Flight simulator brings out inner pilot in West Valley

• The flight simulator class in Sun City West has been sparking and renewing interest in flying
• The group is hosting a summer open house, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 16 at the Palm Ridge Rec Center
• For more information: e-mail pc.flight.sim@gmail.com or call 623-340-7312

Bill Berry hadn't seriously considered getting his pilot's license until the late 1950s when he was in his early 30s, going on a fly-along with the Civil Air Patrol in Utah, a volunteer organization sanctioned by the U.S. Air Force.

"The pilot sat back and said to me, 'What would you do if I dropped over dead right now?' " Berry said.

He thought about it.

"Maybe it's time I learned to fly," Berry, now 87, recalled thinking that day more than 50 years ago.

By the end of the 1950s,he had obtained a pilot's license and was participating in search-and-rescue missions with the Provo Squadron, Utah Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. For five years, he continued flying as a volunteer, but because of the demands of a new job, eventually his hobby fell by the wayside.

But around 2004, Berry saw a sign posted in Sun City West's Palm Ridge Recreation Center advertising free flight-simulator classes for residents.

"At first, I wasn't interested in flying a fake plane. But I flew a few simulations and changed my mind. I didn't think it would be realistic enough," Berry said. "It flies like the real thing, and the graphics are great. It's good for seniors and keeps your mind active."

His love for flying was rekindled. About 2010, after numerous rounds with the flight simulator, he flew a real plane for the first time in 50 years.

For residents of the master-planned community, the flight-simulator class at the Recreation Centers of Sun City West has been sparking and renewing interest in flying for nearly 15 years.

Formed in 2000, the flight-simulator club, which is part of the Computers West PC Group at the Recreation Centers, has a dedicated computer built and maintained for flight simulation.

Classes are every Wednesday except holidays and are free to members. A free open house is available to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The flight simulator uses Microsoft Flight Simulator, which allows for thousands of airport destinations and locations and all types of weather, including a rarity in these parts — snow in Phoenix.

The simulator club has attracted more than 100 members, as well as around 15 former or current pilots who have logged thousands of real flight hours and flown a variety of planes, from Piper Cubs to Boeing 747s.The membership is mostly male, although there are a few female members.

Participants sit in the captain's seat, which is an office chair, place their feet on the rudder pedals and control the joystick, or yoke as it is called in the aviation world. Images are projected onto a large screen and can alternate views between the pilot's perspective inside the cockpit and an outside view of the plane and surrounding landscape.

Berry said he uses the simulator weekly, which led him to getting back into the real cockpit.

"It sure has kept a lot of old guys active," he said.

A handful of flight-education opportunities are offered to West Valley residents, including classes at Glendale Community College and lessons at the Glendale Municipal Airport.

The Sun City West club's chief flight instructor and former Eastern Air Lines Capt. Bill Barker, who has logged more than 15,000 professional flying hours, said he became interested in flying when he was 9 years old and discovered balsa-wood model airplanes.

By age 16, Barker was mowing grass to pay for flying lessons and by 19 he had obtained his commercial license.

Barker, now 72, was a commercial airline pilot for 23 years, has two sons who are professional pilots and has been a member of the club for five years.

"The cockpit is an exclusive area," Barker said. "It's great to get in there and show everybody how its done."

Sam Henderson, 71, has used flight simulators for more than 10 years, logging hundreds of simulated hours in the air.

The club has helped him build his knowledge of flying, he said.

"I've caught the bug," Henderson said. "It's like therapy for me."

Learning to fly in the West Valley

Sun City West: Computers West PC Group is hosting a summer open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, at the Palm Ridge Recreation Center, 13800 W. Deer Valley Drive, in Sun City West. This free event is open to the public. Details: e-mail pc.flight.sim@gmail.com or call 623-340-7312. The club is members only at other times.

Sun City Grand: The Sun City Grand computer club hosts a flight-simulator group for members only. It's from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month, September through June, in the Chaparral Center, 19745 N. Remington Drive, in Surprise. Details: 623-546-7508, or e-mail Bill Homewood at flights@grandcomputers.org.

Glendale Community College: The college will offer two pilot ground-school classes this fall. The Private Pilot Ground School is a gateway to obtaining a private pilot's license. Details: 623-845-3000, www2.gccaz.edu.To register: my.maricopa.edu.

Aerosim Aviation: The organization offers flight training and rental at the Glendale Airport, 6801 N. Glen Harbor Blvd, Suite 205. Flight-simulator instruction and free consultations are available by appointment. Details: 623-341-4311, aerosimaviation.com.