Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer (Commodore 64)

Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer (not to be confused with Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Simulator which was released a couple of years later) was developed by Spectrum Holobyte and released by Electronic Arts for the IBM PC and Commodore 64 in 1988. Chuck Yeager may not be as well known of a name as it used to be, but he was a World War II fighter ace and famous test pilot. Among other things Chuck Yeager was the first person to break the sound barrier (in the X-1), flew experimental rocket powered airplanes, and flew more than 360 type of aircraft over a 70 year career. Chuck Yeager died in 2020.

Advanced Flight Trainer is a flight simulator based on some of the exploits of Chuck Yeager. This game strives for realism and lets you pilot a variety of aircraft including various military jets and more vintage aircraft like the P-51 Mustang (which Yeager flew during World War II). Each aircraft choice offers a high degree of realism, at least for the time. The unique aspect of this game is the fact that it is primarily a trainer. You are taught various skills and techniques throughout the game from takeoffs and landings to acrobatics to combat and more.

Whether you chose the Commodore 64 version or the PC version, the graphics and sound were also impressive for the time. The early 3D graphics did a good job of creating a realistic experience. The sound was also solid with realistic engine sounds for the various aircraft type, atmospheric sounds and even the voice of Chuck Yeager.

While emphasizing training, there are actually three different modes of play including free flight and challenges in addition to training. Free flight is more or less just what it sounds like. Challenge mode includes things like dog fights and precision flying.

While an excellent flight simulator for its time, it was also definitely challenging. While some people probably preferred jumping straight into the various challenges, you would be much better off and less frustrated in the long run if you spent significant time in the training mode first. The other downside of this game is that it does not hold up well today. That isn't unique to this flight sim. It tends to be true of all flight simulators and simulators in general. It isn't necessary for all game genres to be realistic or have spectacular graphics but simulators is one category of game that almost invariably benefits from ever improving graphics.

If you are looking to see what a solid flight simulator from the 1980s looks like, then this is a pretty good one to try. However, the modern flight simulator experience is objectively superior in every way. Having said that, aside from the graphics, this game still offers a fairly realistic and definitely a challenging experience. As far as whether you play the DOS or C64 version is a matter of personal preference. I don't think one is all that much better than the other. It was also ultimately ported to other platforms including the Apple II, MSX, and others. The ad at the top is from the December 1987 issue of Computer Gaming World and the screen shots above are from the Commodore 64 version of the game.

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