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Flight Simulator
Cal Poly Humboldt’s newest flight simulator arrived on campus on May 21, 2024, to help train future pilots and inspire passion for flying. Located on the second floor of the Library in the Hall of Simulation, the professional-grade device gives students and community members an immersive experience with its five screens, a partially enclosed cabin/cockpit, and all of the instruments and controls of a Cessna 182 or 172 aircraft. It also tilts and rotates like a real aircraft. See this short video about the flight simulator!
The GTX Max is the University’s second simulator. The first, a desktop gaming sim, was funded and built by the campus PC Gaming Club in 2019. Its augmented reality allowed students to learn the rudiments and motor skills of piloting, however, it did not allow users to log flight hours like the GTX.
Similar devices can be found at flight schools or museums, but the Cal Poly Humboldt Library is a welcome home for such immersive technology, says Cyril Oberlander, Library dean. “The Library as a learning environment is filled with inspiring stories, and the flight simulator is one that nicely combines adventure and skill building,” he adds. ”The Library welcomes everyone to access the latest simulation technology.”
The flight simulator in the Cal Poly Humboldt Library is an FAA-certified Precision Flight Controls GTX MAX advanced aviation training device (AATD). The simulator allows people to fly a Cessna 182 aircraft from airports around the world. Aspiring aviators can work with an instructor and log some of the flight training hours needed to gain a pilot certificate by using the Library’s AATD. Contemporary research supports that simulation-based learning is one of the most effective means of learning complex skills. The simulator can be used to learn the fundamentals of flying a plane, emergency procedures, and instrument flying all while saving money on flight instruction. This in turn lowers the barrier to entry in aviation.
The Cal Poly Aviation Club is helping to maintain the device and Aviation Club members help students and the local community with the sim and aviation related events. If you are a Cal Poly Humboldt student, join the Aviation Club!
To learn how you can support the club and the flight simulator project, please contact them at aviation@humboldt.edu or Dave Marshall, club advisor, at dave@humboldt.edu. To donate to the Library Aviation fund, see giving.humboldt.edu/library-aviation-fund.
Read more in Humboldt Now: Professional-Grade Flight Simulator Arrives on Campus.
