AVSIM Commercial Simulator Review Precision Simulator 744 (PS1) v.1.3

[Editor's Note:] The following review is in a fairly different format from normal. Because of the complexity of Precision Simulator, we felt it better to get extremely in depth with regard not simply to the features (which could be listed on a box) but especially to what it is like to fly the sim, manage the systems and be on the flight deck of a 747-400 on your PC. Also, because of the hefty price tag, Mark felt that the more information you have the better decision you will be able to make whether this is the type of simulator you would enjoy flying. The review below assumes some familiarity with previous versions of PS1 if only through Mark's Previous AVSIM review (November 10, 1999).

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Many flight simmers dream about having even a moment in a full-motion simulator such as the type used to train airline crews. In fact, airlines such as United actually offer blocks of time in their training facilities to anyone who has the cash, often several thousands of dollars. For those who want the next best thing, on their home PC, there is Precision Simulator by Aerowinx. This simulator does one thing: puts you in the cockpit and in command of the controls and systems of a Boeing 747-400. In March of this year, Aerowinx, which is essentially the programming genius of Hardy Heinlin and his network of real-world professionals who support and test the software, unveiled the version 1.3 upgrade which added a whole slew of new features, making what was an incredibly life-like simulator even more so.

Because of the complexity of this software, which accurately simulates 99% of the systems and flight dynamics of a real 747-400, I thought a slightly more in-depth and narrative review might be in order. So join me on the flight deck as we ready our plane and prepare for a long-haul flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International (KJFK) to New Tokyo International, Narita (RJAA). With a host of screenshots and detailed commentary, we'll crew this aircraft together as I highlight the features of the software, which, at its best, is merely describing the real aircraft!

Instructor's Page Departure Weather

Our first stop is the Dispatch Office, or, in PS1.3, the Instructor's Page. There are several menu items which are available for setting up the aircraft. These include TCAS Training, Air Traffic Control, Multiple Weather Zones, First Officer, Preflight Items, Add Malfunctions, Random Malfunctions, Takeoff and Approach Profiles, Track Plotter and several others. To the right we see the Departure Weather section all set up (using Real Weather injected by a third party program). Weather includes winds, two cloud layers, visibility and thunderstorms all selectable manually or using a "random" feature.

Test System Dell P2 333 Windows98 128MB RAM Soundblaster AWE64 MS Sidewinder Precision Pro

Instructor's Page Air Traffic Control

For this flight we are Cascade Air 991 (my virtual airline) and we are a charter flight to Japan from New York. This information we enter in the ATC setup page, along with our initial cruising altitude of FL310. The ATC intelligence has been much improved with version 1.3. One new feature is the availability of three different ATC voices, and more can be added. These were recorded for PS1.3 by Paul Story using real-world controller voices. The ATC intelligence is improved, but not yet perfect. The main purpose for ATC in PS1 is still as a distraction and workload item, not an ATC trainer, but the improved model in v1.3 does offer more in the way of realism. There have yet been some reports of strange ATC goings-on such as rushed descents or distant and forlorn vectors, but the flights I've flown have had pretty good ATC. Additionally, since the ATC has more a mind of its own, VECTORS scenarios can be programmed via the aircraft FMC (Flight Management Computer). These allow the ATC to respond more realistically with regard to actual arrival procedures such as STARs. One further addition over previous versions: Enroute ATC is now available. Though we won't use it on this flight, PS1.3 is also able to fly on the SATCO network with live ATC using SB747, a free third party addition (See the INFOLAB web site, "747-400 Precision Simulator Material"). This makes the sim that much better! (Use of the sim with Roger Wilco is in the tentative stage, since the program's DOS programming won't allow the sound card to be shared with Windows applications at the same time.)

