Most people board a Boeing 737 with a boarding pass and a window seat. Near the Raleigh-Durham airport, there is a place where you can sit in the left seat instead.
You push back from the gate, taxi to the runway, and take off with a real airline captain beside you. It is a doable weekend outing right here in North Carolina, and it might just change how you see every flight you take from now on.
A Flight Deck Hidden in Morrisville
Tucked inside an office suite near one of the busiest airports in the state, a full Boeing 737 cockpit waits for anyone curious enough to book a seat.
Aero Strategies Group sits at 200 Trans Air Dr Ste 800, Morrisville, NC 27560, in the heart of the Triangle region of North Carolina. The center is listed as a flight school, and it is often called by its experience brand, Throttle Up.
The spot is very convenient to RDU, with hotels and restaurants close by. That makes it easy to pair a session with a day trip, a family visit, or a quick stop before catching a real flight.
For Triangle residents, the drive is short. For folks coming from the mountains or the coast, the trip can easily fit into a weekend plan.
The center trains professional pilots, but it also opens its simulator to the public through discovery flights and packages. Families, students, aviation fans, and total beginners all show up for the same reason.
They want to know what it is like to fly a jet. Few places in North Carolina, or anywhere, let you find out quite like this.
The Captain Behind the Controls
Every great flight needs a great captain, and here that captain is Tom Armstrong, the owner and lead instructor.
Tom is a seasoned airline captain and a certified, active pilot. His name comes up again and again from people who have flown with him, almost always with words like patient, knowledgeable, and professional.
He starts with a briefing before the flight. Guests can ask any aviation question they like, and no question is treated as too silly.
Once in the cockpit, he walks people through the instrument panels, explaining how and when to use each one. He also tailors his teaching to each person, whether that person is a nervous first-timer or a pilot sharpening skills.
Even experienced home flight sim fans say they were surprised by how much they learned from him.
Another team member, Brad, has helped run group events alongside Tom. Together they have built a reputation for going the extra mile.
The passion shows. Tom clearly loves flying and loves teaching, and that combination may be the biggest reason the center holds a perfect 5-star average across 82 Google ratings.
A Real 737 Cockpit, Not a Toy
Here is the fun fact that surprises most first-timers: the simulator is built from real airplane parts.
It is an actual Boeing 737 cockpit, modeled on the 737-800. The flight deck once flew regular flights and is now used to train real pilots.
Every switch, display, and control works like it does in the real aircraft. The simulator is also certified as an AATD, which stands for Advanced Aviation Training Device.
That certification matters. Hours flown in the sim can count toward a private pilot license, a perk that has delighted more than one birthday gift recipient.
The setup is a fixed base, which means it is non-motion. The realism comes from the cockpit itself, the controls, and immersive visuals.
Both seats also come with a tablet. Guests who have flown other 737 fixed base sims around the country have called this one the best quality they have seen.
Home flight sim fans should be ready for a humble moment. People who are confident on X-Plane or add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator often find that the real thing challenges them a bit.
Gate to Runway to Landing
Forget just sitting there and watching. A discovery flight follows the same steps an airline pilot takes on a real trip.
The flight begins at the gate at an airport. Guests go through a full startup, and the plane is even pushed back from the gate.
From there, you control the aircraft through taxiing, takeoff, flying, and landing. One session included climbing to 4,000 feet, performing several maneuvers, and then descending to land.
Many guests get more than one takeoff and landing. A second round can add weather conditions and other options to make things more interesting.
Some flyers lean on the autopilot during the first flight. Then they switch to more manual flying on the second, which is a smart way to build confidence.
Managing the throttle and seeing how the jet responds tends to be the part people talk about most afterward.
Brothers flying together have each gotten a takeoff, a loop, and a landing. It turns out sharing the cockpit makes for great bragging rights on the drive home.
Any Airport on the Map
Ever wanted to land at a famous airport without buying a ticket? Inside this simulator, the world is your route map.
Guests can choose any airport in the world for takeoff and landing. That freedom turns each session into a custom trip.
