Soar over those snow-capped peaks on this alpine flight simulator experience! It’s not every day you get to fly along a deep mountain valley to land at an airport in the Austrian Alps but that’s exactly what you’ll be doing on this virtual flying session on a simulator. You’ll need nerves of steel for this one…
Innsbruck International Airport (IATA code INN) is classed as a Category C aerodrome due to its very particular and tricky approach. In fact for any captain to be allowed to fly into Innsbruck they are required to be briefed of the specifics of Innsbruck Airport and visit the airport as an observer and/or undertake instruction on a flight simulator. This training needs to then be certified by the airline before they can fly to this heart of the glorious Austrian Tirol region.
So you will be following exactly the same sort of simulator training as a fully qualified commercial airline pilot who is seeking category C certification to be able to land at Innsbruck Airport. Pretty exciting eh?
As well as the stunning backdrop of mountain summits all around this alpine simulator programme can re-create the very particular weather conditions that make Innsbruck so difficult. It’s a narrow valley surrounded by mountains and when the Foehn wind blows (a warm southerly wind) it can cause huge gusts and turbulence a plenty.
This will be your challenge on this very special mountainous simulator experience. Will you be able to keep you head when the blustery wind gets up? Will you be able to stick to the flight path that follows the meandering River Inn to then swoop in over the railway line and motorway to land smoothly on the runway?
Some pilots say it’s more like a controlled emergency descent than a landing. Blissfully unaware passengers gaze out of the cabin windows marvelling at the sea of peaks excited at the thought that they’ll soon be skiing the pistes of Mayrhofen Seefeld Kitzbuhel Solden of St Anton. On the flight deck it’s a whole different scenario as you tackle the turbulence and tricky terrain to come in to land. Good luck Captain!
