Flightdeck Focus

Somehow, without a single drop of fuel or an engine, modern gliders can fly for hundreds of kilometres and stay airborne for hours.

So to find out how a plane with no engine actually works, we’ll look at the core physics of gliding, exploring how sailplanes trade altitude for speed while generating lift to keep moving forward.

And we'll also explore the two main ways gliders get into the sky, break down the invisible lift hidden in the atmosphere, from thermals, to ridge lift and mountain wave!

After years without a major UK flight simulation show, flight simming is finally back in the UK with FSimUK 2026. But with high-end flight simulator cockpits, motion simulators, force feedback controls and some of the biggest names in flight simulation all under one roof, is it actually any good?

To find out, we head to FSimUK 2026 at Aerospace Bristol to explore the UK's biggest flight simulation event, meet the flight sim community and see what the show has to offer. From incredible home cockpit builds to the latest flight simulator hardware, there's plenty to discover!