As the QL is still widely thought of as a semi-serious machine, it is not surprising that Microdeal should bring out a flight simulator in the hope that enthusiastic potential pilots buy the micro.

The package simulates a light aircraft and, Microdeal reliably informs me, has been tested by a pilot. The instruction manual advises beginners to try Circuit Flying, which is described in chapter seven. So, flicking through the pages I set myself up on the runway.

Before letting rip you must select the type of world you want to fly in. Each world, and there are ten, contains different terrains and conditions. They are shown as a block and you can choose your route through them at the beginning of the simulation. I chose world five and set the wind ceiling to zero (coward!), started the ignition, set the flaps down, released the brakes and applied full throttle.

The engine noise is realistic, even down to the splutter of the propellers. The booklet takes you through an entire circuit of the airport and lets you down lightly with an easy landing - no cross winds.

Each world is portrayed using wireframe graphics. Those look fairly tacky but move in perspective with only a small amount of line break-up. Unfortunately, the speed at which the aircraft travels is not realistic, but what can you expect of a 16-bit chip computer on which the screen is difficult to manipulate, especially when trying to scroll?

If, unlike me, you are able to gain more than a basic control of the aircraft, you can climb to 1,600 feet, achieve 70 knots of airspeed and do some aerobatics.

Because of the elementary nature of the graphics and the lack of colour it is difficult to tell whether you are in the upward thrust of a loop or the downward bend without continually referring to your instruments. That rather defeats the purpose of the graphics window.

The most attractive and innovative aspect of QL Flight Simulator is the worlds environment system. Maps of each flying world are shown at the back of the instruction booklet and include the Arabian Gulf, Panana City, Island Bay and three mountain worlds of increasing complexity.

Although the sftware provides the best flight simulator for the QL, the presentation of the package leaves a lot to be desired. The booklet is inexpensively produced and some of the screen shots are a mixture of photographs overlaid with handwritten printing.

It is a pity that the presentation is so scruffy but, if you can put up with it, the program compensates for Microdeal's lack of polish.