Coolest Dad Ever Builds A 737 Cockpit Simulator In Kids’ Bedroom
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Parents show their love in all different ways—they bake R2D2 birthday cakes, build a huge TARDIS for their daughter’s wedding photos, and or hack Donkey Kong to make Pauline the hero. Or, if they’re really gunning for lifelong bonus points, they build a working 737 cockpit simulator to spruce up their kids’ bedroom. Prepared to feel completely outdone, parents…
Laurent Aigon, a father from France, spent the past five years building the 737 Boeing cockpit simulator for his kids, ordering and assembling parts from the internet (and racking up a substantial bill). The cockpit is a perfect replica, and includes an assembled control panel and screens that function like the real thing. He even hooked up five networked monitors to better facilitate simulated landings in destinations such as Rio and Sydney. And check out those plush seat covers! This guy thought of everything!
Aigon, a waiter who loves flying, had so much fun building the contraption that he’s now undergoing a five-year certification program that will enable him to turn his hobby into a profession. The Institute of Aircraft Maintenance at Bordeaux-Merignac has incorporated his simulator into their training program and has invited him to give a lecture. Even though he figured that at age 40 he was too old to become a pilot, over the five years it took to build the cockpit, Aigon logged enough hours to actually learn something about flying. Let this be a lesson to all the dreamers out there. I expect in the near future to read about the guy who builds a space shuttle simulator in his house in preparation for lobbying NASA to send him to Mars.
Aigon’s kids share his love for flying and airplanes, although it’s unclear, really, whether he built the simulator for them or for himself. Hilariously, all the pictures and videos show Aigon in the pilot’s chair, and one shot shows the empty bunk beds where, presumably, his kids rest up for their next mission. I can picture his kids standing outside their bedroom door, wondering if and when they’ll get a turn to co-pilot their bedroom cockpit or whether they should just go sit in the front seat of the car. If they ever get a chance to play Top Gun, they’ll undoubtedly be the coolest kids in school. Just think of the birthday parties they’ll be able to have—especially after their dad makes a second simulator in the guest bedroom.
I’m wondering what Aigon’s going to do when the kids grow up and move out. This would be quite a treasure to leave in the house for the next family to find.
