Abplanalp would like to present the first (on the market) FFS (Full Flight Simulator) trainer called simGlide. It has been dedicated for the most demanding glider training and seems to be an excellent tool for learning, training and maintaining professional pilot qualifications.

The device features the most accurate and broad simulation of various glider piloting conditions to date! The unique 4 degree free motion system allows for unlimited motion along the three orthogonal axes as well as linear motion along the vertical axis.

This allows to perform the majority of complex piloting maneuvers, including inverted flight and its related figures. Training upside-down aerobatic on a Full Flight simulator? It has never been easier, safer and closer to real in-flight conditions!

Aero-tow take off, flying behind the tug, begin the training at any altitude (e.g. for aerobatic), ridge and cloud soaring, cross-country… Approach and landing with side wind or directional shear, turbulence, thermals… and of course the advanced acro! Spin, loop, stall turn, steering barrel rolls, inverted turns … Excellent training of rudder coordination, divided attention, spatial awareness. Full and accurate piloting simulation for different types of gliders! The actual feeling of negative acceleration, ground above your head and feet in the clouds!

The simulator uses the popular environment that is prized by the sim community Condor - The Competition Soaring Simulator, created and developed by glider pilots for glider pilots. No other software matches the aerodynamic fidelity, the rendition of flight mechanics and natural, meteorological phenomena.

In improving and synchronizing our device with the Condor environment, we equally emphasized the need to implement the most recent advances in mechatronics but also the pilots' suggestions. Attention to detail, comprehensive and fluid 3D simulation and a modern glider (or motor glider) cockpit allow to create a professional tool for professional applications – a modern flight simulator – a training tool featuring the most accurate rendition of in-flight conditions.

The first device of this type was installed in Stanislaw Staszic's Post Secondary School Complex no. 3, in Krosno. Another is operating in Poznan. The simulator is of great interest to the aviation community, especially the aero clubs, not only in Poland, but also in Germany and Great Britain.

Simulator operating modes

Motion Cueing

The simulator by Abplanalp uses motion cueing (motion platform), which synchronizes the platform (cockpit) motion with the image on screen (e.g. by evaluating the gliding angle) and reacts to physical feedback.

This is achieved by:

• slanting and tilting the glider cabin,
• rendering the spatial orientation in the simulation,
• rotation along the vertical and transverse glider axis; banking,
• rotation along the longitudinal axis,
• partial rendition of the resultant force affecting the pilot when turning. Multiple revolution along the longitudinal axis is possible; raising,
• simulating the forces felt by the pilot when climbing and sinking.

Glider training scaffold

When flying with an active training scaffold, periodic deflexions of individual controls are generated to simulate flight in a non-static atmospheric conditions. Disturbances introduced to the ailerons simulate current boundaries or downdrafts when one of the wings gains or loses lift. The pilot should notice the tells visible in the increasing tilt and counteract, this allows to train habits to maintain lateral balance (very important during takeoff, landing or towed flight). If there is no reaction to increasing tilt, the flight direction can become noticeably altered (the directional effect of ailerons).

Inverted aerobatic training

The unique feature of the device is the possibility to simulate advanced aerobatic. Especially noteworthy is the full simulation of inverted flight and related maneuvers. The transition to invert flight via half steering half roll is carried out in conditions that are very close to full realism. The computer simulation of glider flight properties are accurately transferred to the cockpit rotation mechanism. Longitudinal and transverse balance training has never been safer ... and easier to achieve.

The platform allows fluid, unlimited and continuous revolution (without limiting the number of revolutions) along the glider longitudinal axis, both to the left and to the right, it is an invaluable tool for preparing the pilot for safe inverted flying.

25th Show AERO Friedrichshafen 2017

On 05 - 08 April 2017 we took part in one of the most prestigious aviation events - AERO Friedrichshafen. It was the 25th edition of this show for aviation passionates and enthusiasts. AERO 2017 is a place for presentation of anything related to aviation: single- and double-engine airplanes, conventional and electric drive units, ultra-light and jet machines, helicopters, gyroplanes, gliders, drones, and simulators. Our simGlide simulator enjoyed very enthusiastic reception and explicit admiration for the technology we used.

SimGlide was the only simulator that enabled a rotational flight around plane's own axis and an inverted flight. Our exhibition stand was visited by a wide audience including leading experts in the gliding industry. All suggestions made by the testers will be used to optimise the capabilities of our machine, not only related to aerobatics. We would like to thank all the visitors to our stand during the Show that turned out to be a record-breaking event in terms of number of both exhibitors (707) and visitors (34 000).

10 Anniversary Glider Picnic - Leszno AirPicnic

This time, we presented our simulator in Leszno Wielkopolskie - the capital of Polish gliding. June 18-19, present year, is the time for one of the major air sport events in Europe - the international Glider Picnic - and its 10th, anniversary edition.

