Fly the P-51 Mustang
A guided warbird mission, including formation work with another airplane.
- No prior experience required
- Full aircraft and outside view in the headset
Opening at the new Midtown studio
Motion VR Flight Simulators in Midtown Manhattan, Without the $7,000 Build
The machine you want does not fit in a Manhattan apartment, and building it new today runs from about $7,000 to past $13,000 before you find the floor space. Ours are already built, mapped, and maintained. Book an hour and fly F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, and P-51 Mustang or general aviation training airplanes.
TWO
Different VR stations
60 MINUTES TOTAL
45 minutes in the simulator
$95
Opening operator session
Studio and flight images are AI-generated previews of the planned space and experiences.
Built and Maintained
No assembly, no button mapping, no storage problem
Combat Operators
Mission, flight-model, and aircraft-systems expertise
X-Plane 12 Instructors
Visual maneuvers, landings, and workload management
Should you build a home flight simulator, or fly one here?
Fly one here first. Buy every part new today and the cheapest credible build lands near $7,000, a good one past $13,000, before a seat or a square foot of Manhattan floor. Ours are already built, mapped, and maintained. Fly a session, then decide how many hours you would really put on a machine of your own.
| Line item | Build it at home | Fly it here |
|---|---|---|
| The PC that drives it | $2,100 to $5,600, or $9,499 from a flight-sim builder | Included |
| VR headset | $600 to $1,100 | Included |
| Force-feedback stick, throttle, pedals | Stick $648 to $2,065, throttle $130 to $350, pedals $130 to $600 | Included |
| Motion platform, 2 degrees of freedom | $2,699 plus $580 shipping, and it arrives without a seat | Included once motion is live after opening |
| Simulator software and first add-ons | $70 to $200, plus about $68 for one study-level airplane | Included |
| Setup before the first real flight | 3 to 5 hours to assemble the platform, then several sessions tuning comfort and mapping buttons | None. It is mapped and running when you sit down |
| Who fixes it when it breaks | You do | Not your problem |
| What it costs you when you stop flying | It keeps its corner of the apartment | Nothing. You stop booking |
| Total, bought new today | Roughly $7,000 to $13,000, before a seat, cabling, or floor space | One session price, booked by the hour |
Home figures price one station from manufacturer, vendor, and retailer listings read on September 11, 2026.
Which aircraft can you fly?
The launch lineup is F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, and P-51 Mustang, plus general aviation training airplanes in X-Plane 12, all of it at launch. Take the F-15 Eagle or F/A-18 Hornet for a guided jet mission, the P-51 Mustang for formation work, or the civil side for scenic routes, traffic patterns, and landings.
Every aircraft is flown from the same force-feedback stick, combat throttle, and rudder pedals, and the civil airplanes do not switch to a yoke. Book an operator for combat, where the mission and aircraft systems matter, and a flight instructor for X-Plane 12 coaching.
Fighters at Launch
F-15 Eagle and F/A-18 Hornet missions open the lineup, with an operator running the aircraft and mission setup.
- Mission briefing included
- Aircraft systems handled by the operator
General aviation training airplanes in X-Plane 12
Scenic routes, visual maneuvers, traffic patterns, and landings, with a flight instructor when you want coaching.
- Visual maneuvers
- Patterns and landings
- Workload management
A session is 60 minutes total, with 45 minutes in the simulator. Operators run combat missions; flight instructors run X-Plane 12 visual maneuvers, landings, and workload management.
Passenger Mode is planned for early 2027 as a separate fear-of-flying experience.
Do you fly with a yoke or a stick?
Force-feedback flightstick, combat throttle, and rudder pedals. There is no yoke and no throttle quadrant. Every airplane here is flown from a stick, including a general aviation trainer in X-Plane 12.
A force-feedback stick presses back against your hand as the airplane loads up, so it behaves nothing like a loose desktop joystick. The combat throttle sits under the other hand and the rudder pedals control yaw. You do not need to know the switches: the crew sets the aircraft up and keeps the first minutes on flying rather than menus.
Every airplane, including a general aviation trainer, is flown with a force-feedback flightstick, combat throttle, and rudder pedals, with no yoke and no throttle quadrant
- Force-feedback flightstick
- Pushes back as control loads change.
- Combat throttle
- Power, under your other hand on the same unit.
- Rudder pedals
- Yaw, while your hands fly pitch, roll, and power.
