Circumnavigate the globe, heading east from the historic Farnborough airfield in the UK, on an epic 80-leg journey around the world. Fly over the Alps and Pyrenees before facing the challenge of the mighty Himalayan range. Explore the Far East and Australia. Blaze a trail from the frozen north, to tropical Africa. Conquer the lonely Pacific, leapfrogging across a series of islands as you make your way to the United States. Make landfall and catch your breath before flying over some of the most stunning scenery in the world as you head across the vast expanse of the USA to the Caribbean before venturing a trans-Atlantic crossing back to Farnborough...

Around the World in 80 Flights is a new add-on for Microsoft's FSX and FS2004. Once installed, a total of 80 flights are programmed into your Flight Sim database allowing you to fly over some of the World's greatest landmarks and most beautiful locations.

Also included is a recreation of the 1937 Lockheed Electra 10E aircraft flown by Amelia Earhart for her world record attempt, with many of the flights dovetailing into Earhart's route.

Each of the 80 flight legs can be flown as individual or consecutive missions and are comprehensively detailed, with a flight plan, pilots notes, full briefing and a guide to many of the wonders of the world that pass beneath your wings. From man-made wonders such as the Great Pyramids and the Golden Gate Bridge, to natural wonders such as Mount Kilimanjaro, the Sahara Desert, the Indonesian Archipelago and the Grand Canyon, the entire route has been carefully chosen to showcase the breathtaking beauty of the planet. Should you try and attempt the entire journey in order, the full trip represents a little over 400 hours flying time - covering almost 35000 miles.

There was a slight problem with the way that the flights appeared in the menu of FS2004. As the early flights (1-9) didn't have an "0" prefix (01, 02, 03, etc.) the result is that flight "2" comes between "19" and "20"; flight "3" is slotted in between "29" and "30" and so on...

Also, should you prefer, you can change your aircraft for any other in your database and simply explore the locations. Whatever you decide to do, this release is one of the most enjoyable currently on the market - allowing Flight Sim fans the ability to see some amazing areas they may not have previously visited.

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Nick Smithson