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, 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.

The state-of-the-art simulator, a GTX MAX Cessna AATD, allows users to fly different models of aircraft, and take off from airports around the world. Aspiring aviators have the opportunity to work with an instructor and log some of the flight hours needed to gain a pilot certificate on this Federal Aviation Administration-certified advanced aviation training device (AATD) which can help satisfy experience requirements for several pilot certificates and ratings. AATDs can be particularly beneficial for students to learn fundamentals and cockpit procedures while saving money on flight instruction. This in turn lowers the barrier of entry into aviation, explains Harmony Switzer-Tryon, Aviation Club president. The club will help maintain the device and offer assistance to students and the local community.