Each is of the same detail level or better than those from FS2000 and include accurate panels. When you first look at one of these airplanes from the outside view, it will blow you away! They all have nice translucent canopies, and most have a pilot inside also. The paint schemes are very well done and look like the real aircraft I have seen numerous times at my local airport. If you zoom in on the aircraft you will see how detailed they really are. You can actually see the rivets on the Beech Baron 58; the canopy is not just translucent but actually has a greenish tint to it. You can also see the panel from the outside views, even at night. The propellers have manufactures decals on them and even the navigation lights look like actual lights mounted in the wing.

Jim Rhoads explained to me that each plane took a long time to create and each was created using Abacus’s FS Design Studio. Terry Hill created the aircraft with some of the best visuals to date for FS2000 aircraft. Jim also went on to explain that all the aircraft were tested by real pilots who fly that type of aircraft in real life, so the flight models are pretty accurate. All of the control surfaces are animated, so gear, flaps and ailerons move with their respective inputs. One thing I would like to point out is the gear and control surfaces actually move as part of the aircraft and don’t have that "floating" look. The gear look to actually retract up into the wheel wells. The overall effect is very nice!

Flight models in my opinion are excellent. I have flown a few of the aircraft in real life, and in my opinion they seem right on. The V speeds are correct and the planes stall as they should, etc. I especially like the Katana and the Beach Baron 58; they both have a very nice feel to them and they simply look fantastic! I cannot speak for the entire aircraft flight models since I have not flown all the different types, though I wish to some day. I do however take Jim and Terry’s word that they are all very close to the real thing.

One thing I should mention concerns visuals and Private Pilot. There has been some negative talk about the lack of side bitmap views. I spoke to Jim regarding this and basically it boils down to this: it would require a total of seven bitmaps per airplane to create, which means more storage space etc. I personally do not think the side views are a big deal and people should look at the total product, not just the aircraft. Jim did tell me that they are working on a patch to address this issue and a few others that have come up. They have also found a way to make the views work closer to that of the FS2000 default aircraft. So this will rid the "virtual" look when you press the "S" key. Look for this patch soon on the Abacus web site.

The panels are all crafted after their real counterparts and also are very detailed. Each one has its own look and feel; it will take a while to get used to where everything is—just as in real life. They have also incorporated the FS2000 GPS system into many of them so you can use it as you would on any of the other FS2000 default aircraft.

Another item included in the software package is the Island Airpark scenery. Located 34.5 miles north east of Meigs field in Chicago, this fictitious scenery allows you to practice you Private Pilot maneuvers. The scenery includes three hard surface runways of different length and one grass strip to practice soft field landings and takeoffs. Two of the runways have 50-ft. obstacles so you can do short field T/O’s and landings. This is really a novel idea and one that is a lot of fun to use! You can also land the Cessna 152 Floatplane at the Islands harbor or fly a helicopter to the landing pad. You can also practice precision approaches via NDB and VOR. There is also an obstacle course you can try to fly through if you wish. The scenery is small but very detailed with trees, shorelines and other buildings, even a lighthouse.

Other items included in the software are also very nice. For someone that has only dreamed of flying, there is a $35 coupon to take a discovery flight at participating flight schools. I checked with several here in Tampa and they said they would honor the coupon. I may pass this on to a friend of mine that is thinking about getting his license.

Gleim Publications put in a sample demo written exam that people can take. This will show you what types of questions are on the written exam required for your Private Pilots license. I personally used the actual Gliem product to practice for my written exam and it really helped me a lot. I ended up getting a 98 on my written exam—the computerized Gliem test really helps you get a feel for the questions.

This is a very well put together product. It has a lot of items I wish other commercial vendors would include in their products. The manual is excellent and the aircraft are some of the best I have seen for FS2000. If you like to fly the smaller single and dual engine aircraft like I do, then you will enjoy Private Pilot. It is an excellent product for the novice simulation fan as well as the hard core pilot. Abacus has really done a very nice job on this.

More details are available at the Abacus web site; you can order from online stores such as Flight Sim Central.