If you’re one of the hundreds waiting to get your hands on the real thing, an Illinois firm has come up with an Eclipse 500 Avio NG flight simulator to help you pass the time and tune up your skills for the mandatory type rating course. Commercial Level Simulations delivered its first PC-based simulator to a customer on Dec. 22, just two days after the FAA certified the electronic brains behind the very light jet. “The CLS_VLJ is designed to give pilots and owners the opportunity to practice for their initial and recurrent training safely and cost-effectively,” said a company news release. At an introductory price of $15,000, it’s not cheap but it’s also not your average joystick-and-plastic-rudder-pedal toy and you’ll need to clear some space in the rec room.
The package includes a 42-inch touch screen display and seat that mimics the pilot’s perch in an Eclipse. There are also rudder pedals and a throttle quadrant as well as an Eclipse-style control stick. A dedicated PC loaded with the software drives the system, which the company says provides a realistic rendition of the sophisticated gear that will come with the plane.
