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BASIC AIRLINER CAN SUFFER FROM INPUT FAILURE

A FEW MONTHS ago Your Computer published a flight simulation program for the 16K Spectrum. Protek has since taken over the program and released it under the title of Airliner.

The program is very good considering it is written mostly in Basic. The display shows all the flight instruments and there is no view through the aircraft windscreen. The only outside view is when you are preparing to land and the level indicator disappears to display a rough 3D representation of the approaching runway.

That effectively means that you are flying blind, and looking at the instrument panel all the time becomes tedious.

The program is excellent in other respects. It allows the pilot to define wind speed and direction and even to decide where the aircraft should be situated when the simulation starts. The instructions include an example giving the factors to put the aircaraft on a path straight for the runway.

It is not simple to put down the aircraft from that position but by using the coordinates you will have some idea of what happens in a crash landing.

While the program is well crash-proofed, some extra care should have been taken where numeric inputs are made by the pilot. Numeric variables are used and if an incorrect key is pressed the program will crash.

When you are asked whether you want another attempt you must make sure that you put in 'Y' or 'YES' or the computer will stop. There is no room for errors in that department.

Airliner is available from Protek Computing Ltd, Clydesdale Bank Building, High Street, South Queensferry, Edinburgh EH30 9HW. It costs £5.95.