We recently heard about a truly unique experience that you won’t find in many other places in Greater Manchester: the opportunity to jump on board a 747 flight simulator.
Located just down the road in the Salford suburb of Barton-upon-Irwell is The Deck 747, a fully-fledged flight simulator where you can not only get a little taste of what business class on the upper deck of the legendary Boeing aircraft but even hop in the cockpit and feel what it’s like to fly one for yourself.
Now, when we say fully-fledged, we mean it. This thing isn’t just like the game you see aviation enthusiasts playing on their computer with a few extra bells and whistles, you’re actually sitting in a real-life aeroplane — or a decommissioned one, at least, courtesy of operators Doors2Manual.
That’s right, situated within an otherwise unassuming old hangar at Barton Aerodrome (formerly known as City Airport), this lot got their hands on an old 747, literally sawed off the front half of the top deck and plonked right in the middle of the popular tourist destination for your enjoyment. And boy did we enjoy it.
Credit: The Manc Group
Upon walking in the front door, we almost had to take a step back when we saw a genuine quarter of a plane just sitting there right in front of us, with the entrance ramp lit up like we were about to go on holiday.
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Walking into the plane itself, we might as well have been because we were immediately transported to that place of excitement and anticipation you feel when you’re about to go on your jollies and all we were essentially doing was standing in a big tin can. Then we walked into the cockpit…
We don’t know about you but this is not something we’ve ever experienced before and it genuinely rendered us wide-eyed little kids.
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It isn’t just like you’re getting to glimpse behind the curtain into an already immensely cool and exclusive club, but with all the lights, dials and controls and so on, we felt like we had just stepped into the Millenium Falcon or something, it was that surreal.
A unbelievable flight simulator experience right here in Manchester
Not only are you using all of the real-life instruments that professional pilots spend years learning how to master, but you’re also getting a real insight into what it feels like incredible engineering that goes into building aircraft, and making use of a giant curved screen specially constructed by the team, they really do get as close to a pilot’s full field of vision as you can get without actually doing it yourself.
We did two flights, one short little trip from Manchester Airport to Liverpool and then a longer haul journey from Manchester to San Francisco. We can’t lie, we weren’t exactly naturals but, thankfully, our instructor Rod, a recently retired pilot with decades of experience was both helpful and fun throughout.
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He even let us try and fly under the Golden Gate Bridge because, again, we’re children and why the hell not? We did it by the way, it was just the landing part we weren’t so great at. In fact, we were so immersed that we were genuinely sweating when it came to bringing the bird back down.
It was beyond fascinating to try and learn all of the stuff pilots have to think about whilst flying these things and if there’s one thing The Deck 747 flight simulator does do is nail the details, right down to showing you where co-pilots would have a kip.
But as you can see, they do plenty more than that too, from selling some real historic gems and pieces of memorabilia from the gift shop to hosting birthday parties and even weddings.
Yes, some people love planes so much they’ve even get married here and more power to them.
The entire place is kitted out with authentic plane parts to the point that even the seats in the lobby area and the reception desk are built out of repurposed chunks of fuselage.
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Obviously, having a flight simulator right here in Manchester is the main selling point here but there’s still plenty more to be enjoyed for when you’re not being coached in the cockpit and it shows in the overwhelmingly positive reviews — virtually all of which are five-star. Well deserved.
Once you’ve completed your full flight sim experience and touched back down into reality, you can then pop just around the corner to watch some planes taking off and landing at the active City Airport, as well as people flying helicopters as other fanatics and more casual tourists enjoy the free entertainment.
There’s even the VG Bar & Grill right next to the runway, so you can sit and have a drink and something to eat as you watch the action or decompress after your taxing day pretending to be a proper pilot. Not quite as delicious as that first airport pint before a getaway but a very close second.
We honestly can’t speak highly enough of the couple hours we spent at The Deck 747 flight simulator over at Barton Aerodrome — the time literally and figuratively flew by (had to be done) and we wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try.
Whether it’s getting a voucher for a friend or a loved one, booking something fun with work or for a special event, it’s a great way to spend a day. You can find out more information about the whole experience, pricing and how to get in touch HERE.
P1 Fitness – The Manchester gym that strikes the perfect blend of PT and group-based coaching
Danny Jones
We here at The Manc team are trying to get fit; it can be hard to find time for the gym when you’re busy, not to mention staying in shape when you’ve got a food scene as good as Manchester’s, which is exactly why P1 Fitness Studio is a perfect match for us.
Maybe you’ve fancied giving a personal trainer a go, or even tried a class or two, but perhaps the schedule, the price, the location or some other factor meant it wasn’t for you.
Whatever your reasoning, if you’re the kind of person who can admit they need a bit of a kick up the backside to get their arse in gear and actually stick at this gym lark, we can assure you this is an ideal place to build the right kinds of habits.
And trust us, they’ll keep pushing to make sure it sinks in.