What is the difference between the two stations?
The stations differ in what stays visible. Head-tracked mixed reality with camera passthrough of the real cockpit, physical controls, and the guest's real hands on station 1; head-tracked fully immersive VR on station 2. Station 1 lets you glance at the controls and your own hands without leaving the scene; station 2 removes the room entirely.
Neither station is sold by headset brand, and both use the same control layout. Two stations, one mixed reality and one fully immersive VR. Both get 2 degrees of freedom of motion, pitch and roll, after opening. Pick mixed reality for a first session, and full immersion once the layout is familiar.
Station detail
Mixed Reality
One station uses mixed reality so you can see the physical controls and your hands; the other is fully immersive VR
Fully Immersive VR
The station replaces the room with the virtual aircraft and outside world.
When does motion go live, and what changes?
Platform motion is not available at opening. Two stations, one mixed reality and one fully immersive VR. Both get 2 degrees of freedom of motion, pitch and roll, after opening. The aircraft lineup and 45 minutes of flying start at opening, so F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, and P-51 Mustang and general aviation training airplanes fly from the first day.
Once motion is live, each station will pitch and roll with the aircraft, so a bank is felt through the seat instead of seen only in the headset. The menu, controls, and session clock do not change, but the price does. We publish the live date when commissioning is complete.
Recreational Flying
Can beginners fly it, and can kids?
Yes. Beginners fly without studying aircraft systems or simulator software first. The operator fits the headset, explains the force-feedback stick, combat throttle, and rudder pedals, loads the mission, and handles the menus. Start with a guided combat scenario, a P-51 Mustang formation flight, or a civil flight in X-Plane 12.
Children are welcome from age 10. That floor is about the headset, not about flying: below it the lenses rarely sit at the right distance on a smaller face, and a poor fit is the fastest route to feeling queasy. The crew checks fit first.
- No prior flying or simulator experience required
- Choose a F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, P-51 Mustang, or civil scenario
- Crew handles setup, menus, and mission changes
- Flyers aged 10 and up, with headset fit checked on the day
The VR simulators are recreational. They are not FAA approved, and time in them does not count toward any certificate, rating, or currency, even with an instructor.
For Pilots and Students
Does VR simulator time count toward an FAA certificate or rating?
The VR simulators are recreational. They are not FAA approved, and time in them does not count toward any certificate, rating, or currency, even with an instructor. The instructor can coach visual maneuvers, traffic patterns, landings, and workload management in X-Plane 12, but the session stays practice rather than loggable simulator training.
Do not put the time in a pilot logbook as approved training, or toward a certificate, rating, or currency requirement. We keep separate FAA-approved devices for guests who need eligible time. If FAA credit is the goal, use an approved device.
- Visual maneuvers and traffic patterns in X-Plane 12
- Landing sight pictures and natural head movement around the pattern
- Workload management, then a debrief on what your eyes and hands did
The VR simulators are recreational. They are not FAA approved, and time in them does not count toward any certificate, rating, or currency, even with an instructor.
For Nervous Flyers
Can the VR Simulator Help With Fear of Flying?
Yes, as a separate mode of the same room. You sit in an airline seat with a seatbelt, the headset shows an airline cabin rather than a pilot-seat view, and you have no controls.
An airline pilot flies the trip from beside you and explains every sound and movement, working through seven turbulence levels at the pace you set. Planned for early 2027, after motion is live, at a projected $230.
- An airline seat with a seatbelt and a virtual cabin in the headset
- An airline pilot flies and narrates the trip, while you operate nothing
- Turbulence levels 0 through 6, with a stop at any point
Should I book an operator or a flight instructor?
Book an operator for a combat mission and a flight instructor for civil work in X-Plane 12. Operators know the combat flight model, mission, and aircraft systems: they set the aircraft up, brief the objective, manage the scenario, and keep you out of menus.
Choose the instructor when you want to fly a pattern and be told what you did with your eyes and hands: visual maneuvers, landings, and workload management, then a debrief. Either way you get one crew member for the 60 minutes total appointment, and neither choice changes the FAA status.
Crew options
Combat Mission Operator
Runs the F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, and P-51 Mustang flight model, setup, systems, and mission while you fly.
$30 of the opening session price
Flight Instructor
Runs visual maneuvers, landings, and workload management, then debriefs it with you.
$130 replaces the operator fee
How much does a session cost, and when can you book?
