Thanks to 45 different software programs running on 14 different computers, the simulator allows Sheil to fly to and from 27,000 different airports around the world with breathtaking realism.

Sheil is part of a growing network of enthusiasts from around the globe that serve as pilots and air traffic controllers in a virtual word. This network is amazingly complex:

In Sheil's simulator, computer screens replace the windows and if he is flying in the virtual world behind a person in Melbourne, and they are using a Qantas 767, "we actually see a Qantas 767 out the window - the software puts it in there for us - and he sees us".

Moreover, if Sheil flies through Russia, he is greeted by a volunteer Russian air traffic controller. Cars can be seen on the road when he comes in to land and people wave at him from the terminals.

What's even more amazing is that he managed to build the simulator for around $300,000 AUD (around $197,000 US) whereas professional training simulators can cost upwards of $40 million. This was made possible largely through donated parts given to Sheil because of his charity work. In return, all of the money he earns renting out the simulator is donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). Still, this remarkable feat earned him the Guinness record for the "world's most expensive home flight simulator" (because Guinness will give out records for anything nowadays). As far as the cheapest is concerned, it would be hard to beat the $30,000 bedroom 747 simulator in terms of value. [SMH via Fark]

Flight Simulator debuted in 1982, making it one of the longest-running continuous franchises in the gaming industry. Both barely a game and so much more, Flight Simulator was an experience, and one of the first things on a computer that truly astonished me. I was flying (and crashing!) a real plane, really (virtually)! And all on my piece-of-crap Packard Bell that made me jealous of my friends' Gateways, which ran way better than my computer for reasons I didn't understand at the time.

So, what was your first Flight Simulator memory? [Gamasutra via Kotaku]

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Addy Dugdale: Hi John. We've seen the pictures of your simulator, but can you tell us a bit more about the gear you use, please?
John Davis: Well, the software I use is a Microsoft Flight Simulator for the visuals, as well as the Aerowinx PS1, which has about 30 different programs.

AD: And what about the hardware?
JD: The main screen measures 12 ft x 9 ft, and I made it myself, and there is a 19-inch flat screen on each side. Other stuff (like the autopilot system, throttles and weather radar) was sourced from the internet. The cockpit I made myself from wood.

AD: How's the flight simulation business going?
JD: I've been running it since June, but it's a bit quiet at the moment—although hopefully that will change, as I've done four radio interviews today as well as speaking to the newspapers.

AD: Are you expensive?
JD: It costs between 65 ($130) for one hour and 420 ($850) for six hours.

AD: And finally, what else do you keep in your spare bedroom?
JD: "There's no room for anything else—that's why my wife had to go!"
AD: Thanks John—and good luck!

Although he holds a glider pilot's license, John, who has clocked up around 2,500 hours on the simulator, claims he wasn't good enough at math to fly proper planes. "This is the next best thing," he says of the 747-400 he has assembled in his spare bedroom, which has a pair of car seats for the captain and first officer to park their butts on.

Next month, John and a bunch of his mates are simulating a round-the-world trip to raise funds for his local Air Ambulance. As well as a virtual air-traffic control team, there will be an In-flight entertainment provided by a Scottish Elvis impersonator, and the wife of one of the crew members, a chef, will be on food duty. [747 Simulator, with additional info from Express via Spluch]

Guy makes his own $230,000 Boeing 747 Flight Simulator [Ministry of Tech via Pop Sci]

This is the same company that's been making thrill rides and flight simulators since 1998, and now they're offering it for common folk such as you and me. We were all set to order one for our home office until, uh-oh, we saw the $300K price tag. – Charlie White

Product Page [FAO Schwartz, via Luxurylaunches]