Deeside Flight Simulators own the only UK CAA accredited FSTD to FNPT II MCC/APS Airbus A320 trainer, operating ProSim software

ProSim TS spoke to Dave Holt (CEO) and Angela Williams (Office Manager) from Deeside Flight Simulators based in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England.

Angela is proud to display the framed CAA accreditation certificate on the front desk for all to see. But let’s start at the beginning when the landing gear was firmly on the ground and a Boeing 737 cockpit was lying upside down in a scrap yard somewhere far away.

Trained professionally as a mechanic, Dave spent 22 years fixing tanks and trucks all over the world as member of Her Majesty’s Forces. After a long military career and becoming a serious hobbyist of flight simulation, with a likeminded close friend, Steve Mitchell, started Deeside Flight Simulators with a squeaky-clean upright Boeing 737 simulator. As a trained accountant, Angela runs the back office, manages social media and keeps the day-to-day business operating, and Rob Greenwood of ENVDigital as their IT guru.

From both Dave and Steve having home built simulators either in their attic or garage, their dream was to build a simulator together, and in the long run, giving the dilapidated looking 737 cockpit a new lease of life.

Once the business was flying high, the new addition was the Airbus A320 simulator and later came the Agusta Bell 407 helicopter and currently being installed is the Piper Warrior.

From their base in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire and prior to getting CAA accreditation, flight simulation experiences for entertainment value was the main core of business. Today, Deeside Flight Simulators offer experiences of short flights around Manchester, which include operating the systems for an approach and landing to an airline pilot experience – start-up, push back, taxi, take-off, departure, cruise, decent, landing and shut down. A combination flight experience consists of two flights which are tailor made for the customer, for example, one short trip in and out of Manchester and one further afield, Amsterdam, Madeira or the Canary Islands. All flight experiences are in real time. For these experiences, either the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 simulators with ProSim software are used.

As an avid flight simulator enthusiast, Dave attended the Flight Simulator Weekend at Lelystad Aviodrome in the Netherlands. It was there that Dave came in to contact with the team that developed the ProSim software, and with a 6 month free trial, Dave incorporated the ProSim software into his own, home built, up in the attic, Boeing 737 simulator. It was a natural progression for Dave and Steve to include ProSim as they were setting up their business and started using ProSim right from the outset.

When asked about the quality of the ProSim software, Dave sums this up in one word, ‘’Excellent.’’ And goes on to say ‘’I don’t think it can be matched anywhere.’’ Dave is particularly pleased with the amount of support from the team at ProSim TS, of which he says, ‘’our rapport is second to none.’’

The experienced team, including professional pilots, are able to offer several types of courses to suit all levels of experience, from current captains to cadet pilots, but in March this year, Deeside Flight Simulators will start giving professional courses on Airbus A320 FNPT II Accredited simulator for MCC/APS courses. With all this in mind, the next goal is to achieve the same FNPT II accreditation for the Boeing 737 simulator.

Through practical and carefully crafted training programmes, Deeside Flight Simulators offer hands-on educational opportunities that cultivate industry professionals. We would like to wish every success to Dave and the team, and especially to Angela in getting her PPL.