At opening it is $95 with an operator or $195 with a flight instructor. A session is 60 minutes total, with 45 minutes in the simulator at Aviator.NYC. After opening, once motion is live, those become $130 and $230.
Booking opens when the room does, with real dates and times you pick and pay for then. There is nothing prepaid to buy in the meantime, and the interest form does not charge you. Prices are projected until booking opens.
VR Session with Operator
60 minutes total. 45 minutes in the simulator. Combat crew.
$95 at launch
$130 after opening, once motion is live
| Included | Launch | After opening |
|---|---|---|
| VR simulator, 45 minutes flying | $65 | $100 |
| Combat mission operator | $30 | $30 |
| Total per session | $95 | $130 |
- F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, and P-51 Mustang at launch
- Brief and mission setup included
- No experience required
VR Session with Flight Instructor
60 minutes total. 45 minutes in the simulator. Civil coaching in X-Plane 12.
$195 at launch
$230 after opening, once motion is live
| Included | Launch | After opening |
|---|---|---|
| VR simulator, 45 minutes flying | $65 | $100 |
| Flight instructor | $130 | $130 |
| Total per session | $195 | $230 |
- Visual maneuvers, landings, workload management
- Instructor debrief included
- No FAA credit is earned
Prices are projected until booking opens. After opening, the higher rate starts once motion is live.
Will VR make me motion sick, and who should not fly?
VR can leave some guests nauseated or disoriented, including experienced pilots who never get sick in an airplane. A session is 60 minutes total, with 45 minutes in the simulator, and the cap exists so a first headset exposure ends while it still feels good.
Tell the crew at the first sign of nausea, dizziness, or eye fatigue and stop, rather than adapting through it. Sit this one out if headsets already cause strong symptoms for you. If you are pregnant or have a condition affected by visual or balance cues, ask your clinician first. The minimum age is 10.
Session length and fit notes
Why is a session capped at one hour?
A session is 60 minutes total, with 45 minutes in the simulator. The cap is deliberate: a headset asks your eyes and balance system to accept movement your body may not feel, and new users develop fatigue, dizziness, or nausea even when they never get sick in an airplane.
45 minutes of flying is enough to settle in, learn the controls, and finish a scenario while it is still good. The same hour applies to beginners and pilots.
Stop Early
Tell the crew as soon as symptoms begin. Do not try to push through them.
Bring Your Glasses
The crew will check the fit. Large or wide frames must not press against the headset lenses.
Bring the Family
Flyers aged 10 and up can book, and the crew checks headset fit before a young flyer starts.
What happens in a VR flight session at Aviator.NYC?
A session is 60 minutes total, with 45 minutes in the simulator. The rest of the hour covers headset fitting, a safety brief, and mission setup. You pick a combat mission in F-15 Eagle and F/A-18 Hornet, a warbird flight in the P-51 Mustang, or visual flying in X-Plane 12.
An operator runs the combat missions and handles the menus, aircraft setup, and scenario. A flight instructor takes the civil sessions. Beginners do not need to study beforehand: the crew explains the stick, combat throttle, rudder pedals, and stop signal before the headset goes on.
Join the Launch List
Tell us what you want to fly. The form does not charge you or hold a date.
Book a Dated Session
Booking opens with real dates and times when the room does. The list hears first.
Fly Ours, Then Decide
Fly before you spend a dollar on hardware. If you buy a machine anyway, talk to us about where it lives.
Where is the VR room, and can you rent it by the hour?
The VR room is planned for the new Midtown studio, inside the Aviator.NYC simulator studio. We do not sell a station and we do not ship one to your apartment, so there is no unit to deliver. What you can rent is time on ours: the stations stay in the studio, you book them by the hour, and a group can take the whole room privately. Expected online at the new Midtown studio no later than November 1, 2026.
Arrival instructions come with a confirmed booking, and Aviator.NYC locations are staffed by appointment only, so do not plan a walk-in visit. Booking opens when the room does, and the launch list hears first.
- The VR room is planned for the new Midtown studio
- Mixed-reality and fully immersive stations in one room
- By appointment only, arrival instructions sent after booking
Studio and flight images are AI-generated previews of the planned space and experiences.
Can I book the whole VR room for a group?
Yes. Once the room opens, a group can reserve the whole VR room on site. We do not deliver the stations to another venue. The room holds both stations, so two guests fly at once while the rest of the group rotates.
