Flying the F-35 Simulator at The Squadron NYC

Описание: If you’re an aviation enthusiast visiting New York, there’s a fantastic experience I’d highly recommend: The Squadron.
I recently spent an afternoon there with my son, and even after 44 years of flying professionally, it turned out to be one of the most entertaining aviation experiences I’ve had in a long time.
The concept is brilliantly simple but executed in a very immersive way. You fly a simulated F-35 fighter jet through a series of missions, each with its own briefing, scoring system, and post-flight debrief, which makes the whole experience feel surprisingly authentic.

Mission 1 – Learning the Aircraft
Our first mission was essentially a familiarisation flight.
After a short briefing explaining the controls and scoring system, we were launched into the simulator and tasked with flying through a series of shapes in the sky to score points.
Each target had a different value:
Green squares – 25 points
Yellow circles – 50 points
Red squares – 75 points
And a special rectangular target on a ship worth 150 points
It’s a bit like an aerial obstacle course, but at fighter-jet speeds. At first you’re just trying to stay ahead of the aircraft, but within minutes you start to find the rhythm.

The Debrief
Just like real aviation training, once the mission finished we were brought back for a debrief.
Our scores appeared on screen, along with how we performed in each part of the mission. It immediately sparks a bit of competition and makes you want to jump back in and do better.

Mission 2 – Hawaii
The second mission moved the action to a beautiful Hawaiian setting, where we flew a similar challenge but with greater speed and complexity.
By now both of us were far more comfortable with the controls, and you could immediately see the difference.
The scores went up.
The flying became more aggressive.
And the competition between father and son definitely intensified.

Mission 3 – The Maverick Mission
The final mission was inspired by Top Gun: Maverick, and this is where things became seriously fun.
We had to fly low level down a valley, hugging the terrain before pulling up over a ridge and diving to strike a ground installation.
After the attack run we climbed again to shoot down a balloon target, and then the simulator launched us into a dogfight against twelve enemy aircraft, where the goal was simply to shoot down as many bogeys as possible before time ran out.
It’s fast, chaotic, and incredibly addictive.

A Slightly Humbling Result
Now here’s the slightly embarrassing part.
Despite spending a lifetime flying airliners around the world…
My son absolutely destroyed my score.
In fact, he came very close to breaking the course record.
Clearly fighter-jet gaming skills translate very well into this environment!

Final Thoughts
What makes the experience at The Squadron so enjoyable is the whole structure around it.
The briefings, missions, scoring, and debriefs make it feel like more than just a game — it’s a really engaging aviation experience that both aviation enthusiasts and complete beginners will love.
Spending the day there with my son made it even more special, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting New York who wants to experience the thrill of flying a modern fighter jet.
Just be warned…
If you take your kids, there’s a very good chance they’ll beat your score. ✈️