The original “FLY!” emerged in the 1999 flight sims,
a product from developer Terminal Reality that went head-to-head
with Microsoft’s Flight Simulator.
In a thoughtful and inspirational effort, the developer has made
most of the upgrades in the latest version—FLY! 2K—available
to previous owners of the software as a series of download files
on the company’s Web site (www.iflytri.com). Or send your
original back to the company and get an upgraded CD-ROM (small shipping
fee required).
Additions include an IFR panel for the Cessna 172R. The detailed
instrument panel is easily visible and accurate (Note: Watch out
for the attitude indicator during rough-weather flying).
Terrain details have been improved impressively, and navigation
aids and communications equipment also have been upgraded. Editing
tools allow you to customize scenery to include your actual home
base, airport and hanger, but this is best left to the technically
gifted.
You can import the real world with a stand-alone program called
infoMETOR weather. I especially liked the voice-chat program (Roger
Wilco) with great voice-quality capability.
With practice, you will understand what they are trying to say.
It used to be Greek to me when I first took flying lessons. Air
Traffic Control (ATC) is a very important asset in this sim because
it’s realistic, and educational at the same time.
Aircraft depicted include the Cessna 172R, Piper Malibu Mirage,
Beechcraft King Air, Piper Navajo Chieftain and Hawker 800XP Business
Jet—all with accurate flight dynamics and precise instrumentation.
Gauges, dials and switches are reproduced with remarkable accuracy.
How about 13,500 runways in 9,500 cities around the world? The only
drawback is the flat, plain, generic scenery, which doesn’t
come up to the features depicted in Microsoft’s Flight Sim
2000.
You can activate the in-game, instant-replay feature to relive
landings and maneuvers that need improvement and learn from your
mistakes—without crashing or dinging that expensive plane.
There is an incredibly accurate simulation of the Bendix King KLN-89
Global Positioning Satellite for actual GPS functionality. Fly cross-country
flights by day or night in real-time or in accelerated mode. U.S.
cities include San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, and
Chicago. There are sectional maps and vector charts with 30,000
navigational aids in over 200 countries, territories and islands.
Best of all is the 288-page manual with a 32-page quick-start section.
It makes a great learning tool for anyone wanting to polish his
or her flying and navigational skills.
One unique training tool is your ability to specify your plane’s
cargo and passenger loadout and fuel level prior to take off with
CG (center of gravity) information (very important for proper aircraft
control).
System Requirements: Windows 95/98, 350 MB hard disk space (1.6
GB for full install), 64+ MB RAM, 24X CD-ROM or faster if loading
scenery from CD, P II/333 MHz or faster, video card (with 800X600
16-bit resolution), hardware accelerator, modem for multi-player
mode (2-8 players), flight controls with pedals (Recommended). Developer:
Terminal Reality.