'The new 360 degree flight simulator at Manchester Airport? It's not for the faint-hearted'

A new 360-degree flight simulator is promising fun for all ages at Manchester Airport ’s Runway Visitor Park.

Situated in the shadow of a British Airways Concorde, the immersive simulator gives visitors their chance to pilot a Second World War-era Lockheed P38 Lightning fighter plane.

Once you’re behind the controls, pilots can fly in any direction, and even be upside-down for large portions of their flight.

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Stepping inside the pod, it's immediately obvious you're in for quite the ride.

Safety harnesses keep you secure, much like those on a roller-coaster - and that's necessary.

Once I take control of the virtual aircraft, with two joysticks for speed and direction, my body was just at the whim of the simulator.

The object of the 'game' is to shoot down enemy attackers, and after 20 seconds or so of learning the sensitivity of the joysticks, I found it surprisingly easy to control.

And with that, you're off. The fact I was sealed off from the outside world means you can chase the baddies and forget about what's outside.

During my session, I was headed in all directions - including ending upside-down on four occasions.

And being upside-down, and on my side, and twisting upwards through the air - all added to the excitement.

I've often found simulators can talk the talk in promising exhilaration, but few can walk the walk.

This isn't the case with the Runway Park contraption - I went from being taught how to operate the plane to being unable to work out if I was the right way up or not in less than 60 seconds.

It can be unnerving, but that's the secret of the simulator - there is just enough sense of jeopardy to make it feel real, and just enough force in