Fancy driving the i 8? This is BMW's fancy pants electric sports car & it's coming to a race track near you! These experiences at a selection of race circuits around the country give you the chance to feel all that electric power under your feet. You know how concept cars usually bear no resemblance to the actual production car? In this case the BMW i 8 coupe is as delightfully futuristic looking in the flesh as it was back in 2008 when the idea of a plug-in hybrid high performance BMW was first introduced to the world. Back then you'd have probably said: " It looks great but it'll never catch on". & now look at us. From plug-in city cars to Formula E racing electrified motoring is everywhere. The i 8 neatly shows us that eco-responsible doesn't mean boring as you'll find out when you get to take the impressive i 8 for a spin. Funky butterfly doors open to reveal a typically neat precise & gadget-filled cockpit. This car certainly has style leaning on the sporty heritage of BMW.... ...

Your BMWi 8 driving thrill is going to be thoroughly electrifying! These very unique super driving experiences available at North Weald Llandow & Blyton Park will see you driving BMW's big plug-in hybrid car the i 8. This is your chance to taste the future of motoring. Indeed electric cars of tomorrow are right here right now. They're making a serious impression on the tracks at the likes of North Weald in Essex Blyton in Lincolnshire & Llandow race circuit in South Wales. & not only that these Lithium-powered cars are actually giving quite a few supercars a run for their money. Could this spell the end of the traditional internal combustion engine we've known for decades? Well yes & no. As well as the onboard battery this car actually has an engine. & this gives you the best of both worlds as you'll find out when you get behind the BMWi 8 on your driving thrill. If you've never driven an electric car before we can bet that you'll be impressed by the acceleration. Many of us think an electric car will be slow & sluggish. But far from it. Think back to the last time you drove a Dodgem. As soon as you put your foot down you're off maximum 'speed' from the word go as you lurch off. & although it's simplistic (apologies to BMW i 8 boffins) it's kind of how an electric car works. In a normal car engine the mix of fuel air & spark builds up gradually to build up torque gradually. In an electric car it's all about electromotive force. You hit the throttle fully & you've got maximum voltage instantly & therefore maximum torque straight away. That's why when you accelerate in the BMWi 8 it goes straight away. & very quickly at that. You'll hit 0-60mph on the likes of the North Weald circuit in around 4.4 seconds. Impressive isn't it? Erase the image of little city cars pootling around on a full charge this is fully-charged electric motoring with some serious spark as you'll find out on your three or six lap BMWi 8 driving thrill. ...

Learn the basics of motoring on a BMW Mini first drive! These sessions operate from several different driving circuits around the country & offer kids from the age of 10 years the chance to get behind the wheel early to get a head start in driving. We are offering 30 & 60 minute junior Mini driving lessons for your little ones. Youngsters will get to sit in the driver's seat start the engine move off & drive. Then there's cornering braking & changing gear skills to master too not forgetting the all important part
- how to stop the car safely! The kids will also get the chance to try reversing in their Mini. & if you remember the first time you tried that on a driving lesson you'll recall it's not easy. All this takes place in the very safe & controlled environment of a motoring circuit. You might think airfield tracks & race circuits with all those high performance cars whizzing about would be the last place to take a child on their first drive in a little Mini but actually it's ideal. These junior sessions are scheduled apart & mostly use a separate area. There's no other traffic no traffic lights junctions or anything else to distract the mini drivers. & we should mention the cars your children will be driving. The BMW Mini is a proper funky little motor that kids will love to boast was their 'first car'. This driving operator has a rather nifty fleet of Minis including the Mini ONE the Mini Cooper S & even convertibles. So if the sun's shining it's top down first driving fun in the open top Mini. Very cool. Of course there will be an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) in the car at all times & every Mini used is actually dual-control so the safety aspect is very much there. All kids taking part need to be accompanied by a responsible adult whilst on site & spectators can watch the action from the adjacent viewing areas. The BMW Mini first drive school will be coming to a track near you soon. We've got a clutch of former airfield circuits & actual motor racing tracks offering these experiences from Llandow to North Weald just outside the M25. Book your youngster in & watch them with pride as they zoom off in their Mini.
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What makes a BMW i 8 drive so different to all the other sports car experiences we have on offer? Well to put it simply the i 8 is an electric car. But make no mistake this is not a teeny car that pootles around to the supermarket this is an eco-car that has serious sports car looks! Undoubtedly BMW has pushed the technology boat well & truly out with the i 8. Originally appearing on the scene as the Vision Efficient Dynamics' concept car no-one thought the actual production version would bear any resemblance to that crazy design but we're delighted to say this road going green car does indeed look incredibly futuristic right down to the amazing butterfly-opening doors. & just look at those seemingly 'floating' rear panels. Nice. And if you've seen the film Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol you'll know just how cool this BMW looks at night. As hero Ethan Hunt played by Tom Cruise cruises the streets of Mumbai in his newly acquired BMW i 8 he is most definitely upstaged by th... ...

