June 22, 2026
By Paul Chappell, Founder, SIMPRO Academy Phuket | 22 June 2026 | 8 min read
On 19 June 2026, a brand-new business jet lifted off from Bordeaux-Merignac. The Dassault Falcon 10X climbed to 40,000 feet on its very first flight. It is the widest-cabin private jet ever built. Two test pilots flew it for two and a half hours and pushed it to Mach 0.82. Just seventeen days earlier, on 2 June, another milestone arrived. The first Airbus A350-1000ULR for Qantas Project Sunrise made its maiden flight from Toulouse. That aircraft can fly non-stop for up to 22 hours. In short, June 2026 has been one of the most eventful months in aviation for years. It is also the perfect time to talk about the flight simulator Phuket visitors and pilots can now enjoy at SIMPRO Academy.
Behind every one of those flights sits a discipline most passengers never notice: simulation. Long before these jets carry a paying passenger, thousands of flying hours happen on the ground. Pilots build those hours in simulators. Today, the same core technology that trains airline crews is within reach of anyone curious about a cockpit. At SIMPRO Academy, our flight simulator in Phuket lets visitors and aspiring pilots feel it first-hand. A founder who spent more than two decades flying jets guides every session. So whether you are a tourist seeking a rainy-afternoon adventure at Boat Lagoon Marina, or a global aviation fan tracking every new airframe, this guide is for you.
The headline event came from Dassault Aviation. The Falcon 10X took off from runway 23 at Bordeaux-Merignac at 11:10 a.m. on 19 June 2026. Test pilot Sebastien Dupont de Dinechin and copilot Fabrice Dougnac were at the controls. First, the crew checked handling and systems at 15,000 feet. Then they raised the gear, climbed to 40,000 feet, and reached Mach 0.82. Remarkably, they did all of this in a single flight of just 2 hours and 30 minutes.
The numbers behind the aircraft are striking. The 10X has the largest cabin of any business jet. It measures 9 feet 1 inch wide and 6 feet 8 inches high, and it splits into up to four zones. Two Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X engines power it. These are the first Rolls-Royce engines ever fitted to a Dassault business jet, and each one produces more than 18,000 lbs of thrust. Dassault designed the jet for a 7,500-nautical-mile range at Mach 0.85. It also features a single Smart Throttle, an advanced head-up display, and automatic recovery modes.
Meanwhile, Airbus and Qantas reached their own milestone on 2 June 2026. The first A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise flew for 3 hours and 43 minutes out of Toulouse. It reached just above 41,000 feet. Qantas named the aircraft Vega. A 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank lets it fly non-stop for up to 22 hours. As a result, Qantas will launch daily non-stop Sydney-London flights from October 2027. The first jet should arrive in April 2027, after supply-chain delays pushed the timeline back. These will become the longest scheduled passenger flights ever flown.
What ties these two aircraft together is automation. Both use fly-by-wire flight decks. In these systems, computers turn a pilot’s intentions into precise control movements. They also guard the edges of the safe flight envelope. For example, a head-up display projects speed, altitude and flight path into the pilot’s forward view. As a result, the eyes never leave the windscreen. These tools are not gimmicks. Instead, they cut workload so a two-person crew can safely manage an ultra-long-range mission.
Pilots cannot learn all of this safely in the air. That is where simulation comes in. Interestingly, the consumer side of that world had a landmark month too. FlightSimExpo 2026 ran from 12 to 14 June in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Brands such as Thrustmaster, MOZA, X-Plane and Navigraph all made announcements. Microsoft also confirmed World Update 22 for Flight Simulator 2024, due on 4 July 2026. It adds US National Parks and a new air-racing feature. In short, the line between a serious home cockpit and a professional training device keeps getting thinner.
So why should a holidaymaker in Phuket care about a Minnesota trade show or a French test flight? Because they are two ends of the same ladder. A Falcon 10X reduces pilot workload and presents the right information clearly. A good simulator teaches that same idea at any level. For example, sit in a well-built rig for thirty minutes. Soon you understand why an airline captain looks so calm. The training simply makes the demanding feel manageable. Ultimately, that is a story worth experiencing, not just reading about.
This is the part I take personally. I spent more than 23 years as a professional airline pilot. I also served as a Lead Captain on a Boeing Business Jet, where I managed flight training and checking duties. On top of that, I hold a Qualified Flight Instructor rating with thousands of hours on certified full-motion simulators. Over the years, I have watched a simulator turn a nervous student into a confident, sharp pilot. The same principles make an afternoon in the seat genuinely thrilling, even for someone who has never flown.
At SIMPRO Academy, our cockpit is built around immersion and precision. Our flight simulator in Phuket feels real from the very first minute. The visuals run across triple 32-inch curved monitors that wrap your field of view like a real windscreen. So when you bank toward a runway, your eyes and inner ear finally agree. The same station also runs our Simucube 2 Pro direct-drive wheelbase (25 Nm) and Simtrecs load-cell pedals on the racing side. In other words, we use professional-grade hardware, calibrated properly, and coached by someone who has done the real thing. Best of all, you never wrestle a confusing menu alone. Instead, you get guided, structured time in the seat, just like training in the airline world.
