Friends rebuild Boeing 747 with cockpit fully operational as flight simulator
- The three friends remade the plane over three years
- The cockpit now acts as a flight simulator
- They have also opened it up to the public
Published on Jun 10, 2024 at 2:39 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Jun 11, 2024 at 11:40 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Three friends from the UK have rebuilt an entire Boeing 747 airplane from scratch.
This latest preservation project took three years to complete and is on display at the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm near Tarporley.
The original cockpit of the Boeing 747 is now fully operational as a fixed base flight simulator with every switch working.
READ MORE! Boeing 747-8 Freighter Vs Lockheed C-5 Galaxy: what’s the best cargo plane in the world?
Boeing 747 Rebuilt
The aviation enthusiasts Dan Chang, Tom McDonough, and Simon Kelsey rebuilt two large sections of the Boeing 747.
The original cockpit was also changed to a fully operational flight simulator.
It simulates the Boeing 747-400 exactly as the original aircraft.
The pilot can choose from a variety of destinations including every major global airport.
They also rebuilt the upper deck of the plane complete with business class seated cabins.
The 744 Experience
The trio started the 744 Experience team to preserve the British Airways 747 after the fleet was grounded and retired in July 2020.
“We are all aviation enthusiasts and are a small but effective team,” said Dan who managed the overall project.
“The 744 Experience team’s focus throughout has been to preserve both the authenticity of the aircraft and the legacy of the British Airways 747-400 fleet,” he added.
Just earlier this year, we saw a similar case where a dad built a Boeing 737-800 flight simulator in his garage.
He also built a cockpit, which was close to the real thing.
Passion projects like these are always a delight to see.
Seeing people’s passion and hard work come to fruition is quite heartwarming.
The 744 Experience team has opened up the simulator and upper deck to the public.
They are now also offering 90-minute and 150-minute flight simulator sessions to anyone who is interested.
However, a 90-minute session can cost up to £199 and a 150-minute can cost £299.
Nalin Rawat
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
