As kids, it’s a common dream to soar through the skies or tear through the clouds as the pilot of a Boeing 747 or F-16. But, much like becoming an astronaut, it’s a dream that few people ever actually realize (or even attempt to realize). But, for those who do, few experiences ever match the feeling of taking flight. Now, a scientist from Canada has invented a way to recreate that feeling for average janes and joes everywhere.
The DreamFlyer™ takes ordinary flight simulation software or game play to the next level. According to the company behind the invention, Flight Motion Simulators Inc. (F.M.S.), this “personal virtual reality simulator” recreates the sensation of flying a plane more accurately than any other gaming device. In actuality, the DreamFlyer is a lot closer to the simulators used in flight schools than it is to a traditional gaming device. And one of the major benefits of the device touted by F.M.S. is that it doesn’t have the hundred-thousand-dollar price tags attached to commercial flight simulators. Still, the DreamFlyer sells for close to $3,000, which may as well be $100,000 to most gamers.
A basic DreamFlyer unit includes a motion chassis, monitor bracket, replica pilot seat, Saitek throttle, control stick and rudder pedals. The machine plugs into the USB port of a computer and is said to work with any flight-simulation software – though, particularly, Microsoft Flight Simulator X Acceleration (which is not included with the simulator). Through that software, individuals piloting the DreamFlyer can fly a whole slew of different planes (which all fly differently) and take off from almost any airport. Though it looks complex with it pilot’s seat and front-mounted monitor (which much be purchased separately – the device incorporates a place to put a monitor, but not an actual monitor), the DreamFlyer doesn’t use as many motorized parts as one would expect. In fact, it uses none at all and requires no direct electrical power.
So, without hydraulics or gyros, how exactly does this flight simulator work? Created by Canadian inventor Doc Holloway, who spent five years perfecting the design, the DreamFlyer is perfectly balanced on its axis so that any movement by the pilot shifts the device completely. If the pilot, say, moves the joystick to the right, the DreamFlyer shifts hard in that direction, meaning users have to lean into turns and get jarred around a little during dips and rolls. Somehow this design creates a flight simulation that correlates perfectly with the movements of the plane on-screen. Since this year’s CES, the invention has garnered a lot of positive buzz, and anyone who sits in the pilot’s seat seems to be enthralled. F.M.S. even posts quotes on their Web site from individuals like Mark Miller, a real-life pilot and host of "Air Dogs" on The Discovery Channel, who says: "No simulator has ever produced the organic feel of flight... until the DreamFlyer. This is as close to the real thing as you get."
Still, it remains to be seen exactly who this invention is intended to appeal to. Is it looking to lure hard-core gaming enthusiasts or flight junkies? With its minimum $2,800 price tag, it would seem amateur flyers would be the more likely audience. While dreams of flight may be common, they’re probably not overwhelming enough for the average gamer to shell out thousands of dollars (not to mention the costs of software and a monitor). But for those who are willing and able, the DreamFlyer seems to offer an experience beyond compare… or at least one that’s a little bit cheaper and safer than flying lessons.
The DreamFlyer is currently available for purchase through the DreamFlyer Web site , or from resellers in Texas and California.
