North Korean Air Force pilot who fled the country gets to fulfil his dream by flying a Boeing 737 for the first time

For one North Korean defector, a childhood dream that once seemed completely impossible finally became reality, all thanks to a Boeing 737 simulator.

After escaping one of the world’s most isolated countries, he climbed into the cockpit of a Boeing 737 for the very first time.

While it wasn’t a real commercial flight, the realistic simulator experience gave him the chance to do something he’d only ever imagined.

And by the end of the lesson, he was already dreaming about where flying could take him next.

North Korean Air Force pilot fulfilled his dream

The video followed Ryu Seong-hyeon as he visited a Boeing 737 airplane flight simulator to experience what it was like to fly a commercial airliner.

He was surprised by the YouTubers NK Guys and DimpleVideo to have the chance to fulfill his dream and his excitement was palpable when he laid eyes on the sim.

He explained that, growing up in North Korea, flying an aircraft had always felt like an impossible dream.

Although he had studied aviation and was part of the North Korean Air Force, he had never flown a real airplane or even used a flight simulator before.

Stepping into the cockpit for the first time, he admitted everything felt incredibly realistic as an instructor guided him through the controls.

The lesson began with the basics, including how to control the aircraft’s heading, pitch, speed, and bank angle.

As the simulated flight progressed, the instructor fast-forwarded to the approach into Los Angeles, where the aspiring pilot learned how to configure the aircraft for landing.

That included lowering the landing gear, selecting the correct flap settings, reducing speed, and lining the aircraft up with the runway using the instrument landing system.

Flying through simulated cloud, the instructor explained that the navigation instruments become a pilot’s ‘lifeline’ when visibility disappears.

Breaking through the clouds at around 500 feet, the runway finally came into view and it was time for the most challenging part of the flight – the landing.

Flying a Boeing 737 proved much harder than it looked

Despite plenty of coaching from the instructor, the landing didn’t go entirely to plan.

Ryu joked that he’d effectively ‘destroyed’ a plane worth hundreds of millions of dollars in the simulator before eventually managing a successful landing.

He admitted the controls were far more sensitive than he’d expected, saying the aircraft didn’t always react as quickly as he thought it would.

Still, he described the experience as one he never could have imagined while living in North Korea.

He also reflected on how his aviation studies helped him understand the instructor’s explanations, although he joked he wished he’d paid even more attention during class.

While he said he’d much rather relax in a business class seat on a real commercial flight than fly a Boeing 737 himself, the experience had inspired a different dream.

Rather than piloting a large passenger jet, he said he’d love to fly a small aircraft one day, taking family trips to beautiful islands with tiny airfields.

The emotional experience ended with him reflecting on how he had been able to achieve something he once believed was impossible.