When you head out into the open sea with your body board it's the surf versus you in a wet suit & a set of fins! Lying on the board just above the waves means that you can get closer to the power of the sea & enjoy the thrill of wave riding. Body Boarding is real surfing as you are powered along by the breaking waves but it's also a great introduction if you want to progress to standing on a board. Both are fun but body boarding is an easier way to start for beginners. We could say it's the perfect solution for wannabe surfers who have yet to find their balance but it is in fact a wave sport in its own right.A body board is a lot shorter than a traditional surf board making it easier to control in the water. You choose a strong-looking wave from those rolling in & as it approaches you pull your upper body onto the board & kick hard with your fins. If your timing is right you catch the wave & the result is a noisy foaming high-speed ride as you sweep in towards the shore. With no standing up (and less falling off) you can maximise your time just riding the waves. You'll be taught by a qualified coach how to paddle your way through the breaking waves & catch the perfect roller to hurtle you towards the beach on your board. Waves may be easy to catch & ride
- but body boarding is a tough sport to master. That's where the skills you will be taught on your lesson come in as they will equip you to get off to a flying start in the water. The instructors for this activity are mobile in & around the Newquay area so you can be sure that they'll select the beach with the best body-boarding conditions on the day as you'll soon learn weather conditions (especially on & off-shore winds) play a massive part in where the bodyboarders go to play. Intothe Blue offers a selection of surfing related activities please see our main surfing lessons page for more information on this thrilling water sports.
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On a quiet residential street you'll find this epic 737 flight simulator! Barnsley now has its very own simulated flight facility thanks to one very skilled & passionate aviation fan called David. This Boeing 737-800NG simulator is the fruit of many many hours of labour for David Naylor. Having been made redundant he decided to turn his childhood dream into reality by building his own simulator. Constructed using a genuine Boeing 737 cockpit the result is pretty amazing. The simulator might not actually move but with control loading & flight feel you'll totally feel that moment of reverse thrust & every bump on the tarmac. Even handling a steep turn in the air will instinctively have you leaning to one side! It's realistic because so much of this sim is real. The throttle quadrant the speedbrake the reverse thrust levers & the flaps area all original & working. The Primary & Navigational Flight Displays all work too as does the MCP (the autopilot). & before your... ...

