--This official, exclusive guide includes in-depth information on all the game's new planes and features as well as tutorial flight plans created by real world pilots and a unique full color poster.

--This is the ONE BOOK that every Flight Simulator fan will want to have!

It is as confusingly organized as the sof tware's so-called "help" files. It provides 13 identical "fill-in-the-blanks" aircraft checklist forms for each aircraf t in the software, using up 32 of the book's 156 pages. What a waste of space.

Don't waste your money.


Ditto the other reviews   February 21, 2002
 20 out of 21 found this review helpful

I made the mistake of not believing the reviews and ordering the book. I assumed a certain amount of MicroSoft bashing was responsible for the low ratings, but that was not the case. It appears the author took what was avaiable from the FS2002 CD Flight Book, added a little bit of real world aviaton material, and included a few tid-bits of helpful information to create a book. I have spent 15 minutes looking it over and will probably return it. There is such an incredible amount of information that can be used to optimize using the FS2002 that I expect a legitimate handbook to be produced soon. A lot of what is contained in this book is basic filler material, if you are already flying around succesfully with FS2002 I strongly suggest you look elswhere for a manual to improve your flying.


The book was not what I expected   January 22, 2002
 17 out of 18 found this review helpful

I purchased this book expecting it to give me a lot of information on flying all of the aircraft that were available. In particular, I was looking for detailed information on how to master the Boing aircraft so that I could create a proper flight plan that included climb and descent information that I could then execute in a realistic simulation of a commercial flight. However, I found the book contained very little information that was beneficial to me in this area. A significant portion of the book is spent covering topics already covered in the FS2002 documentation. Very little information is given on how to really use the flight planner and navigation log. Overall, I am disappointed with this book and am still looking for one that will really teach me how to master the heavies.


A big letdown and a big waste of money   May 28, 2002
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

I agree with everything the other reviewers have said so far. There is absolutely NOTHING that can be gained from reading this book, except for a few web addresses which can easily be found with a search engine. Save your time. Save your money. Save your disappointment. Do not buy this book.


What You Really Need To Know About This Book   October 13, 2002
 13 out of 18 found this review helpful

Sybex's Official Strategies & Secrets of Flight Simulator 2002 is a really nice inexpensive first book for getting to know Flight Simulator 2002, and the thought processes of flying. I say "Flying!" because Microsoft's Flight Simulator motto, "As Real As It Gets", is "jaw-drop-pingly" accurate for this low cost computer software. The words of this book make you see and feel the level of commitment, and attention to thinking, and analysis, required to be a fully competent pilot.

It has the knowledge the other reviewers had to learn before they could ask any advanced question. In other words, their complete focus on their advanced needs makes them incapable of correctly evaluating this book. If I were to lodge a complaint about it, I would say that it should have had as many instrument status pictures and examples as the manual that came with Flight Simulator 2000 Professional. The current online help method of explaining is nice, but having a book open next to you while you try different instrument settings without having the leave the flight screen is even nicer.

Anyone using Flight Simulator 2002 for fun or to begin the process of learning how to fly must understand that you must read as many different expressions of flight knowledge as you can. Doing this will do something essential to pilots with no flight time or with low flight time, and that is to keep your pilot thinking sharp and automatic for an environment where small lapses in thinking, and knowledge are fatal.

I recommend this book to anyone who is new to Flight Simulator, because it is a good conversation to hear about how to begin learning how to fly for real, or for learning how to fly as a game.

Honestly,
Bernard L. Williams, Real Pilot In The Making