X-PLANE V8 (Mac) Description:

X-PLANE V8 (Mac) review:
5 stars (Learning to fly with the simulator) - I am a single engine pilot, but haven't flown for 20 years. I think the Simulator is easy to understand. I am having problems using the joystick so tried the mouse. When I click on the windshield and pull the arrow down it has no effect on the plane. Maybe as I become more familiar with the computer, I will do better. I am anticipating many joyful flying sessions when I get this mastered.
4 stars (X-plane 8.0 - Rule the world with it) - When I got it from the factory. All I got it the DVD in a plastic holder and that's it. No box, no instruction book. Nothing.



I had to get into the program and find out how to fly planes (X and otherwise) on my own. All I got this game for wa to train actor on Boeing 777 on a Mac, before we got them in flight simulators up in Seattle. But this game turned into much more.



If you can run up a B-52, take-off, circle and land; you can fly anything. I've landed a B-52G twice. But think crash. Not don't crash. What does the load vectors do. Will it take-off with four engines. What if all engines shut do on take-off? Crash land. Anyway. That's $100,000+ flight training at Alteon in Seattle (a private flight training company) for $50. Which you want to pay?



Some of the flight sims are a pain, like the X-15. Even if you load Edwards AFB or even Denver, you end up over water or desert that I have no idea where I am. The Space Shuttle is even worst.



But the MOST DIFFICULT plane to fly is the Cessna 172. You end up side ways, when you an at V1. And by the time you at V2, you're screwed. Commit, pull up and take-off. You're in the air or you've crashed.



Mike Rossi



Have fun!!!!
5 stars (Xplane is great!) - X-Plane 8 is the latest and greatest in the long-venerable series of what is arguably the worldÃ#s best flight simulator. X-Plane is not really a Ã#gameÃ#, so to speak. It is a very realistic flight simulator with all sorts of bells and whistles and more aircraft, airports, scenery, and scenarios than you could ever ask for.



After opening the box, one is greeted with a DVD-ROM and a manual about 200 pages in length. For those who have never flown a real airplane or a flight sim, the manual devotes quite a bit of time to introducing the controls and terminology of the simulator. One minor annoyance is that in the lead tutorial for new users, the aircraft discussed in the manual is not included in the actual sim, at least not that I could find in version 8. I made do with a different craft, though. But the manual is otherwise a very welcome addition in this world of software that generally comes with little useful documentation.



Once you get through the tutorials and the terminology and you are ready to fly, navigating the sim is quite easy, though not entirely Mac-like. The dialog boxes and menus look different than a Mac user may be used to. That might be expected for a cross-platform game such as this, though. Even so, it is extremely easy to load your chosen aircraft (You want to fly a Hindenburg? Sure, why not!), pick your airport, file your flight plan, and then be on your way. You may configure weather conditions and daylight to your liking. X-Plane 8 even gives you a chance to fly the space shuttle and to fly several planes on Mars, using real-life conditions (though not real life aircraft, since those do not quite exist yet, nor do airports exist on Mars in real life).



The graphics in X-Plane 8 are truly beautiful. Scenery comes in two versions: one version for older, slower computers, and one version for those with better hardware set ups. The minimum specs call for a machine with 400 MHz processor and 32MB VRAM. I found that to be slightly unrealistic. Sure, you can run X-Plane on such a set up, but the graphics will be low-res and the experience will not be as pleasurable. This sim just about screams out for a system like the new iMac G5, with its 1.8+ GHz processors and 64MB of VRAM. Indeed, it plays smoothly and comfortably on such a system or on the PowerMac G5 as well.



Game play would probably be best with a real joystick, but I was able to use a small game pad or my mouse quite well. If you really get into the simulator, purchasing a suitable joystick would be a worthwhile investment.



X-Plane has FAA certification and is used in many training environments. That we hobbyists get to use it just for fun is a real treat. This is a world-class, top-notch flight sim, and it is bound to thrill anyone with a sense of adventure and a desire to explore the world through flying.