off, get hands-on with the controls, and feel the aircraft respond. It’s a single-seat session, so it’s ideal if it’s just you, you’re testing the waters, or you want the thrill without the bigger commitment.

Best for: first-timers, solo flyers, and gifts on a budget.

60 minutes — Aspiring Pilot (our most popular)

Our most-booked experience, for good reason. An hour is enough to properly settle in — a full departure, some airborne handling, and an approach and landing at an airport of your choice. You can split the hour between two people, so it works brilliantly for a couple or a pair of friends taking turns in the left seat.

Best for: the classic first flight, couples and pairs, and anyone who wants “the real thing” without a huge time slot.

90 minutes — Avgeek Favourite

For when 60 minutes isn’t quite enough. The extra half hour buys a more complete flight — time to fly a proper route, dig a little further into the systems, and really soak up the cockpit. It’s the enthusiast’s pick, and still splittable between two.

Best for: aviation lovers, and anyone who wants one flight done properly, start to finish.

120 minutes — Gate to Gate

The full airline experience. Two hours is enough to fly a complete gate-to-gate sector the way the pros do it, from pushback to shutdown. And because it splits between up to four people, it’s the one groups and families go for — everyone gets meaningful time in the seat while the others watch from the flight deck.

Best for: groups of up to four, families, a proper bucket-list day, or the aviation lover who wants it all.

At a glance

Prices correct at the time of writing — see the Book Now page for the latest and any current offers.

Buying it as a gift?

Every experience doubles as a gift. If you’re not sure which length someone would want — or you’d rather let them choose — a flight simulator gift voucher lets them pick. It’s emailed within 24 hours, personalised with your message, and valid for 24 months.

Still not sure?

Two quick rules of thumb: if it’s your first time, the 60-minute Aspiring Pilot is the safe, popular middle ground; and if you’re bringing people, size up so everyone gets a fair go. If you’d like to talk it through, just get in touch — we’re always happy to help you pick. You’ll also find answers to the common questions on our FAQ.

Ready to fly?

Whichever length you land on, you’ll be flying a real Boeing 737-800 with an instructor by your side and no experience required. Check current prices and book your experience — we’ll see you in the cockpit.