Visitors to the Alberta Aviation Museum will be able to channel their First World War flying ace with a new travelling exhibit the museum is hosting.
Ace Academy Flight Experience is on loan from Ingenium, which operates three national museums in Ottawa including the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
“It’s a video game with motion-sensing technology that was developed by them for a more hands-on museum experience,” says AAM Assistant Curator Ryan Lee. “It allows you to fly by moving your arms left and right, up and down. The plane is a Sopwith Ship Camel and you are trying to shoot down German aircraft during the First World War while dodging enemy fire.”
The game is shown on a large-screen TV screen as you are surrounded on all sides by a diorama depicting the skies over Europe during the Great War.
Lee says he is delighted to have the exhibit here particularly since the museum is looking to provide more for its younger visitors.
“Mainly it’s for children. It gives them something interactive so they can experience the museum. It’s also important to bring people back to the museum who have been here in the past and want to see something new.”
Ingenium has also commissioned two accompanying smart phone apps which allow visitors to continue the flight experience on their own. The first, Ace Academy, will also teach users about the science of Flight and the role of military aviation 100 years ago. Ace Academy: Black Flight is the sequel and gives access to more aircraft and more air battle scenarios. Both are available for Apple and Android devices.
Ace Academy Flight Experience is on display at the Alberta Aviation Museum until November 1. It’s free to use with your admission. Drop by and check out this innovative virtual flight experience.