The second best way to get your adrenaline pumping if you are not on the race tracks or have the opportunity to do things like racing cars, flying planes etc is by simulation. I have always wanted to do flight simulations (they kicked me out at Kidszania but i am determined to go back again). SO I am now super jealous of the staff at Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, as it has purchased seven state-of-the-art full flight simulators (FFS) which will be based at the airline’s world class training academy in Abu Dhabi….and I of course still do not have an invite yet to try this :(.

Anyway, the deal with Canadian manufacturer CAE, worth more than US$ 200m at list prices, will see Etihad Airways take delivery of its first Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 FFS, and will support the airline’s growing training requirements.

In total Etihad Airways has ordered three Boeing 787 FFS, one Airbus A380 FFS, one Airbus A350 FFS, and two Airbus A320 FFS. All are CAE 7000 Series models. The airline currently has four CAE FFS: one Boeing 777, one Airbus A320 and two Airbus A330/340s.

 A multimillion dollar extension project is currently being undertaken at the training academy and is due for completion in early November 2013, with the first of the new FFS, an A320, scheduled for delivery later that month. The remaining FFS will arrive during the following 12 months.

The deal with CAE includes update services for the FFS and an exclusive 10-year agreement for training equipment and services. The flight training devices include CAE Simfinity Airbus Pilot Transition trainers and CAE Simfinity Integrated Procedures Trainers.

Now I wish they would have these kind of simulators at game arcades in UAE – you will find me there all weekend!