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Flightdeck Air Combat Center
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Tue-Thu. 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
9 reviews for Flightdeck Air Combat Center
Since I was in the area and had some time to kill for the evening I called and made a reservation to fly a F-16 simulator at Flightdeck. I had been to the previous incarnations of Fightertown in Lake Forest that closed in 1995 and Flightline which met a similar fate.
Flightdeck is located in a business park near the Angels Stadium and make sure to google map the directions as it is very hard to find if you don't know where you are going. Their website is pretty limited on details and could use an update.
I arrived early to check things out the was invited to sit in the lounge area and watch the action on a couple of LCD screens that showed what the current pilots were doing.
The rest of my "flight" showed up and were a pair of cuties that the instructors started making over like a bunch of inept private school boys and as the result I did not get much if any attention during the prebriefing. Fortunately for me I have a lot of "real" and "sim" flight time and have flown high performance jets, so the briefing was purely academic for me, but I did not let on I had any prior experience.
I asked about rudder pedals and to my instructors surprise I even knew anything about the controls (still eye locked on the cute females)! After that he seemed to notice I was in the room and actually answered my questions.
One complaint is they do not have a cockpit procedure trainer which would help familiarize with all the critical switch locations and hat switch functions.
Since I had asked about rudder petals they put me in the one simulator that had them still installed. I was given a brief briefing on the controls in the actual simulator, and they dropped the canopy only to find finger prints and someones grease pen markings!
They soon found out I knew how to fly, but I was tired from a lengthy stressful briefing earlier that day and had not had much to eat, so I was not on top of my game. I had problems hitting the switches for the missiles and guns and the hat switch for the views which gave me a handicap with one of the cuties that really had a knack for flying and the other was just clueless.
I soon figured out it was an enhanced version of Falcon 4.0 they were using for the simulator as I recognized the Korea map. You also get a try at landing a simulated F-14 on a carrier after you are done free flight against Mig-29s and Mig-31s and then each other.
A bit expensive for what you get, but if you are an armchair fighter pilot or have time to kill in the area I would recommend.
Comment from Tom H. of
Flightdeck Air Combat Center
8/4/2009
Thank you Richard for your honest assessment of your…
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Flightdeck Air Combat Center is a great experience for anyone who wants the experience of air combat. If you're worried that you might be prone to air sickness, don't be! The flight simulator itself is motionless, but the experience is still awesome!
It makes for a great date, or birthday present for the special guy in your life.
I went with my brother-in-law and there were 7 pilots in totem. The staff is great at training you to "fly" your plane and there are several modules to experience, including taking off, landings (the aircraft carrier was the most fun), as well as general air combat where your entire goal is to shoot the other pilots out of the air!! Great way to work off any repressed anger!! LOL
The pricing is reasonable for the experience you get. The staff is welcoming, friendly and helpful as coordinating yourself in the cockpit can be tricky. I'll definitely go back and work on my pilot skills!
If you have a Playstation or X-Box then you know what to expect.
WellOverpriced.Staff not very friendly as well.
$69??? For one hour
I can go to Universal Studios and expend the WHOLE Day and have a better time
Comment from Tom H. of
Flightdeck Air Combat Center
4/27/2009
For the record, I have been in touch on multiple occasions…
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If you are:
An enormous "Top Gun" fan,
Have always wanted to fly your own plane,
Love going to air shows,
Or are just curious,
FlightDeck is the place to be.
Completely unintimidating, well-staffed with friendly instructors, and extremely realistic, this combat center in Anaheim is a great idea for a date, to blow off steam with a group of friends, or to give as a gift. With different rate levels beginning at $49 for 40 minutes and other specials, it's well-priced in comparison to other flight simulators out there.
Be prepared to put on a flight suit and get debriefed on your mission and how to maneuver the plane. Everything here looks pretty close to authentic, from the locker room to the plane pods. We went as a date night thing and had an absolute blast; it really gets your juices going. Though I do wish the planes moved, the experience is definitely not like playing a video game--sitting in a pod, with the huge virtual screen in front of you, you really feel as if you're flying. And if you want souvenirs, they've got t-shirts, caps, and dog tags.
WAAYYYY COOOLLLLLL!!!!
I used to think that being a pilot had to be the coolest thing in the world. Now I'm pretty frigging sure. I found out about this place from someone I cannot even remember but whoever it was I want to kiss them! Went in for a business meeting, spoke to the peeps about it, got some info, couldn't wait to get in and try it out & was not disappointed.
