A man who couldn't become a pilot built a copy of a Boeing 737 at home and flies (3 photos + 1 video)

Craig Cullingworth enjoys practising on his simulator in real time, choosing runways of varying difficulty.





Craig Cullingworth, 40, who has been called "not smart enough" to be a pilot, has built an accurate replica of a Boeing 737-800NG cockpit at home, costing £25,000. The man used second-hand parts, which he ordered online, to create the simulator.

Craig and his "obsessive" daughter, eight-year-old Sophie, now take to the skies using a computer program from their home in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Cullingworth got the idea to build a model airliner after his wife Sarah, 38, gave him a simulator training session at a local flight centre for Christmas.



Craig first bought a cockpit frame with all the dials and levers that a real twin-engine plane would have, and then set about fitting it out.

"Not Smart Enough"

"I always wanted to be a pilot, but at school they said I wasn't smart enough. My wife arranged for me to fly a Boeing 737 because she knew how much I wanted it. It was the best experience of my life! On the way home, I was already thinking about how to build one at home. I found parts all over the country and started putting it together after work, hoping that one day I could get up in the air," he says.

The Briton made his first flight about three months ago, posting a corresponding video on his social networks. Now he likes to practice on a real-time simulator, choosing runways of varying difficulty.



By the way, a new Boeing 737 flight simulator costs around £55,000, but Craig says he spent less than half that amount because he used second-hand parts. By comparison, a simulator flight attempt typically costs between £100 and £150 for 30-90 minutes.

Cullingworth plans to build a couple more simulators in the near future to rent to other pilots for advanced training and honing.