Good things are worth waiting for, and now the wait is over. You can now fly XLB Simulations’ A320 flight simulator in Espoo with a self-service membership, at whatever rhythm suits you. Today we are launching the annual membership, and the quickest to join get five free extra flight hours as an Early Bird perk. The cockpit is now yours to return to week after week, and to fly on your own schedule.

Why self-service?

An instructor-led model would tie flying to opening hours and pre-booked slots, and make a regular hobby both expensive and awkward to arrange. We wanted to do it differently.

Self-service lets you fly at your own pace, outside office hours too, on weekdays and weekends, without every flight needing staff on hand. That way the simulator serves the people who take flying seriously: aviation and flight-simulation enthusiasts, and industry professionals, current and future.

What does membership get you?

Once you join as an annual member, you get a guided intro to operating our full-scale A320 flight simulator on your own. The intro focuses on teaching you to run the simulator hardware yourself, so that your independent visits, and the visit of the next pilot after you, are as effortless as possible.

An annual membership includes 12 hours of simulator time, but your flying is by no means limited to that. You can buy top-up hour packs and use them at your own pace for as long as your membership is active.

And best of all: as a member you can bring a flying buddy along, so the two of you can fly as a crew and practise CRM.

How is self-service even possible?

We have taken the automation of the simulator systems so far that operating the simulator does not require an engineering degree. Instead, you tap your code at the door and start preparing your flight, and meanwhile the simulator boots itself ready to fly. When the session is done, you just press a button on the EFB and the hardware shuts down. That is all.

Because the hardware is valuable and we want to keep the simulator always ready for the next aviator, we generally do not sell single experience flights or run one-off “joyrides” of the bachelor-party kind. Instead we look for members who are ready to commit to the hobby for the longer term, or who are aviation professionals used to operating simulators professionally. In addition, we do arrange customized, instructor-led team events for small groups on request.

Who is membership for?

Membership is for people who take flying seriously. For professionals who want to keep their skills sharp between roles. For pilots polishing procedures ahead of an expensive type rating. For home simmers who want a real, professional-grade A320 cockpit for their hobby. And for anyone who wants regular time at the controls of an A320, on their own terms.

Step into the cockpit

If regular, self-directed flying in a full-scale A320 is your kind of flying, the membership is made for exactly that. See what is included, or get in touch and we will set you up, from your intro session to your first flight.

The cockpit is ready. You have control.