Building a Pilatus PC-9M Flight Simulator for the Bulgarian Air Force

After some incidents in the air, I wanted to help my colleagues be more prepared for the real dangers in flight.

The Story Behind the Flight Simulator

In 2014, I was piloting an L-39ZA with barely enough flight hours to feel secure. Our mentor, Maj. General Roumen Radev, used to say that every pilot begins with two bags — one full of luck and one waiting to be filled with experience. My bag of luck was quite full that day.

During a loop, I hit a critical moment: the plane stalled at the loop’s apex and plunged into a spin. With altitude running out and the manual commanding me to eject, I faced a life-altering decision. As I gripped the ejection handle, I realized that if I bailed out, the aircraft would crash into a village below, endangering countless lives.

Refusing to let fate decide, I fought against the spin and, against all odds, regained control of the plane. That harrowing day, along with other close calls and the loss of close friends, reshaped my values during the years in the Air Force. Eventually, I wanted to move to transport aviation in the capital city, but fate had another lesson in store.

I was forced to wait for my new role for an year. During that time I poured my passion into building a flight simulator for the cadets. My hope was that by training in a safer, virtual environment, future pilots would be better prepared — and avoid the desperate choices I once had to make.

Starting with a prototype

The proof of concept used a single monitor that would display the main instruments.

The results looked promising, and I showcased the prototype to the other pilots, who loved the idea.

I wanted to integrate the side panel switches and the throttle quadrant, so I started extending the prototype.

You can hear the realistic engine sound and the Onboard Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS) in the background, making the experience more realistic.

From prototype to real flight simulator

The project kept gaining momentum, and I started making the cockpit as realistic as possible so it could meet the requirements for aeronautical training.

I was 26 years old, and this was the first time in my life when I applied my engineering skills to build something from scratch. The project started in 3DS MAX and was later moved to SolidWorks.

The cockpit replica turned out so realistic that I got called into the military police office because someone thought I had cut it from a real airplane. 🤣

Integrating everything in a single system

The hard part for me finally came when I had to integrate the software with the hardware. I had to create all the buttons, switches, levers, and make them work with the simulation software. The old panels were not going to do the job, because I could not put buttons on top of the monitor.

It was time to put my engineering skills to the test again. I had to design and build the PCBs as well as the panels that would hold the buttons and switches.

The Secondary Flight Display (SFD) was the first I build, as it was one of the simplest in therms of buttons and switches.

This is how I looked when it was fully operational.

Afther the SFD I focused on the CNC manufacturing of components out of metal and plastic.

After a lot of 3D printing, soldering, and coding, the cockpit was finally ready to inegrate with the simulation software.

Developing an instructor station

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) required the fligt simulator to have an instructor station, from where the instructor could control the simulation and the environment. I had to build that as well. You can see the lack of signal latency in the video below.

It is alive!

The time came for me to move to another bas, but I continued to work on the project. After 4 years of hard work, the flight simulator was finally ready to be used by the cadets.

Catch 22

The project succeeded, but the Bulgarian Army could not use it as an official training device because of the heavy regulations. After I left the Air Force, the flight simulator could not be supported and it was dismantled. I wanted to keep supporting it but as civilian I could not enter the airbase anymore.

Leaving behind a project made with so much love was painful back then. Looking back now, I see it has taught me many personal & professional skills and paved the way for my career success.

Special Thanks

I want to say a special thanks Ivaylo Penchev (the owner of Walltopia) for his donations and mentorship, that made this project possible.
I also need to thank Col. Danail Dikov, who helped me a lot morally and with the building process of the metal parts.
Last but not least, I want to thank the president of Bulgaria - maj. Gen. Rumen Radev, without whom I would not recieve the approval to start this project.