ScuzzBlog: Diaries October 2019
Entry 23rd October 2019: Post 01: Flight Simulation.
Flight Simulation.
It was Jay Miner himself that was real keen that the new Amiga
should be able to enjoy this software. For me I had a flight sim
for the first computer I ever owned, the ZX81, and trust me even
then I found them uninteresting. I guess you either like being at
the controls of a vehicle what ever it is or you don't. I had the
same view of driving sims like Chequered Flag on the Spectrum. It
really depends on how your brain functions. For me I have to
literally work something out and then peg it tight to the rock
face before I move to the next crampon, so to speak.
To be able to fly you have to be aware of so many things going on
and so having a complex program that can simulate that is probably
a real fun thing to have, if you like that kind of thing. I am
truly amazed at how much information is given on the flying of
the plane you are using. And this kind of thing has been popular
since computers first released games and software. I have a book
here with hand written notes on how to fly.
What I find incredible also is that there seems to be no limit on
the available information. Not only of planes in the commercial
sphere but also military planes and all of the flight paths and
traffic movement around the world. How the developers of the
Russian military aircraft sim got hold of all that information
is quite puzzling.
These boxes are on the heavy side. I have a shelf full of the them
and I know when I have a flight sim box in my hand. I do recall a
sector of my games store being given over to flight sims and you
could pretty much learn to fly any plane in the world it seems.
I really never bought into it as I know just how crap I am at flying.
One game I did like was TLL on the Sinclair Spectrum. Now that I
could play cus I guided the plane from outside the cockpit. Better
still was River Raid on the Atari. These games are just shooters
so I guess nothing compares.
There is a great moment in the movie Flight of the Phoenix when
the guys working to rebuild their crashed plane to escape the
desert discover that the guy giving instruction was only a model
aircraft enthusiast. So if a plane was in trouble in the air with
the pilot unconscious and you had a good working knowledge of the
plane from playing on a sim, would you would offer your services?
You may be the only hope. I feel bad now for not at least trying.
Anyhoo as I often say.. here are some pics. I have quite a few more
across all platforms. So I guess I could pilot a plane in a fix..
or not.. probably not. Upperty up up .. Downditty down !!
Flight Simulation.
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