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Post by Dave Homewood on May 15, 2011 20:29:53 GMT 12
I was in Hamilton the other day (first time in months) and I noticed that the Boeing 737 flight simulator shop in Garden Place was empty and for rent. Has the business moved? Or has it closed down?
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Post by Officer Crabtree on May 15, 2011 20:42:50 GMT 12
Well if it's still there, I'M GOING TO HAMILTON!
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Post by angels15 on May 15, 2011 21:19:23 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 15, 2011 21:32:06 GMT 12
That's very sad.
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Post by ErrolC on May 15, 2011 21:59:49 GMT 12
Yes, it is. I wonder if the bloke with the MiG-21 in Onehunga will be able to make a go of things. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 15, 2011 22:15:20 GMT 12
Was he involved in thsi company? I met Sean Galbraith a few years back who was building the simulators, great bloke and very enthusiastic. He used to post here back then. I hope he's ok in all this.
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Post by Peter Lewis on May 16, 2011 8:38:03 GMT 12
The one at Takapuna (Auckland's North Shore) has undergone a change of name but seems to be still operating.
I suspect the problem with the business model is that for most people like myself, it tends to be a once-only experience. Been there, done that, don't really need to go back.
It's difficult to create a viable long-term business from that position.
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Post by Naki on May 16, 2011 9:18:11 GMT 12
Tauranga's one is also still operating under another name.
Dave, Sean's still around ..he is a poster at NZFF and I think he is still in the simulator business
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 16, 2011 10:31:42 GMT 12
Thanks.
The Hamilton one must have been operating up till very recently as all their logos and stuff is still on the windows.
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Post by pjw4118 on May 16, 2011 11:31:01 GMT 12
Peter, you are right about being viable. I think that the flying Saucer / spaceship that was at Westgate for a while suffered the same thing and ran out of paying customers. It had moved to MOTAT last time I looked.
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SeanG
Warrant Officer
Me in my Sim....
Posts: 43
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Post by SeanG on Nov 22, 2011 10:40:37 GMT 12
Dave, Sean's still around ..he is a poster at NZFF and I think he is still in the simulator business Yep, I'm still around, and in the business. The Hamilton sim is still in use, just not open to the public. The owner and some of the instructors have in running in private, somewhere around Hamilton. The Auckland store has left our franchise group, and are very much doing their own thing, and the Northlands mall sim has relocated to Adelaide. Like most on the board I'd be a one-time customer too, but there are a huge number out there who are regulars, some doing an awful lot of hours  The group as a whole is still ticking along, we have franchises scattered around the world now, with 5 in Aussie, plus Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuwait and Paris, with a new one opening in Bangkok by Christmas. We also have 4 sims in private hands. Still building my Skyhawk sim in my spare time too... can't get enough sim building it seems ;-) SeanG |
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SeanG
Warrant Officer
Me in my Sim....
Posts: 43
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Post by SeanG on Nov 22, 2011 10:42:49 GMT 12
Low quality video, but here is one of the sims during some informal testing....
SeanG
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 22, 2011 13:58:14 GMT 12
Great to hear from you Sean.
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Post by John L on Nov 22, 2011 17:51:45 GMT 12
Is the one in Bangkok going to be a Widgeon Sim?
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SeanG
Warrant Officer
Me in my Sim....
Posts: 43
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Post by SeanG on Nov 23, 2011 8:22:53 GMT 12
Haha.. we *did* joke about amending the checklists to read "flaps 30, floats down" but didn't think our customer would appreciate it ;-)
SeanG
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 23, 2011 8:37:20 GMT 12
The shop where the Takapuna flight experience simulator was is now empty.
Another one down.
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SeanG
Warrant Officer
Me in my Sim....
Posts: 43
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Post by SeanG on Nov 25, 2011 10:31:19 GMT 12
Yeah, he's moved from Takapuna. Still in Auckland though SeanG |
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