Among the many famous persons, we were honored by the presence of Mrs. Adela Dankowska - the most renowned pilot in the history of Polish gliding: 15 world records and 43 national records. The simulated flight left a good impression on Mrs. Adela, she expressed her positive opinion briefly and succinctly: "It's an excellent training before real flight". Thank you very much!

Our visitors have quickly noticed that the simulator uses a cockpit based on J-6 Fregata motor glider, which also takes part in the event.

More glider models are currently in production, using cockpits from PW-5 and SZD-54-2 Perkoz. Once again we were visited by Mr. Michal Ombach, who presented the "Perkoz" in Leszno, made in the Bielsko glider factory.

It is worth mentioning that Mr. Michal is our consultant on adapting the simulator operating conditions to match the actual in-flight behavior as much as possible. The fact that we are moving in the right direction and the device is very advanced is attested by the overwhelmingly positive feedback by our best flyers.

Overall, the picnic stats are very impressive: Several dozen thousand visitors, more than 70 flying machines, 12 hours of constant show, hectoliters of used fuel...

And here's what we noted ourselves:

• large, original P-51 Mustang with a beautiful paint job;
• F-16 Tiger Demo, unpretentious, loud, super fast Polish jet - the unquestioned star of the show on both days of the picnic;
• Orlik aerobatic team from Radom - accurate, synchronized and very demanding team acro on turbine-powered PZL-130s;
• Jak 3 - a blast from the past (end of World War 2) - not without its glory;
• The Flying Bulls Aerobatic Team - synchronization and accuracy of inverted team acro on four Extra 300s;
• Michal Ombach in a daytime and nighttime inverted acrobatics show featuring the "un-aerobatic configuration" of 20 m. SZD-54-2 Perkoz glider;
• Johann Gustafsson on the Polish glider SZD-59 Acro - beautiful match of light and pyrotechnics;
• FireFlies - amazing nighttime show by RV-4s with pyrotechnics;
• White Wings - a gripping dance in the sky by a Romanian glider duo on IS-28s;
• Red & Blue Bucker - Jungmann plane manufactured in Poland;
• AeroSPARX - British motor glider duo on Grob 109s, lead by a renowned aerobatic pilot Guy Westgate;
• Boeing Stearman - elegance and style of an American biplane;
• Carbon Cub Team - the big possibilities of small and light planes;
• Sky Magic - "the magic of falling", parachute shows;
• Flying Dragons - paraglider team show.

SimGlide on the International Aviation Festival Aerofestival 2016

In May 28-29, 2016, we took part in the International Aviation Festival Aerofestival 2016 which took place on the Lawica airport in Poznan.

Aerofestival guests included, among others: PLL LOT captain - Mr. Tadeusz Wrona, multiple world champion in glider aerobatic, B767 and B787 Dreamliner airline pilot, Mr. Jerzy Makula, Polish champion in aerobatic - Mr. Robert Kowalik, well known by the Polish audience, a mainstay of Polish air shows - Mr. Uwe Zimmermann from Germany, Zelazny Aerobatic Group, Orlik Aerobatic Group, foreign acro teams from Latvia, Turkey, Sweden and Belgium.

The visitors were particularly interested in our glider simulator simGlide. Its popularity is growing with pilots as well as aviation enthusiasts in general. It is important to us that many UL flyers are showing interest in safe training in potentially dangerous situations - spin, tight landing maneuvering, inverted flight. There is no way to train these on their ultra-light aircraft; however, they know the importance of handling such extraordinary situations.

A day with Air Sport Masters

The Day with the Air Sport Masters event took place on 21-22.05.2016, at the airport Aleksandrowice near Bielsko-Biala under the auspices of the Polish Association of Parachuters.

Aviation enthusiasts would see different air sports, including gliding, parachuting, paragliding, motor paragliding and ballooning. The event organizers enabled the audience to fly in an air glider or take part in assisted parachute jumps.

Of course, we were also there with our simulator, we made a point to receive constructive feedback on our system by renowned pilots.

Our simulator received a positive evaluation by among others:

• Mr. Sebastian Kawa - 1st place at any global glider pilot ranking, well known for his feat of flying over the Himalayas,
• Mr. Michal Ombach - a longtime member of the national glider aerobatic team and its former trainer, works for the glider factory in Bielsko, he handles the development of SZD gliders, in his view, or achievements can be seen as a breakthrough in safe professional pilot training (air maneuvers and aerobatics, cloud flying) as well as the possibility to maintain practical qualifications after longer periods of inactivity.

We are pleased with this approach, good evaluation and we are working on making corrections according to the comments of aviation experts.

Simulator demonstration during ZST Turek in-house days

On April 21, 2016 we demonstrated our simGlide glider simulator during the in-house days at School of Technology Complex in Turek. At the school courtyard, our simulator was placed alongside the 33th Air Transport Base in Powidze, the District Police Headquarters in Poznan and the Fire Department. The in-house days together with a science fair "Summer with Technology" was held under the auspices of the Military Academy of Technology in Warsaw.