Flight Sim Zone

A stop on Hiller Aviation Museum: Unofficial Guide, a free self-guided tour.

The museum's flight simulators let you try flying yourself, from simple setups to more realistic cockpits. Some simulators may cost extra; ask at the front desk.

You can try taking off from a local airport, flying over the Bay Area and landing, which is the hardest part.

Simulators are an important part of real pilot training. Airline pilots train in full-motion simulators, where they practice engine failures and other emergencies that would be too dangerous to try in a real airplane.

If you get hooked, San Carlos Airport, next door, has flight schools that offer introductory flights.

Stops on this tour

  1. Boeing 747-100 Cockpit and Forward Fuselage
  2. Hiller Flying Platform
  3. Boeing Condor High-Altitude Reconnaissance UAV
  4. NASA AD-1 Oblique Wing Research Aircraft
  5. Wright Flyer Replica and Early Flight Exhibit
  6. Black Diamond - 1910 California Pioneer Aircraft
  7. Grumman HU-16 Albatross Amphibious Aircraft
  8. Boeing 737-200 Cockpit
  9. Flight Sim Zone
  10. Women in Aviation Gallery
  11. Aircraft Engine Collection
  12. Lockheed YO-3 Quiet Star
  13. San Francisco Airport Control Tower Beacon
  14. Drone Plex and Future of Flight Exhibit
  15. Michael King Smith Research Library and Museum Store