Earn your (virtual) four stripes when you captain this flight simulator in Derbyshire! Just north of Mansfield & over the border into Derbyshire is where you'll find this professional Boeing 737-800 flight simulator. & although you might only be a virtual airline pilot it is all very very realistic. The flight deck is just like a real Boeing cockpit & with the full 220 degree wrap around screen & High Definition graphic software you'll believe you are actually there sitting on stand at somewhere like London's Heathrow Airport. The simulator itself might not move but for the aviation geeks amongst you this realistic flight simulator has motorised throttle & moving trim wheels fully functioning PFDs (that's Primary Flight Displays) hydraulics electrics APU (that's the Auxiliary Power Unit) bleed air oxygen & pressurisation systems. Oh & then there's the fully working FMC (Flight Management Computer) & MCP (that's the autopilot). Who'd have thought an airline pilot's life would be filled with so many three-letter acronyms to remember before they've even flown anywhere? Indeed stepping up to the flight deck & into the left hand captain's seat if you ever thought pilot's had a easy life with their feet up whilst the autopilot did all the hard work think again. As the precious cargo of passengers are boarding the captain & first officer are busy doing route briefings entering the data into the Flight Management Computer & executing a pre-flight checklist. What we love about these simulated flight sessions in Derbyshire is that on the longer experiences you will follow those airline Standard Operating Procedures (yes you guessed it
- SOPs!). That means you get to do all those critical checks & controls before you 'take off' & again when you have completed your landing checks & given the cabin crew the 'doors to arrival & crosscheck' comm&. You get a complete insight into what a typical 'day at the office for a Boeing driver' involves. Of course if you want an atypical day in the life of a pilot this flight simulator in Derbyshire can be programmed to replicate scenarios such as a series of air pockets (that's turbulence to you & us) flying in a holding stack awaiting clearance to land or even an in-fight emergency & divert to the nearest airport. It doesn't happen very often but it's all in a day's work for a (virtual) airline pilot!
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For a biplane experience with an American feel we can highly recommend a Stearman flight in Kent! This open cockpit biplane by Boeing is a proper throwback to the heady days of aviation when young pilots were learning the art of flying just before during & after the second world war broke out. We are offering 30 or 60 minute fights in this wonderful Stearman out of Pent Farm in Kent. This is a charming private airstrip that occupies a very secluded spot in the midst of the Kentish Downs
- ideal for your first flying experience in a biplane. Tucked away in the village of Postling you'd be forgiven for thinking only sheep roam these fields but look more closely & you'll see a nice little collection of modern light aircraft & vintage old boys like this Stearman enjoying the the quietness of this green & very pleasant Pent Farm. Just imagine the thrill of not only taking off in an old school biplane but also experiencing those incredible views during your flight. As you get airborne look down at the patchwork of fields below as you head out towards the sea around Folkestone or head in land to the towns & villages of this most picturesque part of the Garden of Engl&. And what a plane to experience those great views in! This Stearman first flew in 1942 when she was used by the US Navy. By 1957 she was in civilian hands before being refurbished as a crop duster in the 1970s. Following retirement from working duties N4467N got shipped to the UK in 1991 & became G-BTFG. She now enjoys a renewed career offering tail wheel training to pilots & trial flights for aviation fans wanting to experience flying in a biplane. As for the team that operates & runs this flying school all the instructor pilots are highly qualified. All hold commercial licences & amongst them are biz jet pilots so you can be rest assured you'll be in very skilled & safe hands for your biplane experience
- even if it is as removed from a modern Boeing airliner as you could imagine! Your Stearman flight out of Kent's Pent Farm will last 30 or 60 minutes. As well as your flight time you will have an on the ground briefing & safety session including a walk around the aircraft. As this is a tandem plane you will be sitting up front with the pilot behind for this biplane experience. As well as enjoying the views you will be given the chance to have a title fly by yourself of this historic plane.

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Steam trains & spice on the Bombay Express curry train in Staffordshire ...

Learn to work livestock with a whistle on this wonderful Border Collie experience day! Collies make the perfect sheepdog & on this full day session in the Leicestershire countryside you'll find out just how man & beast work together. These experiences are led by the internationally renowned Border Collie trainer handler & author Nij Vyas. Having competed in his first sheepdog trials in 1992 Nij is an experienced hand when it comes to working with his prized Border Collies. In 2017 Nij & his dog Todd where part of the five-strong England team that won the team event at the World Sheepdog Trials in the Netherlands. Of course using dogs to herd livestock isn't just a sport it's a proper working way of life on the farm & this day course will lift the lid on the roles everyone plays. First up is meeting the doggies. Always up for working always full of energy Border Collies love their role as a farmer's sheepdog. During your experience today you might meet the young buck Jak... ...