Product Report-Air Transport Pilot PC Program

Each have corresponding navaids according to WAC charts including VORs, ILS VORs and NDBs.

One of the most outstanding advances on the popular flight simulators is that ATP gives the computer airman interaction with ATC, receiving commands and requesting alterations to flight parameters, such as altitude, course headings and runway selection. The real value of this is highlighted by a pilot mode that gives 96 career assignments, flying a myriad of RP T flights to major US destinations and grading you on each flight.

When the computer thinks you’re ready it will even ask if you want a check flight and if you do well (above 95% I’ve found) you receive your aircraft captaincy rating.

Getting back to ATC communication, during career flights you’re vectored from point to point and the very unforgiving controllers let it be known when you’ve strayed from the airway or have deviated plus or minus 300 feet above the designated flight level.

To this end the use of two VORs (found on the jet instrument panels) is extremely beneficial, and have to be used continuously. VOR 1 doubles as a glidescope for ILS approaches which are needed for night assignments or when it’s overcast (which can be anything down to 500ft AGL). While in weather mode you can choose amount of cloud at any height or thickness (cloud is in tenth increments rather than octas) and if you’re a glutten for punishment you can even choose thunderstorms, which by the way you can view on your weather radar on the secondary instrument panel. Winds too can be programmed in at any direction, height and speed and can be delineated into different flight levels. You can also choose any hour of the day for flying and the screen views change with dusk, dawn, day and night. At night the stars and moon come out and runways light up in great detail.

Sitting back in the cockpit all aircraft are lavishly instrumented with two VORs, two COM radios and NOB and transponder as well as a VSI, a radio altimeter, conventional altimeter (which is set to barometric pressure), fuel flow and other instrumentation including a flap indicator, airbrake indicator, a gear indicator, airspeed indicator and autopilot controls.

The secondary instrument panel as mentioned has a weather radar and other gauges including fuel flow, fuel capacity, EGT, oil temperature, pressure and quantity. The software package comes with maps of the US, showing flight routes and relevant VORs, NDBs and major airports.

ATP as a computer package is as close as you’ll get to the real thing for PCs and is most certainly one of the better flight simulators available on the market. It should appeal to anyone who’s even remotely keen on flying and aviation.

As a learning tool I know of one 12 year old with an eye on a future career who in a matter of weeks has mastered the product and is seriously flight planning throughout the US and proudly holds a 737, 767 and 747 rating. This can’t be a bad thing, even if his father is still trying to catch up! Like many who’ve tasted the product, the youngster has to be prised from the computer so yours truly can get a look in edgeways.

Flight Assignment: Air Transport Pilot is available from a very unique (and helpful) computer company based in Melbourne which specialises in aviation simulators and software. The PC Aviator in Melbourne is located at Suite 13, 219 Balaclava Rd, North Caulfield, 3161. Telephone (03) 532 8258. Price – $90. 00 plus $7. 00p&h. System requirements – IBM/Tandy/Compatibles. 512K RAM. Any Graphics Card and monitor (Rec EGA or VGA). 51/4 or 31/2 inch floppy disc drive.