Activities

Experience the Best of Houston!

New in 2023, we are organizing several activities happening before, during, and after FlightSimExpo 2023 so you can make the most of the event! Details on our many free and paid activities are below.

Activities at a Glance:

Friday, June 23

Off-Site Excursions

  • IAH Airport Airside Tour
  • Houston Approach (I90) Tour
  • Houston Center (ZHU) Tour
  • Space Center Houston Visit

Saturday, June 24

Museum Add-ons

  • FSExpo and Museum Tours
  • Museum Warbird Rides
  • Cockpit Building Workshops
  • Redbird Proficiency Center
  • Flight Planning Experience
  • Night Out at Top Golf

Sunday, June 25

Museum Add-ons

  • FSExpo and Museum Tours
  • Museum Warbird Rides
  • Cockpit Building Workshops
  • Redbird Proficiency Center
  • Flight Planning Experience

Monday, June 26

Off-Site Excursions

  • IAH Airport Airside Tour
  • Houston Approach (I90) Tour
  • Houston Center (ZHU) Tour
  • HOU Control Tower Tour
  • IAH Control Tower Tour

Off-Site Activities

FAA Facility and Airport Tours

Go Behind the Scenes

We've organized small-group tours of nearby air traffic control facilities so you can see first-hand how controllers work the scopes! Plus, an airside tour of IAH Airport is available, where visitors will be driven around the airport taxiways for planespotting and a behind-the-scenes view of airport operations.

Several Tours are Happening Throughout the Weekend:
  • Airside Tour of IAH Airport - Friday at 9:30am, Monday at 10:30am
  • Houston Approach (I90) - Friday and Monday at 10am
  • Houston Center (ZHU) - Friday and Monday at 10am
  • HOU Control Tower - Monday at 11am
  • IAH Control Tower - Monday at 11am

Advance Registration Required

Activity Registration
A Southwest 737 at Hobby Airport

Please Note

These facilities are security-sensitive areas that are subject to operational availability. For reasons beyond our control, these tours may be cancelled at any time, including on the day of. Additionally, the air traffic facility tours are only available to US citizens (the IAH Airside Tour is available to all attendees).

Space Center Houston

The Top Attraction for Space Exploration

Space Center Houston is Houston’s #1 attraction for international visitors and a leading science and space exploration learning center. Go on site at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and get a behind-the-scenes look at human space exploration. A tram tour of Rocket Park is included with admission, while tours of the astronaut training facility and the Apollo-era mission control center can be booked separately.

Two Options are Available:
  • A group visit 9:30am-1pm on Friday that includes transportation ($60)
  • Visit on your own at any time using our discounted ticket rate ($25)

Advance Registration Required

Activity Registration
Rocket Park at Space Center Houston

Night Out at Top Golf

Socialize on Saturday Evening

Join a group of fellow FlightSimExpo attendees for an evening of fun at Top Golf, beginning at 6:30pm! Registration includes transportation, 2 hours of game play, food, and an open bar.

Price: $160 per person

Note this activity is subject to a minimum of 15 participants.

Advance Registration Required

Activity Registration
Top Golf Houston

On-Site at Lone Star Flight Museum

Vintage Aircraft Rides

Take a ride in a warbird!

The Lone Star Flight Museum offers rides in their fleet of vintage aircraft, including a WWII era B-25 Mitchell bomber, a North American T-6 Texan, and a PT-17 Stearman.

Advance reservations are required for aircraft rides and bookings are managed directly through the museum. Visit the museum's website for details, pricing, and to reserve a flight.

Lone Star Flight Museum Warbird Rides

Lone Star Flight Museum Tour

A Guided Museum Experience

Volunteers from the Lone Star Flight Museum provide our attendees with a guided tour of the facility, including stops at the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, Warbird Ready Room, and more.

Several tour times are available:
  • Saturday, June 24 at 1pm and 3pm
  • Sunday, June 25 at 11am

The tour is available free to all attendees and no advance registration is required. To participate, meet at the registration desk in the museum lobby at the tour's departure time.

Lone Star Flight Museum Tour

FSExpo Show Floor Tour

A Getting-Started Tour for Beginners

Are you new to flight simulation? Join one of our volunteers on a guided tour through our exhibit hall, focusing on the best places for newcomers to experience our hobby. Plus, ask questions and share experiences with others who are new to flight simulation.

The tour is available free to all attendees and no advance registration is required. To participate, meet at the registration desk in the museum lobby at 12pm on Saturday, June 24.

FSExpo Show Floor Tour

Cockpit Building Workshops

Build your own hardware, and take it home!

MobiFlight and Captain Bob Flight Simulation invite you to build your own home cockpit components—at the show. Registration includes all required hardware and a one-hour guided build session. At the end, plug the component you’ve made into our test simulator, then take it home with you!

Workshops are available for different experience levels:
  • Basic: lights, switches, and encoder box ($55)
  • Intermediate: Cessna 172 flap switch ($55)
  • Advanced: LCD multi-function display ($75)

Advance Registration Required

Activity Registration

Additionally, Mark Ellis from Stick and Rudder Studios is hosting a technical seminar on integrating X-KeyPad with Elgato Stream Decks and X-Touch Mini’s using X-Plane. The seminar takes place Saturday at 3:30pm.

Cockpit Building Workshops

Pilot Proficiency Center

Sponsored by Redbird Flight

On Saturday and Sunday at the Lone Star Flight Museum, sit down with a CFII and tune up your instrument flying. Redbird Flight is offering one-on-one sessions in their full-motion MX2 flight simulator, an FAA-approved aviation training device, to help attendees earn loggable flight time towards IFR currency. Even if you're not a real-world pilot, sign up to experience what it's like going through IFR training!

Advance Registration Required

Activity Registration
Redbird Pilot Proficiency Center

Flight Planning Experience

Get Hands on with a Real Aircraft

Designed for student or aspiring pilots, this 45-minute session takes flight simmers through a ‘real-world’ pre-flight. From flight planning and weather to an actual aircraft walkaround, volunteers from the Lone Star Flight Museum’s Education Department walk through planning for a safe General Aviation flight—in an aircraft or the simulator!

Advance Registration Required

Activity Registration
Flight Planning Experience