Instructor's Page Preflight Items

This screen shows the Preflight Page. We've got a full load to Tokyo today, so we use our maximum Zero Fuel Weight of 535,000lbs. 331,000lbs. of fuel have been loaded. (These figures are obtained using an outstanding Dispatch Software, shareware called PS1FPLAN) by Doug Snow. In v1.3, different types of jet fuel are now available. Some have lower freezing points than others (fuel can freeze here!) though they cost more!. Another neat function is an option to have a cockpit with randomly set switches. If you use that, you better use your checklists!

Let's go flying!

"Cold and Dark" cockpit

We enter the aircraft and sit down in the cold dark cockpit. Since we had External Power/Air checked in the Preflight options, we know that the aircraft's Ground Bus is powered. We'll have to manually switch on the battery and then connect the external power to the main aircraft buses via the switches on the overhead panel.

Clipping shown

In PS1.3, space is at a premium. Clicking on the middle display will bring up the "clippings" which are representations of the overhead and other control panels in the cockpit. The clipping comes up in the middle of the screen, as seen at left. Sliding the mouse to the left or right will cycle to the next clipping. Below you can see a composite of all the available clippings in the sim. The small yellow boxes indicate which switches will be affected by keyboard commands. The entire sim is controllable from the keyboard if desired or if you lack external controls such as a joystick.

Composite of all available clippings (Does not represent the layout of a real cockpit)

At this point we now begin running through the procedures for getting the airplane ready. These are found in the manual which comes with PS1.3. A list of action items and related tasks is given which is very detailed and extensive. We will follow these procedures as we prepare the aircraft for departure. Not just the procedures section, but the whole manual is detailed and extensive. Here is a complete listing of the chapter headings in this 350 page manual:
 

–	Simulator handling	–	Simulator Programming
–	Airplane General	–	Auxiliary Power
–	Communication	–	Electrical
–	Fire Protection	–	Flight Controls
–	Flight Instruments	–	FMC
–	Fuel System	–	Hydraulics
–	Ice Protection	–	Landing Gear
–	Pneumatics	–	Power Plant
–	Warning Systems	–	Limitations
–	Performance	–	Procedures
–	Normal Checklists	–	Abnormal Checklists
–	Airport ICAO Codes	–	"The Inaugural Flight"

Chapters include appropriate diagrams and notations as well as lists of appropriate EICAS (Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System) messages and warnings. The last chapter is one that fan's of Mel Ott will enjoy. This retired 747-400 pilot was a career airline pilot and many readers will remember his various forums under the name of his alter ego, Cap'n Tarmack. The story tells of the inaugural flight of Northwest's 744 from Tokyo to New York flown by the Cap'n and it is a wonderful read with all of his sparkle and humor. It is a fitting piece to wrap up the excellent manual.

Our preflight procedures include checking numerous systems and inputting data in the FMC. First we make sure that there is no hydraulic power (don't want ground crews getting hit by accidental flap extension or aileron movement). Now we'll switch on the APU, wait for it to spool up and then switch to the APU electrical power and bleed air. We switch on the air conditioning packs and fans to get some air moving throughout the aircraft. The APU on the 744 is powerful enough to provide bleed air for all three packs. We can monitor the duct pressure on the Upper EICAS. Now that we have power to the aircraft, we will switch on the Inertial Reference Systems (IRSes). The control of the IRSes is new to v1.3. There are three systems controlled via the IRS clipping (which also includes the Electronic Engine Control switches) Once we switch them on, we can enter our known position into the FMC and wait for about 17 minutes for the IRSes to do a full align.

Pop-up FMC visible

New to v1.3 is a pop-up full FMC with keypad (Right). It is easily accessed and entries can be made via the mouse. Hitting the SHIFT key will remove keyboard controls from the aircraft and slave the keyboard to the FMC for quick data entry. Once we enter our position, the IRSes will begin the alignment. When finished, the Primary Flight Display (leftmost CRT) and the Navigation Display (center CRT) will light up. Information for these displays is generated by the IRSes. In the sim, if IRSes go down, standby instruments will appear in the outside view window (see the cold, dark cockpit above).

