Economic Observer reporter Wang Yajie

Xiao Zhou spent over 600 yuan to temporarily forget about wanting to work.

During this period, she has to keep an eye on speed, pay attention to heading, and figure out the instruments in front of her. Both hands and feet have things to do.

To relax a bit, you first need to concentrate.

36 year old Xiao Zhou works in an administrative position at a state-owned infrastructure enterprise in Beijing. Reports, meetings, and trivial matters filled her daily work. On weekends, having meals, shopping, and scrolling through her phone make her feel like her mind is constantly receiving messages.

This time, she changed her way of entertainment and went to a simulated flight experience center in Beijing to "fly a plane".

The plane did not leave the ground. This is a set of fixed base simulation equipment replicated according to the original dimensions of the cockpit of a civil aviation A320 aircraft. The experiencer sits in front of the physical control desk and simulates the flight through instruments, control devices, and external scenery.

Xiao Zhou's friends feel that spending a few hundred yuan to experience it once is a bit luxurious. At first, Xiao Zhou thought it was probably a check-in activity for changing into uniforms and taking photos as a souvenir.

But after sitting in, she realized that it was far more than just changing outfits and taking photos. Every time she pushed the throttle or corrected the course, she needed to devote herself wholeheartedly.

The picture is a simulated cockpit, provided by the interviewee.

One

Before the formal operation, Xiao Zhou attended a class for more than twenty minutes.

The coach explains the basic driving logic, introduces the functions of flaps, brakes, and throttle, and then explains what to pay attention to during taxiing, takeoff, and landing. In the past, when flying, Xiao Zhou mostly sat by the window to enjoy the scenery. As for how the plane came from the parking lot to the runway and how it left the ground, she rarely thought about it in detail.

Now, these processes have become something she needs to participate in.

The space in the cockpit is very compact. The switches are arranged from the top to the front, and the information on the display screen is distributed in different areas. There is also a column of operating devices between the two seats. Sitting here, reaching out can touch many things, but every button and joystick has a corresponding function and cannot be touched casually.

The pre explanation gradually made these unfamiliar devices useful.

Xiao Zhou chose to fly from Beijing Capital International Airport in a simulated scenario, taking off from here and then returning to land. The weather is set to clear skies during the day. For those who are experiencing it for the first time, dealing with operations under normal conditions is already busy enough.

Starting to slide, she slowly pushed the accelerator according to the guidance, controlled the sliding speed according to the guidance, arrived at the runway, aligned with the centerline, and then increased the thrust. Under the guidance of the coach, pull the joystick and the ground on the screen gradually moves away.

She knew she was still indoors, but as the engine sounded and the view outside changed, her attention had shifted to simulating the speed and altitude of the flight.

The coach was there to guide, while Xiao Zhou had to turn the knowledge he had just heard into actions. How a certain operation affects flight cannot be understood solely by remembering the position of a button.

This is a rather thought-provoking leisure activity. She needs to constantly receive information, make judgments, and adjust based on feedback.

It wasn't until the simulated plane landed smoothly that the tension turned into a sense of achievement.

The picture is a simulated cockpit, provided by the interviewee.

Looking back on this experience, what Xiao Zhou cares about is that he didn't feel like working for a while at all. In daily life, many things are waiting to be dealt with at the same time. In the driver's seat, she only needs to focus on the one in front of her.

That's also why she thinks spending over 600 yuan is worth it.

Two

To get a person without flying experience into the cockpit, the store needs to prepare many things first.

The person in charge of this flight experience center told the Economic Observer reporter that when he opened the store, he was interested in the distance between aviation hobbies and actual participation opportunities. Some people play simulated flights on computers for a long time, while others are just curious about what it feels like to fly a commercial airliner. The physical cockpit provides a pay per use destination for this interest.

It should be distinguished that the fixed base simulation cabin that ordinary consumers come into contact with is different from the full motion simulator equipped with a motion platform in professional flight training. The former mainly relies on physical control, instrument feedback, and visual experience creation, which cannot be equated with complete real flight training. Completing a takeoff and landing does not necessarily mean having the ability to drive a real aircraft.

What the store needs to do is to allow beginners to participate within a limited time.

The device provides an environment close to the cockpit, and the coach needs to help the customer understand it. The above-mentioned person in charge stated that the coach spoke too little, and the participants may only follow the instructions to toggle a few switches; Instilling too much knowledge at once can easily make customers lose patience before they even get started.

The 20 minute explanation before Xiao Zhou's experience is part of the above service.

According to the person in charge mentioned above, the main customer group of the store is urban white-collar workers aged 25 to 40, including couples, friends, aviation enthusiasts, and children participating in graduate studies.

First time users may want to complete a takeoff and landing; Fans who have played simulated flight at home are more concerned about the operational feel of physical devices and may choose complex weather conditions or longer flight schedules. This requires stores to provide services of different depths on the same set of equipment.

Captain uniforms and cockpit photos can easily generate interest. Whether customers are willing to continue learning about flying after actual operation depends on the next few minutes.

For Xiao Zhou, this experience has retained enough difficulty. She needs to be dedicated and able to complete it under guidance. The satisfaction upon landing is accumulated from a series of previous operations.

Three

The above person in charge introduced that the store needs to invest in replicating the cabin, physical instruments, and curtain system in their original size in the early stage. During customer use, buttons and instruments may age, and computers and display devices require maintenance. The rental cost of commercial venues and the labor cost of coaches will not decrease due to fewer guests on the same day.

Therefore, even if many short experiences are sold, they may not be enough to support store operations, as the average customer value of such projects is limited and the repurchase rate is low.

Short experiences allow more people to experience simulated flight for the first time, but many customers stop coming after trying it out. The unit price of experiential customers is higher for a longer period of time, while team building and study abroad bring in another part of income. Several demands jointly support the store.

Price competition also puts pressure on teaching time.

The above-mentioned person in charge observed that some peers have lower pricing, but have shortened the process, reduced pre explanation, and focused more on photography and a small amount of operation in the experience. He is concerned that although customers have entered the cockpit at a lower price, they may not have experienced enough operational pleasure, making it even harder to generate interest in continuing the experience.

For business owners, explaining takes up manpower and time. Skipping it may make a single reception faster, but whether customers can be retained in the future is another matter.

He hopes to retain basic teaching, attract beginners through short experiences, provide more in-depth flight projects for interested people, and develop team building and study tours. As for how many repeat customers this arrangement can bring, it still needs to be verified by the business.

Currently in Beijing, simulated flying is still a niche consumer. A few hundred yuan expenditure also requires a sufficiently specific reason. Some people are interested in aviation, while others want to try the feeling of sitting in the driver's seat. The store should turn these expectations into a fulfilling and memorable experience.

The reason given by Xiao Zhou is: "Comparatively speaking, when scrolling through a phone, attention is scattered, but when sitting in the cockpit, attention can finally stay on one thing, and this experience may not be found elsewhere

(Author Wang Yajie)