Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5737 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Codemasters
• Released on: 2006-10-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Platform: Sony PSP
• Subtitled in: German
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Manufacturer's Description:
Pilot Academy, a commercial, private and military flight simulation offers both single-player missions, challenges and multi-player aerial combat and delivers the most authoritative simulation ever seen on a handheld. The game is built upon staggering technology and realism and features detailed landscapes from 30,000ft down to landing. With three regions to explore, each around 64km square, this handheld flight sim packs significantly more than its home console counterparts.

Beginning with a selection of training exercises to familiarise yourself with the controls, the game then moves straight into a series of increasingly challenging missions. Boasting a wide range of aircraft from all generations, Pilot Academy gives you the opportunity to fly the Boeing 747, Spitfire, F-117 Nighthawk, A-10A Thunderbolt II plus an F-14 Tomcat amongst many others.

Controls offer the complexity of piloting a range of aircraft without insisting players are double-jointed plus Pilot Academy provides specific vocal instructions for those who veer off course. Up to four players can take part in three different multiplayer games with the 'Deathmatch' mode available to any PSP owner whether they own a copy of the game or not.

Four eras of combat plane are represented from World War I through World War II and The Cold War to modern-day combat each with their own challenges. All types and sizes of civilian planes are on offer from crop sprayers to massive 300-seater passenger jets and everything in between with appropriate challenges for each class. Stunt aircraft will test dexterity whilst commercial aircraft will demand other skills such as emergency landings in fierce conditions.

Each successful completion of a challenge allows players to select other planes and scenarios every one unique to the class of aircraft they are currently piloting. Records and achievements are recorded providing further incentive to replay missions and challenges for additional reward.

Customer Reviews

More limited than you might think
Despite the advertising claiming you can play a civilian or military "career", this game is really just a series of short missions, and not very many at that (for example each of the 4 military eras only has about 2 missions each). The "lessons" are very short and you aren't really given much instruction at all, just told to do things and expected to work things out for yourself.

The missions themselves also seem to expect you to just know how to do things without being told. One of the first unlocked missions is to land a 747 in tornado conditions, depsite the fact that there have been no lessons or even verbal instructions on how to land a 747 even in calm conditions! (it's much harder than landing the Cessna, which is the only landing lesson you get).

On top of all this the voice acting is dreadful throughout.

In the end this is still a fun game to pick up and play, but it's quite clear that it is in no way an attempt at any kind of serious flight sim, nor is it as in-depth as I had hoped for (nor indeed as the advertising seems to indicate). Having had it only a day I have already completed about half of the limited number of missions and I don't think the free roaming mode will be enough to make me want to come back to this once it is finished.

Personally found this to be an excellent game.
As always with these reviews it is very individual but for me this game is the one I have been waiting for. As an avid flight sim fan this is as close as I think I am likely to get on the PSP. Very similar to Pilot Wings on the Nintendo 64 but a little bit more 'grown up'. Graphics are not completely crisp and the sound of some of the aircraft is a little below par but overall an excellent game. Some of the aircraft are a little tricky to control due to having to use the PSP joystick and this does not equate to the twitchy nature of many aircraft. If you are expecting something along the lines of Microsoft Flight Simulator X then don't buy this but as a bit of fun it is great.

good fun
I find PSP games very hit and miss, and have still yet to buy a game that i can't put down, (Pro Evo 5 came close but that has its faults). This game however is one of the better ones, controls are quite delicate on some aircraft and yes the graphics could do with a little more imagination and smooth lines.
You are provided with several practise sessions as well as proper "missions". sightseeing tours, commercial flights with tasks to complete against the clock, in various differant planes.
All in all compared to other PSP titles this is worth a look.