ESR

Two Flight Simulators for an Aerospace Open House in Irvine

Parker Aerospace booked two flight simulators for an aerospace open house in Irvine, so employees and their families could fly a plane on the day they saw where the work gets done.

Plan your open houseCall +1 213 912 1010
Employees and their families line up at two flight simulator stations on a corporate campus

Employee open house · Irvine campus

What Parker Aerospace needed

An open house brings guests of every age, and the activity has to work for a visiting family member and for an aerospace employee alike. That was the brief from Parker Aerospace, part of Parker Hannifin.

On October 3, 2026, the company opened its Irvine campus to employees and their families. Guests toured the workplace and learned about the products the company makes.

Parker Aerospace wanted a hands-on aviation activity to match. The audience was mixed in age and flying experience, and the program started early in the morning. The simulators had to be ready before the first guests arrived.

We run similar programs for plants and engineering teams. See our page on manufacturing company events.

Employees show their families around the campus during the open house
Both flight simulator stations assembled for a test flight the day before

Two stations and two challenges

You get two stations instead of one, so the line is half as long. For Parker Aerospace, we brought:

  • Two flight simulators. Each station came with its own display and flight software.
  • Landing Challenge. Guests tried to put the plane down on the runway.
  • Low Altitude Challenge. Guests flew low over the ground.
  • Operators. Our team helped each guest at the controls and ran the technical side.
  • Breakdown. We packed everything up after the open house.

Set up the day before

The early start didn't put the event at risk, because we did all the setup a day ahead.

  1. Step 1: October 2, around 1 PM

    • The equipment arrived at the campus.

  2. Step 2: Assembly

    • That afternoon we unloaded and assembled both stations.

  3. Step 3: Testing

    • We ran test flights on each simulator before event day.

  4. Step 4: October 3, early morning

    • The simulators were ready when the open house began.

A full line from 9 AM

The simulators drew a steady crowd from the first hour of the open house.

A guest flies low over the hills in the Low Altitude Challenge
A guest flies low over the hills in the Low Altitude Challenge

From about 9 AM, both stations had a nearly continuous stream of guests and a visible queue. Our operator shortened each attempt while the queue lasted, so more employees and family members tried the controls.

We didn't count players. The company expected about 500 guests across the whole open house, and that figure covers every activity, not only the simulators.

Photos from the open house

These shots show the stations, the challenges on screen and the age range of the guests.

  • Simulator screen during the Landing Challenge approach to the runway
  • A family member flies the simulator with our operator beside the seat

Flight simulator rental for your open house

Everything from the Irvine open house is one booking with us.

  • Flight simulator

    An A320-style station with a display, computer and flight software. Guests need no flying experience. Details are on our flight simulator rental page.

    Flight simulator rental

  • Second station

    Add a second simulator when you expect a long line.

  • Challenge formats

    Landing Challenge and Low Altitude Challenge, set to the age and skill of your guests.

  • Operator support

    Our team sits with every guest at the controls.

  • Employee appreciation

    An open house is one of the ways a company thanks its people. Our page on employee appreciation events covers others.

    Employee appreciation events

  • Custom quote

    Every event gets a custom quote. Read how we build a quote to see what to send us.

    How we build a quote

Questions about family open houses

Can guests of every age fly the simulator?

Yes. The Irvine audience was mixed in age and flying experience. Our operator sits each guest down, explains the controls and sets the challenge to their level.

How do you handle a long line?

Book a second station, as Parker Aerospace did. When a queue forms, our operator cuts the standard 3 to 5 minute session short.

Can you set up the day before?

Yes, if your venue allows it. Send the venue's delivery hours with your inquiry, and we'll plan assembly and test flights around them.

How much space does each station need?

We fit the setup to your venue and confirm space and power with you. Plan extra room for the line.

Have you worked in Orange County before?

Yes. Besides Irvine, we ran a flight simulator for Sysmex at Hangar 21 in Fullerton. We have two bases, Los Angeles and Orlando, and work across the U.S. See our page on corporate events in Orange County.

Send us your open house date

Tell us the date, the campus and how many guests you expect. We'll reply right away and check availability, and you'll have a quote in minutes. One team will bring the simulators, run them and pack them up. Include the event type, date, city, expected guest count and budget. Tell us when doors open, so we can plan setup time. Or call +1 213 912 1010