Review by Matt_B on 05 May 2010 (Rating: 4)
This was pretty much the jewel in the crown of the initial range of games for the Spectrum that were launched by Sinclair Research in September 1982, and, although we might be a bit more complacent these days, it was a true wonder that an inexpensive computer could offer such a realistic experience of flight.
It's a port of Psion's earlier game of the same name for the ZX81, but greatly enhanced using the superior colour graphics and sound of the Spectrum. There's a fairly realistic set of navigational aids too, such as the ILS, compass, altimeter, and a set of radio beacons you can tune into.
There are a couple of runways to see and a typical flight will involve taking off from one, flying around for a bit, and landing at the other. For scenery there are a few lakes. There are also some mountains that you can't see, but you can still crash into them if you're flying too low.
The flight model isn't too bad and is a lot less arcade-like than later games. Complex manoeuvres such as rolls and loops are possible, although there's an irritating quirk in that your compass has both a 0 and 360 heading on it.
I don't think the game was ever truly surpassed. Subsequent flight simulators tended to offer a less realistic flight model and the thrill of air to air combat instead, although there were occasional games like Digital Integration's Fighter Pilot and F-16 Combat Pilot that offered a bit of both.
1983 Sinclair Research (UK)
by Charles Davies
Its incredible to see such an early game with this kind of quality. Every aspect of the game is well thought out and very well implemented. The gigantic amount of keys may let you down a bit, specially without the instructions sheet, but it wont disencourage you to at least give it a try, it didnt for me in 83/84.
