Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight (Microsoft PC GA)

By PETER ELEY

You realise what a big game this is when you do a search for New Zealand airports. Some 76 show up in the dialogue box, from Auckland International to Tuuta in the Chathams.

In all there are 23,000 airports, in cities as diverse as New York and Tirana (it's in Albania). And the level of detail? Just to check, I jumped straight in and took off from Auckland International.

It looked real enough, although one runway is much the same as another to me. But there was no mistaking the tidal flats of the Manukau and the west coast beaches as I struggled with the controls of a Boeing 747.

The surrounding suburbs seemed to be in the right place, although street scenes and buildings are largely generic. But Rangitoto seemed to be correctly located, and the outline of the Hauraki Gulf islands and Great Barrier seemed real enough.

I soon realised why jumbo jet pilots earn six-figure salaries, and I'm still not sure which suburb I wiped out.

A change to a Cessna Skyplane and Hobsonville Airport gave me the chance to earn my wings in less dangerous fashion, and the small, single-engined plane was a lot more fun to fly.

There is so much going on in this brilliant simulation that one short review can't do it justice.

It has startling geographical diversity and scale, a flying model so accurate that it is used for training real pilots, superb detail in its planes, and excellent graphics and sound.

That's not to mention the novelty of recreating historic flights, such as that of the Wright Brothers in 1903 — which gives Flight Simulator 4 its Century of Flight tag or Lindbergh's transatlantic crossing in the Spirit of St Louis.

If that's not enough, there is a series of lessons given by high-profile instructor Rod Machado which could give would-be pilots a flying start.

You can almost imagine the scene: You are in a plane and the pilot passes out. A stewardess asks in a shrill, panicked voice: "Anybody here played Flight Simulator and can help to fly the plane?"

Available early August

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