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If you've ever fancied yourself as the pilot of a light aircraft then Solo Flight will give you the chance.

You have the option of flying your aircraft in Kansas, Colorado or Washington. Each area has a differing degree of difficulty. Kansas is flat and boring while Colorado is full of mountains which must be avoided.

As well as choosing where you fly you can also decide on the type of game. You can have a normal 'joy' ride flying around at your leisure and practising landings and take-offs or you can choose to try your hand at the mail-run. If you choose the mail-run you must deliver a certain amount of mail in the fastest time possible. You decide how much fuel and post to take on board.

Once you have decided where to fly and the difficulty you will be given the view of your cockpit. Probably the hardest thing to get used to with this simulation is the fact that you can see your own plane. However this does make it very easy to see exactly what it is doing. You are given all of the usual instruments - altimeter, speed indicator, etc - and all are clear and easy to read.

When you are in the air you will be able to see the cities and airfields below you. In the harder maps there are also mountains to be avoided.

Only the mountains actually stand up from the ground in true 3D representation. However, the overall effect of seeing the airfields pass below you is very good. A nice touch to the simulation is the ability to look through the front, rear, and two side windows.

The aircraft is very easy to handle and after a few crash landings even the clumsiest pilot should manage to land without too many bumps.

Solo Flight is a very good simulation, allowing you to sit in the comfort of your own home and happily fly around the USA. At least until the wind gets up, or the cloud lowers, or your instruments decide to pack in...