On 17 December 1903 Orville Wright flew the world`s first powered aeroplane, which he had built with his brother Wilbur. The craft flew 20 feet above the beach at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, and the historic first flight lasted just 12 seconds, covering 120 feet.
I suppose it was inevitable that Microsoft would mark the centenary with Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight. As the title indicates, an array of historical aircraft has been added to the familiar fleet, including the Wright brothers` original craft. Other old planes include the Curtiss "Jenny", Vickers Vimy, Ford Tri-Motor and Douglas DC-3.
There is also the option of attempting to recreate historical flights. In this regard, Flight Simulator 2004 has taught me to respect those early pioneers.
Having become accustomed to the luxury of autopilot, GPS and navigation beacons, try as I might, I could not even get Charles Lindbergh`s "Spirit of St Louis" into stable flight, never mind cross the Atlantic.
All Lindbergh could see before him, when not using a periscope, was the instruments, something Microsoft has recreated pretty well. And on all the other recreations I got completely lost.
I suppose I could have used the GPS, but that would have been cheating. Amelia Earhart had no such thing, so why should I?
But the inclusion of the old planes is not the only change since the 2002 version. The updates to the weather system are impressive. The weather is based on realistic atmospheric physics, with three-dimensional clouds that form and dissipate, and automatic real-world weather updates over the Internet. Or you can simply choose a weather theme, like the snowy "winter wonderland".
Air traffic control has also been improved. The best change there is the ability to ask for directions to the airport if you are unfamiliar with the area. It beats peering at the screen trying to find a runway when you are slightly off target.
The scenery has generally improved, with more high-detail airports being included. And the planes we`re used to are still there, with some additions, including another helicopter. The GPS also looks much more real and its complexity means it takes some time to get used to it.
The main question is: if you have 2002, should you fork out the not inconsiderable sum to get 2004? It depends. If you are really into planes and are crazy about aviation history, go get it now because you`re missing out on a great sim.
But if, like me, you simply enjoy a good simulator, you will play around with the older planes for a while before going back to the Boeings and Cessnas for some real flying. In that case, stick with 2002. The weather and ATC improvements are great, but not that great.
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