Dubai-based airline Emirates has just opened a new attraction in London – the Aviation Experience.
Located in Greenwich and billed as the first attraction of its kind in the world,
the Aviation Experience has been designed to demonstrate to visitors the achievements of air travel through the years while at the same time providing an insight into how the industry operates today.
Take time to explore the various high-tech zones located throughout the 300-square-metre facility, including the Interactive Wind Tunnel (discover how weight, drag, thrust and lift affect flight), the Turnaround Game (how quickly can you prep a plane for take-off?), the Video Wall (a massive video wall showing an A380 aircraft turnaround with infographic facts and figures), and the Surround Cinema (enjoy Emirates'
Be the Baggage movie as it takes you on an exciting journey through Dubai's cutting-edge baggage handling system).
Oh, and be sure to check out the Rolls-Royce Lego Engine – a half-scale model of a Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engine constructed with 165,000 Lego bricks.
While the entrance fee for the main attraction is a very reasonable £3 for adults and £1.50 for children, you'll need to dig a lot deeper into your pocket if you fancy a go on one of its two flight simulators. However, if you're into planes, it should be well worth it.
The great thing about these simulators is that they're for two of the world's newest planes – the double-decker and extremely huge Airbus A380, and Boeing's modern 777 aircraft.
Have fun practising your take-off and landing skills while utilising full landscape visuals in these state-of-the-art simulators.
And now to the price – a 30-minute session in either simulator will cost you £45. If you book an early slot for between 8am and 10am, it'll cost a more reasonable £35.
The Emirates Aviation Experience is situated right beside the
Air Line cable car station in Greenwich, so once you're done, you can take another mode of transport high into the sky for a pilot's-eye view over London.
[Bottom image: Trev M]