FMC Active Route page

A bit through our procedures now, it is time to enter our route information. We do this on the FMC (shown left). PS1.3 comes with an actual airline FMC database. This means that all worldwide fixes and airways are included. (The database is current for 1999 and may not correlate to actual real world data at every point). Thus, rather than entering individual fixes (possible via the LEGS page if desired), you can construct a route directly on the route page. First we select our STAR, the GREKI2 from JFK. This will route us, via the STAR to MARTN, our first waypoint. From then on, entering the route is as simple as punching in airway numbers and fixes. LEGS are automatically filled in based on the information in the database! What could be easier! Selecting the NEXT PAGE button will allow us to continue to enter airways (VIA) and fixes (TO) as far as we wish. When we get closer to Tokyo, we can select our STAR which will also fill in the necessary waypoints. Once we are airborne, barring any ATC, er, "interference", we can select LNAV mode and let the Autopilot follow our route with ease.

Secondary EICAS DooRS display

Seatbelt signs have been switched on. A check of the Secondary EICAS Doors display shows that all doors have been shut. As the Cabin Crew briefs the passengers, we are getting to the final stages of our procedures. The FMC pages below show the final stages of preparation for departure.

FMC Pages, from left: Performance Initialization, Thrust Limit Selection and Takeoff Reference.

On the PERF INIT page, we have entered our aircraft weights, fuel reserves required, our initial cruising altitude. Selecting the CG line will tell us what Stabilizer Trim setting we will have to set for takeoff. For an aircraft weighing 864,700 pounds (10,300 short of max), proper trim is a must. The THRUST LIM page allows us to select derated settings for the engines to conserve them, prevent wear and tear, and reduce noise. Will we use that today? Nah! We select TO and CLB, for a max thrust departure and climb setting. The TAKEOFF REF page is where we will select our departure flaps, here 20 degrees. We can also set our acceleration height at which we will begin to accelerate through flap retraction. At 3000 feet the aircraft will switch to CLB power. All of that will be handled by our Autothrottle. Once we tell the FMC whether the runway is wet or dry, our V-speeds are computed. We select them and they then appear on the Speed "tape" of the PFD.

Now for the preflight checklist to make sure we have not missed anything. The FO will actually read off the checklist (and show with text if you like). Our First Officer is none other than Mel Ott himself! There are a few other first officers whose voices have been recorded. There are also differing sizes of checklists. These are actually airline specific. In PS1.3, there are a host of different airline configurations. Selecting these different configurations will affect such options as what shape the Flight Director is, who your first officer will be, what checklists will be used, which particular systems and switches are configured for your aircraft. All of these options are indicated in the manual with a special marker so that you know what can be changed. The Airline Configuration files are simple text files that can be edited easily. Our plane is a Cascade Air passenger configuration, an eclectic mix of many of the best options. (The file has been modified with the permission of Hardy Heinlin). The airline configurations represent the little nuances and company specific options and procedures for that added touch of realism.

Engine Start: Engine Clipping, Upper EICAS with engine instruments and Secondary EICAS with secondary engine indications.

We are all set to call for our pushback and start. PS1.3 includes pushback procedures and regular visitors to the Aerowinx Message Board will be pleased to know that the man on the ground tug is none other than Ian Riddell! The initial call will return a Squawk code and pushback clearance. We can now switch on auxiliary hydraulic power on the #4 system. This will give us braking power as well as the controls powered by that system. As we are pushed back, we flip on the fuel control switches and pull the starters for the #3 and #4 engines. The APU has plenty of bleed air, so normal operations will let us start two at a time. The illustration shows #3 and 4 running, #2 is off and we have just gotten the "light off" on #1. Once the engine has reached a certain N1 percentage, the starter pops back in. Notice on the Secondary EICAS, the #2 bar, the little purple lines. This indicates the N2 speed at which fuel should be added to initiate the light off and start the engine. The 744, however, is (airline specific) equipped with an Autostart system which does everything automatically. Flip on the fuel switch and pull the starter: the computer does the rest. It will even shut down the engine during a hung or hot start. In PS1.3, there are options now for 3 different engines: General Electric CF6, Rolls Royce RB211 and the Pratt & Whitney PW4056. The performance of the engines varies slightly and different engine indications are present with each engine. For example, the CF6 gives an N1 percent as its primary power reading; the PW4056 uses an Engine Pressure Ration (EPR) reading. Sound is also much better in PS1.3. The continuous engine sound used in the sim contains much more wind noise and more background engine sound. It sounds like being in an airliner to me.

