What is the Mobile Flight Simulator?
The Mobile Flight Simulator is a unique flight training platform offered by Holladay Aviation. We’ve created a comfortable, modern office pod inside a custom built 16-foot cargo trailer that can be transported to any location, making quality, affordable flight training accessible to customers throughout Northeast Florida and beyond. The elegantly finished, air conditioned space contains two flight training workstations: a PC-based installation of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and the Elite PI-235 Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD). Together, these devices offer a wide range of flight training options for aviation enthusiasts, flight students and pilots of all experience levels.
Why put a flight simulator in a trailer?
The concept of a mobile flight simulator is not new to us. When we worked as independent flight instructors in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area from 2010-2013, our customers often complained about how long it took them to drive from their home or office to the airport. It was not uncommon for students to spend an hour or more commuting one way just for a flight lesson. Furthermore, the flying clubs we were affiliated with did not own flight simulators, making training much less efficient for students.
So, we had an idea: Why not purchase an FAA approved training device and bring it to the customer? After doing extensive research, we purchased an Elite PI-135 BATD and built a custom mount for it that would allow it to be transported and used inside of a Honda Odyssey minivan. Once on site at the customer’s home or office, we’d plug in the BATD and monitors using an extension cord and within a few minutes, the student was flying and learning right there in the back seat of our minivan! The program was extremely successful, but came to a bittersweet end in 2013 when our daughter was born and we needed the minivan to transport her, not the sim.
We moved our new family to Jacksonville that fall and since then, we’ve seen the population of this city explode, resulting in similarly long commute times for many of our customers who travel to our facility at Craig Airport from all over Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. In 2025, when we decided to upgrade the BATD to an AATD, we thought it would be a great time to revisit the mobile simulator concept and take it to a new level by creating a comfortable, modern, mobile office pod featuring two of the most technically advanced general aviation simulators on the market today.
How can I benefit from using a flight simulator?
It’s often been said that the airplane is a horrible classroom: it’s noisy, busy, and requires constant attention. With a flight simulator, students can minimize distractions and focus on learning. Flight simulators cost a lot less to own and operate than real airplanes, so they are a very affordable learning platform. You can use our simulators at our location or yours to:
- Take an introductory flight lesson with one of our experienced instructors
- Learn the basic flight maneuvers required to earn a Sport or Private Pilot Certificate
- Log up to 20 hours of simulated instrument experience toward an Instrument Rating
- Complete an Instrument Proficiency Check per FAR 61.57(d)
- Log up to 50 hours of flight training toward a Commercial Pilot Certificate
- Practice radio communications with other pilots and air traffic controllers using specially designed AI software
- Practice emergency procedures
- Overcome your fear of flying on commercial airliners
- Learn to safely fly a single seat ultralight airplane
- Explore a new or exotic destination from the air
- And so much more!
How much does it cost to use the sims?
- Elite PI-235 AATD $40/hour
- Microsoft Flight Simulator $20/hour
Instructor fees are billed separately. We can bring the trailer to your location for an additional fee; please call us for a quote.
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