Interview:
Pro Pilot 2000
Development Team

Interview by Dan Linton
Article by A.D. Mazurka

In the computer software industry, it's truly difficult to judge a sim by its cover. When shopping for a new flight simulator, one is presented with any number of products with flashy artwork, pictures of planes flying over scenery, and inviting descriptions of what's inside. The challenge (especially since my local store no longer takes returns on opened software) is trying to determine if any individual sim meets my particular requirements. After having been 'burned' by a few pricey games in the past, I have learned that the purchase of a product is now the last stage of a necessary evaluation process.

The team working on Pro Pilot 2000 reads like a who's who of experience in both real air flight and flight simulators. Almost the entire crew are pilots, with a few ATCs thrown in for good measure. On the simulation side, you might recognize some names from subLOGIC; the father of fast 3D and flight simulation, itself. The entire interview was interspersed with phrases like "spatial orientation",  "control authority" and "rotational velocity"; spoken by people who use such terms in everyday life. It's obvious that a breadth of talent has been called upon for the graphic appearance (from panels to weather to scenery) of the sim, also.

A core guiding principle to Pro Pilot 2000 was to not stop the simulation. Anything which causes one to 'break the flow' is especially detrimental in flight  simulation. Maintaining the simulation's flow  requires a combination of talent and cleverness which the team has taken seriously. The article will describe some of the methods employed to make this possible. 

The dedication of this talented crew should cause the reader to seriously consider adding Pro Pilot 2000 to their collection of sims, especially if they demand as much realism as can be supported by computer.

Enjoy.

If you have a comment on this article, or would like to see more of this kind of inside look at companies and conferences related to flightsim development, send email to:

Dan Linton
danl@flightsim.com


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