Staff run the stations and keep each changeover organized. An individual booking stays 60 minutes total, with 45 minutes in the simulator, while a private event holds the space for a two-hour or three-hour block, priced by the space and duration, not by headcount.
Event menu and pricing
| Rent the space | 2-hour event | 3-hour event | Private studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1000 Simulator Only | $520up to 2 guests | $775up to 6 guests | Shared |
| Cirrus SR Series Simulator OnlyReserve by request until the Cirrus simulators are online | $700up to 2 guests | $1,045up to 6 guests | Shared |
| SF50 Vision Jet Simulator OnlyReserve by request until the Cirrus simulators are online | $820up to 2 guests | $1,225up to 6 guests | Shared |
| G1000 + Cirrus SR Series SimulatorsReserve by request until the Cirrus simulators are online | $1,215up to 4 guests | $1,820up to 12 guests | Shared |
| VR Room Only | $750up to 4 guests | $1,100up to 8 guests | Shared |
| VR Room + G1000 Simulator | $1,650up to 6 guests | $2,400up to 12 guests | Shared |
| VR Room + Cirrus SR Series SimulatorReserve by request until the Cirrus simulators are online | $1,800up to 6 guests | $2,650up to 12 guests | Shared |
| Full Facility (all five simulators)Reserve by request until the Cirrus simulators are online | $2,330up to 8 guests | $3,495up to 16 guests | Yes |
A standard VR appointment is 60 minutes total with 45 minutes in the simulator. Private events hold a space for two or three hours so guests can rotate, and the VR room price steps up once motion is live.
- Staff run every station, and handle setup and cleanup
- One flight instructor included, with a second on the event menu
- Bring your own catering, or ask for a catering quote
Before You Book
Renting, flying without a crew member, and wearing glasses in the headset.
Not a unit of your own. Aviator.NYC does not sell a simulator, ship one to your apartment, or bring one to your venue. What you can rent is time on ours: both stations stay in the Midtown Manhattan studio, and you book them by the hour or take the room privately.
- A single one-hour session is $95 with a combat mission operator or $195 with a flight instructor at opening
- The whole two-station room can be reserved privately from $750 for two hours with up to 4 guests, priced for the space rather than per person
- A session is 60 minutes total, with 45 minutes in the simulator, so the hour you book is flying time rather than a delivery window
- Nothing is yours to install, wire, calibrate, or update: the stations are already built, already mapped, and already maintained
- The studio is by appointment only and opens October 1, 2026, and booking opens with the room
No. Every session includes one crew member for the full hour, and there is no unattended or self-serve option. A session is 60 minutes total, with 45 minutes in the simulator. Operators run combat missions; flight instructors run X-Plane 12 visual maneuvers, landings, and workload management.
- The crew member sets up the station, fits the headset, briefs the controls, and stays with you while you fly
- That is the point of flying here rather than at home: no driver versions, no button mapping, no calibration evening before you get to fly
- One station uses mixed reality so you can see the physical controls and your hands; the other is fully immersive VR
- Choose the crew by what you want to fly, because the crew member is part of the session rather than an upgrade you can drop
Yes, as long as the frames sit inside the headset without pressing on the lenses. The crew checks the fit before your flying time starts, and large or wide frames are the usual problem.
- Bring your glasses rather than flying without them, because clear vision is part of a comfortable session
- A slimmer pair is the safer choice if you own one, and contact lenses avoid the fit question entirely
- Tell the crew if anything presses, pinches, or blurs, because a poor fit is the fastest route to feeling queasy
- The fit check happens at the station, so there is nothing to measure or send ahead before you arrive
Get Launch Pricing First
Tell us what you would fly. Launch-list members hear about pricing and booking before anyone else, and your answers shape the experiences and hours we open with.
If You Buy One Anyway
Bought a better machine than ours, with nowhere to put it?
It happens. Someone flies here, wants their own, and ends up with a rig that outclasses ours and an apartment that cannot take it. If that is you, we may be able to house it here, run it, and keep it flying, so it gets used instead of stored.
Nothing about an arrangement like that is published on this page, because each one is different. Start the conversation on the investor page.
The VR simulators are recreational. They are not FAA approved, and time in them does not count toward any certificate, rating, or currency, even with an instructor. A session is 60 minutes total, with 45 minutes in the simulator. Prices and opening timing remain projected until booking opens.