One aviation lover took off from LaGuardia in New York and flew the well-known Canarsie approach into JFK. That approach is known among pilots for being tricky, and trying it from the left seat is a big thrill.
Others might pick a home airport, a dream vacation spot, or somewhere they fly through often. Picking RDU and then landing back near where you started could be a fun twist for North Carolina locals.
Weather and other settings can also be adjusted. That means the same airport can feel like a brand new challenge on a second try.
The visuals and overall immersion are strong enough that many people say they forget they are in a simulator.
So go ahead and plan that dream route. The only boarding pass required is a reservation.
Packages With a Captain’s Flair
Shopping for someone who has everything? This might be the answer, and the package names alone are pretty fun.
The center offers several options, including the Discovery Flight, the Aviator package, and the Commander package. Each is designed for a different level of time and depth in the cockpit.
The Discovery Flight is the classic starting point. It has been called a great hands-on way to test the waters before committing to pilot school.
The Aviator package has been a popular birthday gift, giving room for more than one flight. The Commander package offers more comprehensive training, and those who have tried it say it noticeably improved their skills.
Guests also receive a certificate, a nice surprise for many first-timers. Feel free to snap videos on your phone too, since plenty of people record their landing for proof.
Current details on each package are posted on the official website, aerostrategiesgroup.com. Checking there before booking is the best way to find the right fit.
Whichever level you pick, the goal stays the same. You get real time in a real flight deck.
Who Belongs in the Left Seat
Short answer: just about anyone with a little curiosity.
Teens who love planes are a big part of the crowd. One family brought their 14-year-old son, and the clear, engaging explanations left him genuinely inspired.
Parents and kids often fly together. Spouses gift sessions for birthdays, and bucket list fans finally get to cross one big item off.
Former flight attendants and longtime aviation geeks come back to the flight deck for fun. Student pilots use it to build skills, and general aviation pilots get a taste of what people call big iron.
Seasoned aviators can freshen up their abilities. Total beginners can try the real thing without years of flight training.
The instruction stays beginner-friendly the whole way through. Even folks who know very little about flying leave feeling capable.
For young people still deciding on a career, a session here may spark something bigger. It is easy to see how a future airline pilot could start right here in Morrisville.
Wherever you land on the experience scale, there is room for you in this cockpit.
Group Events Worth Bragging About
Fifteen college students, one simulator, and nearly four hours of flying. That is the kind of group outing people remember.
The team has hosted group events, and one college group praised how far Tom and Brad went to make it special. Tom worked one on one with each student in the sim so everyone got a full, informative turn.
Without being asked, the team also designed a friendly competition. It came with challenges and prizes, which turned a cool visit into a lively event.
That kind of planning makes the center a strong pick for clubs, classes, scout troops, or work teams looking for something different in the Triangle.
The facility itself helps. It has been described as gorgeous and ultra clean, which makes hosting a group feel easy.
Groups interested in an event should contact the center directly through its website to talk through options and scheduling. Details like group size and timing are best confirmed with the team ahead of time.
Who knew a team outing could include a landing competition? Your next group photo might just come from a flight deck.
Cleared for a North Carolina Adventure
Some outings fade from memory by Monday. A takeoff in a Boeing 737 tends to stick around much longer.
Aero Strategies Group pairs a real airline cockpit with an instructor who truly loves to teach. That mix explains its perfect 5-star average across 82 Google ratings.
It works as a birthday gift, a family day, a group event, or a first step toward a pilot license. Its spot near RDU in Morrisville makes the trip simple for most North Carolinians.
Before heading over, check the official website for booking, package options, and current details. Hours and prices are not listed here, so the website is the best place to confirm them.
Plan to bring questions and a phone for videos. A little patience with the rudder pedals helps too.
Many guests say they plan to return, and that may be the strongest sign of all. One flight often leads to a second, and sometimes to a whole new hobby.
So if you have ever wondered what the view looks like from the front of the plane, Morrisville has a seat saved for you.
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