For armchair pilots itching to climb into the cockpit of a commercial aircraft, the next best thing to being there is Wilco Publishing's new Boeing 737-500 for FLY!, Terminal Reality's critically acclaimed flight sim.The PC- and Macintosh-compatible add-on will put FLY! fans at the controls of one of the workhorses of commercial aviation in a virtual environment so real that you can practically feel the levers.
The front, overhead, FMC, throttle quadrant and floor panels are faithfully reproduced and offer a more true-to-life perspective than conventional flat-view renderings. All switches and buttons are clickable and animated. All gears, flaps, spoilers, reverse and other controls are fully operational, advancing and retreating in response to pilot commands. A 180-degree view of the cockpit and genuine sound effects recorded in a real 737 flight deck heighten the illusion that you're sitting in the captain's seat, with dozens of lives depending on your skills. Simmers can either free-fly with air traffic controllers or select from a menu of pre-defined flights that serve both as training missions and personal challenges (try coming in for a landing in the middle of tornado-like winds and see if you can bring 'er down safely). You also have the choice of two engine startup procedures - an automatic startup for beginners or a manual startup for veterans.
Wilco's 737 was developed in cooperation with Terminal Reality and tested and approved by an active B737-500 First Officer.