STAT page: flight controls

Steering tiller

After wave off, we are ready to taxi. Flaps out, taxi checklist done. We check our flight controls via the little indicators on the status page. These indications are actually present in the real aircraft and not merely simulator niceties. (How else can we know if the ailerons are moving when they are so far behind us?). We taxi using a steering tiller. In the sim, this is done with the mouse and is indicated in the view window (see pic). Cleared for Takeoff. We taxi into position, flip on landing lights, strobes (MISC Clipping) and turn on our Weather Radar on the ND control panel which is the leftmost portion of the Glareshield panel. In the sim, since the MCP is very wide, it is not shown all at once. Simply sliding the mouse to either side will move to show that portion, with some overlap in the middle section.

Master Control Panel

Climbout, about to begin flap retraction

We advance throttles manually to 70 percent N1 and then, since all looks normal, we engage the Autothrottle with the TOGA switch (assigned to the joystick as you can many functions in the sim). The A/T takes over and Mel begins to call out speeds at 80 knots, 90,100 and so on until V1, then Rotate. We pitch up, following the Flight Director cues. The FMC is set to accelerate at 1000 feet and it does, so that we can begin our flap retraction. Switch on the Autopilot at this time to take over. The 744 has three autopilots This is indicated by the CMD. The green indications at the top of the PFD indicate the Flight Director and A/P modes. Now that we are above 1000 feet, acceleration for flap retraction will begin. On the speed tape you can see the flap settings indicated. As the speed passes each mark, we retract the flaps to that setting. Our route is indicated on the ND with the magenta line. ATC will turn us soon, hopefully! In the 744, once we pass V2, the FMC will calculate the best speed. Target is V2 + 100, which in our heavy state will be 280 knots. This requires special permission from ATC (not simulated) so that we can exceed the 250Knots/10,000 feet speed limit. ATC now gives us headings to fly which correspond to our initial waypoints.

TCAS Warning!

As we begin along our route, we suddenly here, "TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC!" The small diamonds on the ND, represent other aircraft seen by the TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System). A caution gives us a yellow target and then suddenly, the traffic is close and red and the computer is shouting instructions to descend. In the picture at left, you can see the traffic on the ND as well as the "no fly zones" on the PFD: we are in the red zone indicating danger of collision and we need to descend now! It's busy around New York today. We survive, though. The TCAS is a new feature of v1.3 as is the addition of traffic. Other airplanes are visible out the window, merely as blinking lights (strobes or nav lights). While there isn't any detail, you get the impression that we are no longer alone. (The system does NOT yet pick up other SATCO planes and put them on TCAS.) The TCAS resolution probability can be set to high: this means that you will have lots of targets violating your airspace. Time to shuck and jive your Heavy!

Level at FL310

We've leveled at FL310, our first cruising altitude. LNAV and VNAV are set, and the autopilot is on. Our cruise speed is set manually to Mach .860. The FMC will compute a speed based on the cost index entered but we simply choose our "company" speed of .860. Other things to notice on the screen include our PROGress page. This shows time to next waypoint, and the time and fuel of the last waypoint. It also shows our ETA at destination, as well as estimated fuel at the destination. Also, the next vertical move is estimated. Here it is 1756 miles until our step climb to FL 350. The Optimum and maximum altitudes are always displayed on the VNAC Cruise page of the FMC. Notice on the Secondary EICAS fuel display, that as fuel is drawn from the center wing tank, it is replaced from the stabilizer tank. A green arrow on the Fuel display always indicates some type of fuel movement, either by pumps or gravity feed. Fuel is managed by the computer automatically. Later in the flight, when the tanks are all equal, there is a simple switching process to set up each engine to be fueled by its own tank. In v1.3, the First Officer will do this for you so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to check, if you've gone to crew rest on a long haul. Grin.