You do a class, you get a jumpsuit with not a lot of room in the crotch, a helmet and cool fighter jet. If you're prone to being an ass or an idiot, you get a cargo plane which means you get dead...a lot. Once you climb into the cockpit, it's as real as it gets, you pop up nav screen is awesome, the only thing that sucks for me is tooling around in the big blue yonder while your hands are trembling from excitement & you've got to go find some booty to dispose of. These sorties are the real deal, you've got to have patience, kind of like the real dudes keeping us safe and smarts. It's a total blast, well worth every cent. If you're not hooked, you'll at the very least be like me, telling everyone you know or meet about the place and trying to justify how soon you can get back.
Good people, a great time, family & friend fun. I did this as part of my bachelor party. After a session, people are going to want you on that wall and need you on that wall!!!
For Valentines day one year....i decided to surprise my avid aviation enthusiast of a boyfriend to a 60 minute plane simulator experience! It sounds lame huh...but it was actually pretty cool!
The workers there were very friendly and as soon as we got there, they introduced themselves to us and we got to it. Had us change into some nifty aviation jumpsuits! They briefed us on the equipment for about 15 minutes, gave us directions on what to expect, and then led us into a room of planes! Ok...not big planes but big enough that you can actually sit in it! You get to sit inside a plane and stare in front of giant screen ahead of you! It was like being in a video game!
I could not get the hang of it...they taught me to how take off and land. Goodness gracious...i kept crashing my plane!! When they noticed how bad I was doing with my umm-steering...they had me just chase my bf's plane around to shoot him down! Yeah...unfortunately, my bf got really good at maneuvering his plane and he ended up turning his plane around and shooting me down...QUITE A FEW TIMES!
Overall, it was a good experience! I just liked the jumpsuit! Sucks, i forgot to bring a camera...but anyway, my bf loved the whole experience! Next time, it would probably be better if there was a group of us and not just us two!
If flying an F-16 is a lifetime goal of yours, this center is a great place to get practice. They get you suited up, and go over brief controls. Also, they stay with you on the flight deck, giving you tips as you fly. Even so, it's rather complicated for someone who has never done it before. Also, it's not cheap. For an hour, it's $69 unless you go in a group. (We paid $30 but for a shorter time). I'm glad I tried it once, but I probably would not go back. In principle, it's just not appealing to shoot down people in your group. Other people in our group really enjoyed, though, so I guess it just depends on what your interests and skills are. It definitely is a unique experience.
Simply a blast! My 5th visit and every time it's gets more fun. 1st off the staff at Flight Deck are top notch, they don't just treat you like some places treat a customer "get in, get out, NEXT!" They are welcoming, friendly, courteous, and helpful. I'm always amazed with just that. I'm sure they hear the same stories all day, every day, but they don't show it, Great service. Now the fun part the flying, I mean you just zone out, a great group trip. We normally bring 7 people (I believe that is the max) and it's just a fun time chasing your friends down, talking smack through the headsets. Going for the kill! All the while you have a helpful worker in the "control tower" to help you out at anytime. Even to help you locate someone you want to shot down! It's not a violent thing, it's a lot of fun and you'll enjoy everything from the moment you walk in. Even the briefing on instructions is a fun class. Go for it! Oh.. landing.. that is some hard stuff. Carrier landing, night landings, and day landing. This place offers a lot of fun.
If you sing the theme song of Top Gun while you shower, your thumbs bleed from Ace Combat and you had posters of planes in your room as a kid, this is the place for you. What Dromo 1 is to kart racing (no electric please!), Flightdeck is to fighter sim. My friends and I have been here twice and both times, we get pretty heated and competitive, ultimately this equates to having too much fun. The staff helps out when they can as it isn't easy with larger groups who are over aggressively out to kill each other. The price isn't bad for us, it may be a waste trying to strap your 6 year old in and teaching him how to use the controls though. Yes, the controls are a little complicated and hard to get used to but that is what makes this sim so great. If you're pretty serious about getting into a dogfight and playing games on your X-box doesn't cut it, this is the next logical step. However, if you think your screen at home is large enough and enjoy using Playstation or X-box controllers, then you should stay home. I'm no flight hound but I enjoy getting suited up, seeing the cockpit enclose around me, putting on the headphones and having a real joystick to play with... this place is well worth the sensory experience, yes... this is a cool place!
