Sierra Pro Pilot 98: The Complete Flight Simulator

Description

With "Pro Pilot: The Complete Flight Simulator," an ambitious project that adds quite an astounding amount of detail to the simulation of flying tiny planes, Sierra makes its debut in the realm of commercial flight simulations. Even seasoned pilots will find details presented here that are absent in other flight simulators, most notably Microsoft's FS98. These details include a GPS map, active Air Traffic Control (ATC), full use of Visual and Instrument Flight Rules (VFR/IFR), a useful co-pilot feature, and an abundance of video tutorials. Unfortuitously, the presence of a few errors brings down what else may have been an excellent offering.

The aircraft in the hangar include one twin-engine jet (a Cessna CitationJet), two single-engine props (a Cessna Skyhawk and a Beechcraft Bonanza), two twin-engine props (a Beechcraft Baron and a Beechcraft King Air), and one single-engine jet (a Cessna Citation). Each aircraft features beautifully designed cockpit panels, which are accompanied by fully realistic equipment and controls that can be accessed with the mouse for the most part. There are several notable landmarks scattered across the terrain, including city skylines and even the Statue of Liberty. The aesthetics of the terrain are average at best, with the details appearing to be rendered considerably more accurately at higher elevations.

When you are a simulator pilot, practically every instrument and tool that is used in aviation is put under your control. You can get fast location information by calling up a GPS map. ATC will provide assistance with patterns and traffic with remarkable accuracy, and a mission planner will allow you to plot your whole journey before you even take off. Flight characteristics are pretty well-done, with a few small discrepancies such as the ease of maneuvering with one engine off in the Beechcraft Baron or very little change in perceived speed while taking off. Both of these are examples of the ease of handling with one engine off. Because there are so many different types of aircraft, you can advance your flying skills gradually from single-engine to twin-engine to jet flight.

The documentation consists of a handbook that is about 300 pages long and a substantial amount of in-game support, which includes comprehensive checklists. The handbook gives relatively little emphasis to the actual controls and how they operate, despite the fact that it goes into great length on flight instruction. Trying to get a grasp on all of the different instruments and controls is going to be challenging for someone who is just starting out. The Bonanza has a total of ten "switches" that need to be activated in the correct order before the engines can be started. There are some flaws hiding behind all of the details, and they range from problems with the goal to improperly functioning brakes. Yet, taking into account that this was the creator's first attempt, the output is quite impressive. Aviators will appreciate the amount of attention to detail that was put into it.