FMC LEGS pages and Winds Data Entry

To give our FMC a bit more accuracy, we'll enter our winds for the next several fixes. From the LEGS page we can access information about our flight at each fix. We can also enter the wind for each fix. PS1.3 changes weather zones based on the fuel used, so we can estimate our winds based on the actual winds shown on the ND, and enter them into the Wind page for each of the waypoints coming up. We could also enter the winds as the flight levels shown in the Weather pages and the FMC will interpolate. We'll also use our Fuel Record from PS1FPLAN to check our planned fuel with what the FMC says we'll have when we arrive in Tokyo. At selected fixes, we do a little arithmetic to make sure our manual estimated fuel agrees both with the flight plan and the FMC. These little data items are some of the fun things we can do while we're at cruise altitude, until the Cabin Crew brings us something to eat and when we're not writing parts of our review for AVSIM.

Sunset out the cockpit window. Two of the frames have traffic visible if you look very very closely.

As we turn northwest from Montreal, the sun begins to set and is very pretty to watch. A "time lapse" group of screenshots out the window of the cockpit is shown. Compared to the current generation of "popular" flight sims, like FLY! or FS2000, PS1.3 simply has nothing to offer in the way of scenery or external views of the aircraft. Yet it would be invalid to make this comparison since PS1.3 is designed as a procedures trainer, FMC tutor and 744 systems simulator. The best description is this one from the box: "Computer Based Training for the 747-400." It is that, and it does it well. The program itself is DOS-based which might surprise some new users. The major benefit of still running on this platform is that PS1.3 can be run quite well on machines that would simply choke on any modern Windows flight simulator. I must also say from experience that such a DOS program is more stable than flight sims running in Windows. It runs easily on laptops as well. There have been some tricks getting the continuous engine sound to come through with all sound cards and getting the program to work with Windows 2000. These difficulties, to my knowledge, have been for the most part resolved through the constant interaction of PS1 pilots on the Aerowinx Message Board. PS1.3 runs in only one resolution, 640x480. I am able to run PS1.3 in a full-screen DOS mode with continuous engine sound on my Dell P2 333, 128MB. I have a Soundblaster AWE64 card which has no problems. USB is not supported at this time, so you have to use controllers with Gameport connectivity. (I did read on the Board, though, that someone had gotten limited functionality from a USB joystick so perhaps there is hope.) My joystick is a MS Sidewinder Precision Pro and works fine. Previous users of PS1 will find that the calibration is much easier than in previous versions. Flight Dynamics have always been good and realistic. The standard caveat of not getting the "real feel" by being in front of a PC is true. However, I have found that either in the sim itself or in the new joystick calibration, the sim is more gently responsive and I personally have an easier time handling this hefty bird.

FMC Simulator Menu

Such items as calibration or the design of VECTOR scenarios are accessed via the FMC's SIMU Menu system. You can also save routes and SIDs or STARs. A "Jump To" function allows moving immediately to the next waypoint and fuel and systems are updated accordingly.

Version 1.3 comes with some terrific new features. One is the advanced track plotting system. This system provides up to 20 hours of plot information and the map can be zoomed in or out to just about any range as well as centered on waypoints, airports and even the present aircraft position. Perhaps the most exciting new training feature is the ability to record and play videos in PS1.3. A video can be recorded for up to 1 hour and it captures all of the commands, switches, button presses and even mouse movements during the record phase. Text and sound can be added as well to a video scripting file. PS1.3 comes with several videos showing procedures and more have been recorded and placed on the popular PS1 websites. The other standard features are still available as well: the Airport Information Database and the Black Box page which shows many flight parameters over time intervals.

