Pilot

ZX Computing

James Walsh

IN THE AIR TONIGHT After a brief time in simulated flight, James Walsh comes down to earth to look at the African game, Awari. COME FLY WITH ME Pilot is a new flight simulation program from Hewson Consultants, written for the ZX81. There is also a ZX Spectrum version available for the same price of £5.95, which is fundamentally the same but with graphics more suited to the capabilities of the Spectrum. The idea behind a flight simulation program is that you are piloting your own aircraft and are in total control over it. First, you can take off using the navigation beacons, maneouver your way through mountains using the detailed direction finding equipment, and while battling against the forever-changing tropospheric conditions, you must land using manual control or autopilot. Never is life made easy for you, with an astounding, and at times confusing, array of dials, counters, and controls. Unlike most other flight simulation programs for the ZX81, you don't just have the standard altitude, distance and speed commands, but an array including: Artificial Horizon, Automatic Direction Finder, Instrument Landing System, Wind direction and speed, heading, VHF Omni Directional Range... and the list goes on. The game is definitely not easy and warrants good and extensive instructions. The actual instructions are available in sufficient quantity, but they are not particularly exciting or easy to understand. This was not written for the bloke who wants the next step up from 'Space Invaders' or 'Pacman', but it is more of a thinking person's game. I was surprised by the statement in the instructions which read: 'This program is not a game'. This is a strange thing to say as it fulfills all the attributes which normally are assigned to the word 'game', in that it is a contest in which skill is required and is done as a pastime, rather than as work. The program is very well written and the graphics are pretty good for the ZX81, though some people may get bogged down with the instructions. If you are interested in this type of game, then I can recommend it as the best one that I have seen on the market for the ZX81 so far. Pilot is priced at £5.95 and is available from Hewson Consultants, [redacted].

Sinclair User

FLIGHTS OF FANCY FROM HEWSON Budding aviators can test their skills with the Hewson Consultants Pilot - not a game but a flight simulation program. There are seven modes - including landing, heading towards a beacon, taking off - and points are awarded for correct execution of each manoeuvre. Tired pilots can choose the Autolanding mode, in which the computer does everything for you. Non-fliers abstain. The same firm also offers an above-average maze game called Puckman. You must imagine you are a small humanoid scouring the maze for magic strawberries which keep at hey the monsters trying to devour you. There are many monsters to make it exciting and you can work up a good speed dodging round the corners. Both cassettes are on 16K, costing £5.95 each, and are available from Hewson Consultants, [redacted].