Have you ever been to an airshow? If you have, you were probably impressed by the performance, design and variety of different aircraft soaring through the skies - and we’re pretty sure that the desire to fly in one of them yourself probably passed through your mind at some point. Well, in case you were wondering what these flying machines do during the year when they’re not called upon for airborne displays, the good news is that many of them are available for private flight experiences for people like you! But there’s one drawback: most of these planes will have travelled across the country to take part in an airshow, so it can be pretty difficult to track down your favourite, and even more of a hassle to experience a ride in more than one! Don’t worry, we’ve got the solution. Come to Tyne and Wear, where you can experience the magic of flight in almost any kind of aircraft you can dream of.

Around the city of Newcastle there are several flying schools that specialise in flight simulation experiences. Forget weather conditions, preflight checks and equipment malfunctions, here you can step into a faithful recreation of an aeroplane cockpit and take to the skies without leaving the ground! There are so many benefits to a flight simulator experience: it’s accessible to people of all ages and abilities, you can fly planes that are normally reserved for commercial or military pilots, and, we have to say, it’s a fraction of the price of a real aeroplane ride. However, if a simulation isn’t exactly what you had in mind, it’s also possible to experience flight in a genuine aircraft. at Newcastle International Airport.

What kind of aircraft flying experiences are available in Tyne and Wear?

• Commercial airliners Simulators: If you’ve ever sat in a long haul flight dreaming of breaking the monotony of being a passenger, then this is for you. You can don the pilot's hat and take the controls of some of the most iconic jumbo jets in the world, the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737. The 737 is a classic narrow bodied aircraft that dominates short and mid distance flights worldwide, while the huge Airbus, which is nearly twice the size at 73 metres long and 80 metres from wingtip to wingtip, is used on longer flights connecting distant cities. In the flight simulator, you’ll use the control configurations of the model that you choose for a realistic experience, and you can even choose to taxi around the airport before take off if you want to make the experience even more lifelike.

• Fighter planes Simulators: These ones are for the gamers out there, as well as the history buffs. You can choose from a variety of modern and historical “warbirds,” including the F-14 class fighter jet featured in the classic Top Gun movie and a Second World War icon, the Spitfire. Only a handful of top tier pilots will ever get to fly one of these incredible machines in real life because of their complex aerodynamics and sheer value, but you can do the next best thing in a flight simulator. Try some aerial acrobatics with loops, rolls and dives, or enter into a dogfight in a Battle of Britain experience!

• Real aircraft flights: Simulations can let you pilot the planes of your dreams and even choose which part of the world you fly over, but we know that they won’t cut it for everyone. Some of us want to go through the process of flight planning, refuelling and pre-flight checks before getting into the cockpit of a real plane, feeling the vibrations of the engine, smelling the fuel and defying gravity for real. At Newcastle International Airport there’s a flight school which offers trial flights in a Piper PA28 Warrior. You’ll be the copilot for most of this flight, but you can have the opportunity to take the controls once airborne and feel the sensation of flying for real.

Who can take part in a flight experience?

- One of the best things about flight simulators is that they make flying possible for all kinds of people. There are no age limits in place so this is a great way to give your son or daughter a taste of flying if they’ve been telling you that they want to be a pilot when they grow up, and there’s space for spectators in the simulator so the whole family can see whether or not this would be a suitable career path for them! Another great thing is that the turnaround time between experiences is very short, so you can bring a group here to enjoy flying together. It could be a birthday party, a stag or hen do or a corporate event, if you want to aim for the skies with your special occasion you can’t do better than this.

- A real flight, on the other hand, is a bit more demanding. Ability, awareness, and weight have to be taken into account when planning a ascent in a real aircraft. In general, you have to be over 16 years of age to take part in a trial flight because, as with driving a car, a level of responsibility is required. To ensure that the flight is viable, there’s a weight limit as well. You need to be less than 15.5 stone, or 100 kilograms, to be a copilot in the light aircraft and we should also mention that if you’re very tall, approaching 2 metres, you might find it difficult to get comfortable in the cockpit of a 2 seater Piper plane.

How long does this activity last?

You're in charge of the length of your flight, whether it’s real or simulated. Real trial flights can be 30 or 60 minutes long, so taking off from Newcastle International Airport you can enjoy views of much of Tyne and Wear and beyond. During a 1 hour flight you can cover a long distance, and get views of Scotland to the North, the Pennines to the West, the Yorkshire Coast to the South and out into the North Sea to the East. When arranging a flight simulation, you can also choose a 30 or 60 minute experience, or up to 2.5 hours in 30 minute increments. A short session will include take off, some airtime and landing, while a longer session can also include runway taxiing and more time flying over the part of the world of your choice.

Make a dream come true with one of these unmissable experiences! We’re ready to help you organise it.