In PS1.3, situations are saved as .ini files. Each file captures hundreds of details and aircraft and simulator settings. There is also an Autosave.ini which automatically saves when you exit the simulator. New to v1.3 are two additional files: The simulator saves and "A" file and a "B" file every seven minutes, so the last 14 minutes are always backed up. I've already used this feature after crashing one day, so I could go back and see what went wrong. As always, these.ini files are easily editable with a text editor and can be passed around and shared. "Send me your .ini file and I'll help you figure out what went wrong," is a common phrase on the Aerowinx Board.

FMC FIX INFO page and Navigation Display

It seems we will actually see a few sunsets as we chase that star West. High over Canada, with little else to do, let's make fixes and put them all over the place! We can also look closely at all the action shown on the ND. The FIX INFO page is new to the FMC in v1.3. You can select a time or altitude in the bottom right corner and a small circle will be drawn at the point along the route that you will be at that altitude or passing that point on the clock. We've set one for 0100Z and you can see it just prior to FIRTH. We could, if we wanted, display the ETA and any constraints alongside each waypoint using the DAT button on the ND control panel on the glareshield. Back to the fix page, that little circle is useful for estimating position at certain times or calculating the halfway point, etc. Another fix can be set with bearing information and a range circle. Here we've selected YZF, which happens to be along our route. The information right next to the fix name shows our bearing and distance from that fix. Additionally, we can have the FMC display a radial and/or range circle. Here we've added a 130 degree bearing radial and a 250nm distance circle. The circles are especially helpful for doing DME arcs. There is also an "abeam" function that will show you a 90 degree position from a fix.

The Navigation display has it all! We could, if we choose, add a display of waypoints (fixes), VOR stations, and airports. We can show, via three little stars, the position of the computed by each of the IRSes. Arrows can be respectively displayed for either the right and/or left VOR or ADF receivers. The top left shows our True Airspeed and Ground speed as well as current winds. Top right displays distance and ETA to the next waypoint along the route. The ND can be in APProach mode, to fly an ILS "close up" with the needles, in VOR as a large VOR instrument, in MAP mode as it is now, with our track and route displayed, or in a PLAN mode in which we can step through each waypoint and see the entire route as programmed in the FMC. In all of the modes (except the PLN mode) the ND can display a full compass rose or an "arc" type display.

As we begin to near Japan, it is time to start thinking about the descent portion of the flight, the STAR we will fly and the approach we will shoot. Weather and ATIS are easily called up even hundreds of miles away by checking the ACARS menu of the FMC. Looks like we'll be coming in on Aries North for an ILS to Runway 16. The FMC marks the Top of Descent (TOD) point with a small green circle. We are now at FL390 and the FMC will compute our descent all the way to touchdown to manage the throttles in such a way as to bring us down on target. It sounds nice, but this is the real world. ATC will never let us do what the FMC wants. Speaking of ATC, we'll turn it off to avoid its quirky approach vectors and follow the STAR ourselves. It would be better if we had a VECTORS scenario programmed but I have not spent the time to learn how to do those yet.

FMC Off-path Descent

What we'll do instead is select a fix with its constraint and use the Offpath Descent feature. This shows us two circles: The TOD point for an idle and clean descent (blue circle) and the TOD point for an idle descent with speed brakes up (white circle). These are helpful for planning where a descent must happen to get where you want to be at the altitude to you want to be at. We need ARIES at 250KIAS and 11,500 feet.

Holding using the FMC

It just so happens that there is a published hold on the STAR at ARIES. This has got to be one of the coolest features of the modern glass-cockpit FMC: the HOLD page. We simply select a waypoint name form the list of legs (or enter another name, in which case that fix is inserted into the LEGS page.) We hit the EXEC button an voila! The racetrack appears on the ND and the plane enters the hold without hesitation. You can see that entering this hold is a no-brainer, but having practiced several others, I can attest that the FMC actually figures out which type of entry to do (including that really weird "parallel" kind). We'll select 230KIAS for holding. Then we notice that we only have a hold allowance of 11 minutes! This is how long we can hold until we dip into our fuel reserves. Ok then, two turns and we'll clear ourselves for the approach.

