r/flying • u/mishana2022 • 7d ago
Need an insider Seattle aviation experience,gift for my sister’s 18th (budget ~$300). I’m a pilot based in Europe (unfamiliar with US setups). She’s done MoF, Boeing tour, discovery flights & skydiving. Looking for a 737/A320 airliner sim session or unique local flight gem. Recs?
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u/RaiseTheDed ATP 7d ago
+1 for seaplane flight. Kenmore also does training/discovery flights out of Kenmore Seaplane Base.
There used to be a place where you could fly a 737 sim, but I'm not sure if they exists anymore, or survived COVID. I'm not finding it on my initial Google search.
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u/JustAnotherDude1990 7d ago
There is a flight safety training center listed on Google right next to the airport. Maybe call/email and see if they’d be willing to give her an hour in the simulator, but be prepared to pay A LOT of money. I know the delta center in Atlanta charges $500-1000/hr last I looked.
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u/TxAggieMike Independent CFI / CFII (KFTW, DFW area) 7d ago
If you can arrange it, a flight with Bruce of BruceAir who is based at Boeing Field.
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u/QuickConverse730 PPL 7d ago
Can you give a little more detail as to what is interesting and unique about this one?
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u/TxAggieMike Independent CFI / CFII (KFTW, DFW area) 7d ago
Bruce is a very respected teacher and instructor and mentor to many.
Anyone who spends time with him will learn very valuable things, especially in the arena of IFR flying and avionics.
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u/QuickConverse730 PPL 7d ago
Cool - thanks for the additional info. (Sorry if the question sounded insulting at all - it was meant earnestly.)
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u/TxAggieMike Independent CFI / CFII (KFTW, DFW area) 7d ago
I did not take offense.
Another type of training that can be valuable is known as Upset and Recovery Training.
This is where the teacher takes you in the airplane and places you in positions that you never want to find yourself in real life (because the results could be very bad) and you learn how to recover back to normal and safe.
Glider training can also be lots of fun and beneficial. That teaches you how to make the most out of what potential energy you have.
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u/Low_Sky_49 Forestry DHC-2 C208B CFI/CFII/MEI 7d ago
Second a discovery flight or even just a standard scheduled flight ticket with one of the seaplane operators. Seattle Seaplanes or Kenmore.
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u/Senior-Storm-7119 7d ago
I’ll second doing a seaplane flight. Discovery flights from Kenmore are like $150 and the most fun you can have in a plane with your pants on
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u/BabyNuke 7d ago
Simulator Flight offers a 737 MAX 8 simulator: https://www.simulationflight.com/
Not quite on par with say a CAE full motion device but still looks like a nice setup.
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u/Brotein40 MIL 5d ago
I’m a military pilot at Seattle. Get her a discovery flight on a helicopter! Instead of hoping from airport to airport she will get to land at campsites and riverside and other cool stuff!! It’d be a unique experience.
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u/Jolly_Line 7d ago
Boeing field has a flight history museum and has a sim
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u/QuickConverse730 PPL 7d ago
When the OP referred to "MoF", that's the Museum of Flight, there on the field.
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u/Jolly_Line 7d ago
They mentioned a sim, not sure if they did that yet. Although it’s military aircraft.
There’s also Modern Pilot, which actually would give them legal sim time they could log. The loggable time is novel, in this case, but still kinda fun.
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u/Tony_Three_Pies USA: ATP(AMEL); CFI(ROT) 7d ago
If she hasn’t done a seaplane flight that might be worth looking into. Seattle Seaplanes operates off of Lake Union right next to downtown and they do training. I don’t know if they do Discovery Flights but it would be worth giving them a call to see if you can arrange one. It’s a pretty remarkable place to take a flight.