nguyen@imag.fr (Nguyen Gia Toan) (04/16/91)
This is not related to MS Flight Sim, but is a follow up for a recent posting by an IFR netter. There is currently a VERY smart IFR simulator called "Cross-Country" IFR Trainer available. It is produced by T-34 Microsystems. They are located in Jacksonville (Fl). They had an advertisement for the product in the March issue of Flying. It costs about $130.
This is a very realistic instrument simulator, with a C-172 panel, a track window with navaids and airplane real-time tracking, and lots of features including
- specific or random wind velocity and direction,
- specific or random instrument failures,
- various degrees of turbulence,
- lots of tutorials and practice lessons, ranging from flying basics to full VOR, NDB, ILS direct or back-course approaches (including ATC digitized voice instructions),
- full approach charts for a dozen airports,
- over 50 (fifty !) airports on area maps with *all* navaids depicted (location, frequency, morse id, DME channel, outer, middle & inner markers, DME arcs where appropriate - with sound available for all of them .
Last, the track map can be displayed with various update frequencies and various scales - from 2 to 125 miles.
Unlike Microsoft FS, it has no view out of the cockipt. But you don't need that for an IFR trainer, do you ?
I am a pilot and CFI and have spent now many hours using it on a Mac+.
The behavior of the aircraft is very realistic, and the simulator incredibly
accurate. I have timed the speed, turn rates, etc. Unlike MS Flight Sim, which
has some irritating bugs and is not very accurate (at least for the version I
use on Mac+), Cross Country is a very well designed software.
IMHO, this is not much of a game. Rather an affordable and *very* good instrument trainer.
Enjoy !
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------bluecow@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Tobish E Smith) (04/17/91)
Speaking of "professional" flight simulators, let's not forget the amazing-sounding Elite IFR simulator. It sure doesn't sound like it would be much fun for most casual users, but it's so realistic that a licensed pilot can use ELITE to satisfy the FAA's six-month recurrency training requirements! And at only $749, it's a real steal! >-) There's a big review of it in the April MacWorld. It really does look like an incredibly well-done program for a very small number of users. Speaking of the MS Flight Sim, someone on CI$ mentioned that MS was planning the release of the new Flight Simulator to coincide with the release of System 7. Let's hope so. Tob bluecow@unix.cis.pitt.edu