ENG 2 OIL TEMP

Suddenly the Master CAUTION (yellow) light and horn go off. The EICAS message is ENG 2 OIL TEMP. Notice that on the EICAS, the relevant engine data, namely that of the OIL is brought up so that you don't have to fumble for the Secondary EICAS to see what's going on. We'll simply throttle #2 back (which it is anyway as we descend). Since Oil pressure is not dropping at all, we can leave the engine running. We crank it around to line up for the approach, but ATC (me) has brought us in to close to the glideslope. The Approach mode won't capture the glideslope since we are slightly above it when we get the localizer. No worries, the weather in Tokyo is fine and we are cleared for the visual. Follow the Flight Director and the ILS "diamonds" on the PFD (the ILS mode is rarely used, at least by Mel Ott and me). Mel calls the final approach checklist. A little fluttery on the touchdown, reversers to full and off again at 80 knots. Now we taxi to that really far away terminal here at Narita, switching on the APU so that it can spool up and be ready when we shut down the engines.

At the Gate, RJAA

Airports in PS1 all have light poles which represent the general location of the terminal and they are accurate as far as position goes. There are no taxiways or other features of any kind in PS1.3, though there is terrain and you will hear the Ground Proximity warning go off if you get too near! Now at the gate, we can switch off the IRSes as part of the shutdown procedures. Notice that the PFD and ND blank, since IRS information is no longer available. It's fun to think about the little people milling around this monstrous plane opening all those doors (Secondary EICAS) and going in and out doing those things to get her ready for the next flight. I think that is to Hong Kong in a couple of hours, so we'll leave the APU running to provide Air conditioning for the next batch of passengers.

Our total flight time was 12.2 hours. I might've emailed the .INI (situation) file to someone else to finish the flight. Long Hauls always carry a spare crew but in the real world they can't pause and save like we can! We use 305,500 pounds of fuel. We shutdown with just 25,600lbs. left, which is barely over our reserve requirement of 24,500! The FMC consistently had us with about 30,000 or so on arrival and that was about 30,000 short of the planned estimate. The winds were different than predicted. It's a good thing we didn't have to shoot a missed approach! Anyway, it was a good flight, and I think we should be off now, to find that sake and noodle place Mel Ott was always talking about!

As far as bugs in the simulator, they are few and far between. There are seeming glitches occasionally with the ATC but I haven't heard anything official on this. There is one which involves certain NDBs from showing up when modified in the database. The bugs that have actually been confirmed are really very minor and don't in my opinion, detract from the sim at all. As I mentioned problems with sound cards and operating systems are the exception, but solvable by all accounts. There are too many reports to count of initial bugs in PS1.3 that turned out to be actual real features missed by users in the manual or misunderstood in terms of operation! What that says to me is that the simulator is simply so real and sophisticated, that the learning curve is steep. I look forward to the minute critiques I will receive on the contents of this very review, from procedures to facts! And I look forward to the constant learning that takes place every time I fly PS1.3. Version 1.3 has really upped the level of detail, from the realistic way the EICAS presents critical information, all the way to the manner in switches take a few seconds to close when pressed. Taking all of the details and features into account demands that I rate this simulator with nothing less than five stars. It is simply that good. I wrote previously that my first purchase of PS1(v1.2) was the "crowning" of my virtual airline career. The more I fly the 747-400 on my PC, with Precision Simulator, the more I learn and the more I love to fly it. My virtual hobby is turning into a "virtual career."

System Requirements PII 486/66 or any higher VGA Display or higher MS-DOS or Windows 95/98 535Kb Conventional Memory 40MB Hard Disk space CD-ROM Optional: Soundblaster compatible card Joystick, yoke, etc. (game-controller only) Mouse Price: About $260 for the full version; $65 for the upgrade pack for existing users

Full details and ordering information are available at the Aerowinx web site.