Oops, my jet crashed

EVER wanted to fly a jumbo jet? Greg Thom takes off from the heart of Melbourne city in a Boeing 737 flight simulator.

Seven heaven ... Greg Thom (L) with pilot Daryl Lyons at the controls of a mock 737 flight simulator in Melbourne / Manuela Cifra

YOU can apologise to the passengers later for spilling their drinks all over them, veteran pilot and instructor Daryl Lyons tells me.

His tongue-in-cheek comment follows my over-enthusiastic mid-air turn in a Boeing 737 flight simulator.

It brings forth images of a lynch mob, drenched in coffee and airline food, cursing me.

The Flight Experience simulator can make you think you are actually behind the controls of a huge passenger aircraft.

The operators of this experience at QV Square in central Melbourne have left no stone unturned, from the TV screen with your name, boarding and flight details to the cockpit controls and air-traffic-control chatter through your headset.

Carlo Santoro, who has brought the set-up to Melbourne, is a computer-game flight-simulation nut who jumped at the chance to offer others the thrill of "flying" a 737.

"More than 80 per cent of our business comes from women buying a package for their husbands or boyfriends as a present for their birthdays or whatever," Santoro says.

"They see us, have a quick look and say, 'My husband would love this'."

Entry is through a cockpit door. After this is closed, I am introduced to Captain Lyons, who has 25 years' flying experience.

He puts me in one of the two pilot seats, then runs through safety procedures before explaining the myriad knobs, switches, screens and handles.

More than 2400 destinations are programmed into the computer, from challenging landings at Hong Kong's old skyscraper-ringed Kai Tak Airport to the Himalayas.

Those who choose the no-nonsense 30-minute experience are soon in the air with their hands on the controls.

The one-hour option allows more serious-minded fans the chance to explore their passion in detail.

I choose the 30-minute plan and opt for a take-off and landing at Melbourne airport.

Lyons talks me through the procedures to get our "bird" into the air. I have a lot to keep track of, from air speed to altitude.

Once airborne, the realistic, 180-degree 3D graphics through the windscreen add to a sense of realism. LMelbourne landmarks such as the MCG and West Gate Bridge appear.

Though Lyons is there offering instructions, I am "flying" this plane. Bank too steeply or let the nose dip too far and warning sounds gnaw at the pit of your stomach.

For such a big plane, it proves highly manoeuvrable, but sensitive to even small alterations.

It's the little things that add to the sense of realism. The sound when you flick the switch activating the "release seat belts" sign is a nice touch.

So is the cockpit display showing when other aircraft are near and advising what evasive action to take. The blips on the screen are linked to life-size representations of the planes, which loom large in the windscreen if you cut things fine.

Landing is a worry. On my first attempt, I manage to put the huge plane down in one piece, but second time around, descending more steeply with less time to prepare, I overshoot the runway and bring the plane to rest on grass.

The flight simulator is a chance to see the cockpit of a 737 in a post-9/11 world where security concerns make such treats no longer possible.