Devices Include Two F-16s and One B737-Max Representation

The US Air Force Academy is installing three flight simulators, two representing F-16 Fighting Falcons and one acting as a Boeing 737 MAX cockpit, in its guest hotels. These devices will be the first (but hopefully not the last) simulators to be offered in a US hotel.

Hotel Polaris, located in the U.S. Air Force Academy campus in Colorado Springs, opened to the public on November 14. It already bears a heavily aviation-based theme, housing 375 rooms, an outdoor pool, a sun deck, a spa and fitness center, and a rooftop lounge called the “Aviator Bar.”

Of the hotel’s three state-of-the-art simulators, two are designed to replicate the Air Force’s F-16 Fighting Falcons. They are complete with full cockpit mock-ups with functional controls and switches. Guests wear a mixed-reality headset for a 360-degree view of the skies, allowing them to fly in formation, navigate challenging landscapes, or engage in dogfights against enemy aircraft. The pair of simulators are networked, enabling guests to team up for joint missions.

The third simulator replicates the cockpit of a Boeing 737 MAX. Users can take off, navigate, and land at any airport serviced by the aircraft, all while enjoying a 200-degree panoramic view provided by a seamless curved screen. This simulator is particularly appealing for those interested in the commercial side of the aviation industry.

“Our location, adjacent to both the Academy and the Santa Fe Trail, provides amazing access to all the Colorado Springs area has to offer,” commented Curtis Bova, the hotel’s general manager. “We look forward to setting a new standard of hospitality in the Pikes Peak region with an amazing hotel, from the comfort and design of our rooms to the creative cuisine at our restaurants and the signature services our guests will enjoy while staying at Hotel Polaris.”

Hotel Polaris’s grand opening included a “Holidays for Heroes” discount to honor service members and veterans.

FMI: www.thehotelpolaris.com