Auburn aerospace engineering students gain experience with flight simulator at Delta Training Center
Published: May 2, 2025 9:00 AM
By Dustin Duncan
Auburn aerospace engineering students understand the physics and mathematics of flight, but few have had the chance to sit in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 and control an aircraft.
Nearly 60 students came close when they visited the Delta Aircrew Training Center at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as part of a flight dynamics course taught by Norm Speakman, lecturer in the Department of Aerospace Engineering.
“The trips to Delta’s pilot training facility provide our students with the closest thing to that experience without flying an aircraft,” Speakman said. “The goal is to link the academic environment and real-world experience.”
Scott Murray, a member of Auburn’s Aerospace Engineering Advisory Council and retired Delta pilot, helped facilitate the session.
“The simulators allow students to experience engineering concepts in a real-world environment as opposed to a classroom,” Murray said. “There’s no substitute for what this training can do for them.”
Speakman said flying a full-motion, high-fidelity simulator with detailed visuals is the closest thing to controlling an actual aircraft. For many students, he said, their only flying experience is as a passenger on a commercial airliner.
“Sitting in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 simulator and realistically controlling the aircraft is a unique experience any student will remember and relate to lessons learned in the classroom,” he said. “There is a one-to-one correspondence between the flight simulator and classroom lectures.”
Speakman said the relationship between Delta Air Lines and Auburn University is strong. Delta has provided more than $6 million to Auburn for the Delta Air Lines Aviation Education Building and selected Auburn as one of eight universities in its Propel Pilot Career Path Program, which offers students a defined path to become Delta pilots.
Brian Thurow, aerospace engineering chair, said relationships with alumni and industry partners help provide the best student-centered engineering experience in the country.
“We really value the involvement of our alumni and industry partners in the education of our students,” Thurow said. “Unique experiences such as this truly enrich the learning experience of our students.” Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu, 334-844-2326
Auburn aerospace engineering students sit in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 aircraft simulator at the Delta Aircrew Training Center at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
