Near convention, a view from 20K feet

Thousands of politicians, pundits and party faithful have flown through the airspace above Tampa, Fla., to come to the GOP convention. But if that wasn’t enough to sate their appetite for time above the clouds, an event Tuesday evening offered the next best thing. 

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the National Business Aviation Association hosted an event in conjunction with The Hill that offered a virtual look at the wild blue yonder.

A flight simulator set up a few blocks from the Tampa Bay Times Forum in a Greek restaurant offered those brave enough to strap themselves in a realistic approximation of flying a two-seater Piper Club airplane.  

Built by Redbird Flight Simulation, the $57,000 piece of equipment allowed attendees to grab the yoke and use multiple monitors to take a trip around Tampa. No word on whether the simulation included virtual disgruntled Ron Paul delegates.

— Peter Schroeder.