EFIS 98

On opening the box the initial impression is how thick the manual is and how nice it is to have set of real approach plates included with flightsim software. I spent the first hour reading the manual but to be honest you're better off loading the program and running through the three tutorial scenarios that are packaged with the program. These run through the programming of the Flight Management System (FMS) from a cockpit perspective and are clear and easy to use. Coupled with these tutorials are the corresponding flight lessons which guide you through using the system airborne.

EFIS 98 is a stand alone program which has to be run after you have started FS98 and presents you with 3 new windows.

The most complex part of the system I found was the use of the auxiliary flight director/autopilot which I still need to practice on. The FMS itself uses a point and click interface with an additonal text input line which is activated using a shift-space keystroke. This enables you to enter frequencies, airport names or approach procedures rather than obtain them from a menu list.

The EFIS display itself is clear and concise and from my experience of real aircraft displays it is accurate with a useful menu tool which can be called up by a right mouse click. Various modes are included such as VOR, ILS and NAV with varying range scales all the way out to 130 miles.

Included within the database are approach procedures for many airports worldwide which can be added to via the author's web site. In addition a full set of airways is included on the CD-ROM which really makes flight planning a boon using the included flight planning program to sort out your routing.

This is only the beginning... hopefully I shall be able to add some more facts on this soon but I am finding that there is much more to this package than immediately reaches the eye which I'm sure will be its big attraction.

Simon Sparkes
ruth.sparkes@lineone.net