Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarrod Barker.
Jarrod, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always wanted to learn to fly. When the opportunity to take lessons came up, I never thought it would end in new business. Learning to fly in low visibility conditions (like cloud or bad weather) is hard. Besides needing to fly the plane and everything involved with that, relying on the instruments in the plane (called instrument training) adds another level of complexity. Being able to practice this using a computer and flight simulation software was helpful, but it was really the muscle memory and the need for the physical equipment that was lacking. My background is in product development, so I had the tools and knowledge to make myself a replica of the GPS in the plane I was learning in.
This, coupled with X-Plane (a flight simulator program) and some basic controls allowed me to effectively practice what I was learning in my lessons at home. Not long after this, I saw a post from my flying club that someone else had the same problem as me – they wanted to practice at home but needed the GPS to do it effectively. I posted a picture of what I made and there were five people wanting one. That night, I made a basic website and took some photos, and from there, RealSimGear began. The business has grown from listening to others in the aviation community and creating products to help them learn to fly or keep their skills current. The goal of RealSimGear is to make equipment available at an affordable price point for people to practice flying or create a more realistic flight simulation experience. All our staff are passionate about the company and the aviation industry. I feel very fortunate this is now my day to day work, and to be able to give back to the aviation community.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you
We have been very fortunate that we have had a lot of interest in our products. For us, perhaps the biggest challenge has been trying to increase production to meet demand. We started manufacturing in small batches by hand at our home. After around nine months, we moved into a small warehouse space and started to look for manufacturing solutions. It was difficult to find companies to work with that were happy to take small orders to get started, so that was a big challenge. Also, expanding our product range to meet customer need was difficult. It meant more design work and more products to support
Please tell us about RealSimGear.
RealSimGear manufactures high quality, realistic avionics to enhance flight simulation. Our products help pilots learn and maintain proficiency with general aviation avionics using their home flight simulator, as well as create an immersive and ultra-realistic simulation experience for the flight enthusiast. RealSimGear equipment allows for hands-on training to learn to operate avionics to their full capability. We are most proud to be supporting the aviation industry and be doing something we are passionate about.
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
Over the next 5-10 years, we expect flight simulation to continue to grow. There will be continued demand for pilots which will encourage people to go to flight school. In addition to this, improvements with simulation software and new products in simulation software will introduce more people to flight simulation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.realsimgear.com
- Email: info@realsimgear.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/realsimgear
- Facebook: facebook.com/realsimgear
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