Redbird launches simulator challenge

Fun. A sense of community. A little friendly competition. Perhaps a touch of motion sickness. All these experiences can be yours with Redbird Flight Simulations’ new contest, the Flying Challenge Cup, kicking off at Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland, Fla., April 1 through 6.

Redbird has created three scenarios that it is inviting pilots, student pilots, and nonpilots all over the world to fly on its simulators.

The concept is simple: Participants register for free on the dedicated competition website and then go to a local simulator operator to participate in the challenge. There are three scenarios—precision landings, steep turns, and Lazy 8s. You can try one or all three. Each has a practice mode where a narrator walks you through the process. You can try the challenge an unlimited number of times, and each one has detailed scoring to let you know where you stand. Then when you’re ready, it’s on to competition mode. The narration drops off. The guide boxes go away, and the scores are counted for real in a central database.

The best participants from around the country will gather this summer at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wis., for a final battle, where one winner from each category will be crowned.

This good-natured battle is all an attempt to get exposure for Redbird’s new Trace technology, which the company says is the next big step forward in simulation. Trace is a way to create virtual scenarios quickly and easily, presumably leading to a point in which an instructor can create scenarios for each student to work on independently.

To learn more, find locations where you can participate, and register for free, visit the challenge website.