1,300 THB per person · 90-minute coached session (excl. 7% VAT and 3% booking fee)
Triple 32-inch curved monitors · Simucube 2 Pro direct-drive (25 Nm) · Simtrecs load-cell pedals
Book now: simproacademyphuket.com · +66 62 962 2822 · info@simproacademyphuket.com
23 Boat Lagoon Marina, Soho Pool Club, Koh Kaeo, Phuket 83000
The Falcon 10X now enters a multi-aircraft flight-test campaign. It will run for many months before certification and entry into service. Qantas, meanwhile, opens Project Sunrise ticket sales in February 2027. The first jet should arrive in April 2027, with the Sydney-London launch via Heathrow in October 2027. So this is a timeline worth watching for any long-haul fan. On the simulation side, World Update 22 lands on 4 July 2026. The Sim Update 5.1 beta is already live, which shows how fast these platforms now evolve.
The most interesting trend, though, is in training itself. In 2026, new AI tools can debrief a session automatically. They compare a pilot’s performance against set procedural standards. They also replay scenarios, so instructors can pinpoint errors and speed up learning. Peer-reviewed research backs this up. It shows that general-aviation pilots increasingly accept simulators and augmented reality. The takeaway is simple. Most students struggle not because they cannot fly, but because they lack procedural sharpness. Fortunately, that is exactly what coached simulator time builds. For visitors, a session on our flight simulator in Phuket is also the perfect low-season activity. It is fully indoor, air-conditioned, and weather-proof.
There is a wider audience here too. Many aviation fans follow every Falcon 10X test point and every Project Sunrise update. For them, a simulator is the closest they will get to flying these machines. For families and couples in Phuket, it is simply a fun shared experience. It needs no licence, no fitness test and no fear of getting it wrong. After all, the worst outcome in a simulator is a learning moment and a laugh. Either way, the appeal is the same. Aviation is one of the few fields where the training tool is almost as thrilling as the real thing.
Yes. SIMPRO Academy Phuket sits at 23 Boat Lagoon Marina. We offer coached flight simulator sessions in Phuket on a professional-grade rig with triple 32-inch curved monitors. Beginners and aviation enthusiasts are equally welcome. In fact, it is one of the few places in southern Thailand to enjoy a guided cockpit session.
Absolutely. Every session is coached, so a first-timer gets walked through the basics step by step. Meanwhile, experienced simmers and pilots can push into harder scenarios. A founder with 23+ years of airline and flight-instruction experience leads the coaching.
The Falcon 10X is Dassault Aviation’s new flagship business jet. It made its maiden flight on 19 June 2026. It has the widest cabin in business aviation (9 ft 1 in) and Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X engines. Each engine produces over 18,000 lbs of thrust, and the jet has a designed range of 7,500 nautical miles.
A 90-minute coached session is 1,300 THB per person (excl. 7% VAT and 3% booking fee). You can book online at simproacademyphuket.com or by phone on +66 62 962 2822.
| Specification | Dassault Falcon 10X | Airbus A350-1000ULR (Qantas) |
|---|---|---|
| Maiden flight | 19 June 2026, Bordeaux-Merignac | 2 June 2026, Toulouse |
| First flight duration | 2 hr 30 min (to 40,000 ft, Mach 0.82) | 3 hr 43 min (above 41,000 ft) |
| Engines | 2× Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X (>18,000 lbs ea.) | 2× Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 |
| Headline figure | 7,500 nm range at Mach 0.85 | Up to ~22 hours non-stop |
| Cabin highlight | Widest in business aviation: 9 ft 1 in | 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank |
| Service timeline | Flight-test campaign underway | Delivery Apr 2027; Sydney-London Oct 2027 |
SIMPRO Academy Phuket — 1,300 THB per 90-minute coached session (excl. 7% VAT and 3% booking fee)
Equipment: triple 32-inch curved monitors, Simucube 2 Pro direct-drive (25 Nm), Simtrecs load-cell pedals
Website: simproacademyphuket.com · Phone: +66 62 962 2822 · Email: info@simproacademyphuket.com
Address: 23 Boat Lagoon Marina, Soho Pool Club, Moo 2, Koh Kaeo, Ampur Mueang, Phuket 83000
Open 7 days a week. Beginners and aviation fans equally welcome.
Paul Chappell is Founder and Operator of SIMPRO Academy Phuket. With 23+ years as a professional airline pilot, including a Lead Captain position on a Boeing Business Jet where he managed flight training and checking responsibilities, Paul brings deep expertise in precision performance and simulator-based training. He is a Qualified Flight Instructor with thousands of hours on certified full-motion flight simulators. Beyond aviation, Paul is a lifelong motorsport enthusiast — 10+ years on high-performance motorbikes, multiple track days in an AMG 45S, a professional rally driver training course, and extensive go-kart racing. He founded SIMPRO Academy in 2024 to bring professional-grade sim racing and flight simulation training to Southeast Asia.
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