Top-end facilities, secure lockers, every bit of kit you’ll ever need and much more (Credit: The Manc)
Aside from the anti-ego environment in general – you won’t catch anyone staring at themselves in mirrors here – it’s also just nice to be around people with similar lifestyles.
Boasting tonnes of positive reviews online, P1 Fitness is a place for busy professionals who aren’t willing to let work and all other time-consuming parts of ‘adulting’ be an excuse to not carve out less than an hour to better themselves.
And for most people, that really is all it takes to start seeing a difference; two 50-minute sessions might not sound like a lot to some, but the effort you put in during the group workouts is more than enough to get the benefit.
They focus on quality, not quantity, making sure every day that you turn up is worthwhile, and no drop of sweat is wasted.
Better still, they keep the numbers low and even break off into smaller groups to explain and tailor workouts to suit each person.
It’s not just weekly blocks stuck on a wall that you have to stick to: everything is flexible, and they do try and give everyone as much one-on-one attention as possible from the P1 staff.
Here’s what some other members have had to say in their recent testimonials:
“The biggest difference isn’t that I’m fitter and stronger. It’s that I don’t have to think about it anymore. Before P1 I’d spend all week telling myself I needed to go to the gym, then I’d be too tired, it’d be busy, I didn’t know what to do, and I’d end up doing nothing and beating myself up about it.
“Now I just turn up twice a week. Someone tells me what to do, I get coached to do it right, then shower, go back to work and my fitness takes care of itself. It’s one less thing I have to worry about.”
Louise
“I genuinely thought I hated gyms. In fact, when I saw one, I used to cross the street to avoid it… Turns out I hated the ‘usuall’ gym experience. Wondering what I was supposed to be doing, fighting for equipment in the crowd and being self-conscious about my form.
“At P1, I simply walk in, everything’s ready – someone coaches me through the session, we have a laugh in the group, and before I know it I’m finished. I actually look forward to training now, which is crazy.
Damien
One of our very own, Lonnie, says it’s given him a sense of “structure, routine and a community” in the gym like never before, and added that “it’s become that third space where people can come together to better themselves in a fun and unique way.”
Abby is ever the hard-working, friendly face; her husband and fellow co-owner, Peter, is a ‘BFG’ who will always push you to your limits but knows when not to beast you; Ben is a great instructor with a great way of breaking down movements, and Mel is the smiling assassin who is as dedicated as she is smiley.
Then there’s Katie, who is somehow juggling a PhD and working at P1 part-time, all whilst being an absolute Duracell bunny of a trainer. All in all, you couldn’t ask for a better team.
Best of all, you can choose when to register for a session based not only on who you prefer working with, but whatever time suits you; you can even put your name down as last-gasp as you like – in fact, we’ve turned up with five minutes’ notice on more than one occasion.
It’s also great to see that they’re more than happy to roll out a mat or pick up a weight and properly get stuck in there with you.
Put simply: much like you, all of these guys have their own special traits, but one thing they do all have in common is an incredible amount of drive and passion for the work they do, not to mention the knowledge and experience to back it up.
We’re not going to give you any harder of a sell than that; all we’ll say is that we’re feeling more positive about our current fitness journey than we have in a long time, and if you want to make similar progress, P1 might just be for you.
So, if you are truly looking to get fitter in a setting where consistency, accountability and community thrive, consider this your sign to finally get serious.
You can find out more and enquire about joining right HERE.
You won’t find a friendlier team. (Credit: Supplied)
Trafford Centre’s FREE emergency services day is returning with 50 vehicles, live demonstrations, and more
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of emergency services vehicles, live demonstrations, meet and greets, and more will be heading to the Trafford Centre this summer.
Back by popular demand, now that schools across Greater Manchester have broken up for the summer holidays, the North West’s biggest celebration of the emergency services back at the Trafford Centre early next month – offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the lifesaving work carried out across the region every day.
Running from 10am through to 4pm, this free family-friendly event promises a full day of excitement, education, and entertainment.
Visitors can expect around 50 emergency service vehicles, live demonstrations, and interactive displays.
The Trafford Centre’s FREE emergency services day is returning next month / Credit: Supplied
There will also be representatives from the British Army, RNLI, and many more.
Both modern and vintage vehicles will be on display to give visitors a fascinating insight into how the emergency services have evolved over the years.
Families can also enjoy a host of additional attractions while they’re there, including meet-and-greets at intervals with Fireman Sam, free face painting, fairground rides, ice cream vans, balloons, and live performances from local choirs.
There’ll be 50 vehicles, live demonstrations, and loads more happening / Credit: Supplied
The event will be officially opened at 10:20am with a short ceremony led by Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Kate Green, alongside other local dignitaries.
“Our annual Emergency Services Day is a brilliant day out for all ages, and a great way to say thank you to our amazing emergency services and support our everyday heroes,” explained Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at Trafford Centre.
“We’re proud to host such an inspiring day here at Trafford Centre.”
Danny Jones -
3rd July 2023 
