Pole to Pole Add-On for FS 2004/FSX (PC CD)

A pity that a good idea is spoilt by poor quality of the technical features, e.g. the supplied aircraft is of low quality compared to what can be obtained, either paid-for or even freely downloaded. If only they had spruced-up some of the airfields that were set to be visited instead of turning up at an airport only to find it consists of a runway and little else.

As many of you who have bought products from this developer before, you will know they aren't always exactly the best FS add-ons money can buy. However, when I got this product, I was startled by the amazing amount of detail on this plane.Not only does it have high definition textures, it also has a very high poly exterior and interior model that isn't too bad on my PC's fps.Despite the fact that the actual pole to pole bit is a little thin, due to the fact they are saved flights rather than missions, this is an all round good product, and great if you're getting it just for the plane.

Hopefully, everyone will know that you need to have the orginal game to use this add-on product as this is not a stand alone game.With this add-on you can fly from pole to pole starting over Canada, USA, and then over the Carribean and South America down to to South Pole - hence the title pole to pole. There is only this route rather than a range of options which is perhaps a bit of a missed opportunity.The game has superb graphics and really stunning scenery as you fly an Aero Commander 680 twin engine over the 20,000 mile route.I do advise that you check your available disc space before you try this. It is very heavy on your PC & even with my 4 GB PC, the game slowed down at times. It was fine however once I did a bit of a disc clean up.If you like the original game then this is a worthy addition. Great fun !

OK, I confess this was given to my Flight Simulator X regular using son. He is the one who can get the planes into the air, program the autopilot and deal with the instructions from various air traffic controllers. Landing any plane from a Sopwith Pup right up to the Airbus 380 seems to be a doddle for him.I gave him the add-on and let him get cracking. After a couple of hours flying the conclusions were as following -Graphics - well up to the mark, although initially the aircraft appeared as a wireframe only. When that was sorted out everything looked well up to the high standards that I have seen elsewhere in FSX and other makers add-ons.Scenery - again as good as any I have seen elsewhere.Sounds - Nothing odd or out of place here. I do not know this aircraft in real life, so I am assuming it is an accurate synthesis of its engines.Fun - well if flying over miles of tundra and snow is your bag go for it and buy right now. If seeing clear landmarks, such as houses and roads to give you a sense of purposeful motion goes then perhaps this is not going to tick the big boxes. This is where it lost my interest as an armchair passenger. However this was not really a surprise as this could be guessed from the descriptions on the box and on Amazon.This is a well made and competent add-on that I can see a certain niche market for, it lives up to all of the promises given.

Firstly, it must be stated that this is an add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator and not a standalone 'game' or simulation. Now that's out of the way, this is a very worthwhile 'add on' and the graphics are superb! Flying around 'from pole to pole' is an extraordinarily beautiful experience if your pc is up to the challenge spec-wise. The scenery is just fantastic!

Pole to Pole is the add on to Flight Simulator 2004 or X and you'll need that game in order to play this. The idea behind the game or simulation is to follow in the footsteps of Michael Palin's Pole to Pole journey he took in 1992. The other thing I should note is that I used a high spec laptop to play the game which is why it worked so well for me. For those with a computer thats not recent, you might have graphics issues. That's important as I'll go into in a minute.Flight Simulator had missions included but this add on doesn't have that, instead going for a series of pre-saved flights (though you can modify the flight plans). A new aircraft is included, the Aero Commander 680, with a variety of paint schemes. There are a total of 52 flights and you can select any weather, time and aircraft for these flights as well as fly them in any order depending on which type of flight peaks your interest.Here's the main draw of the product: the scenery. You see some amazing scenery from North America, the Caribbean, South America, and Antarctica, taking in the Andes, the Amazon Basin, Rio De Janeiro, the coast of Chile, and the awe-inspiring continent of Antarctica. It's totally worth it just to sit back and enjoy the work that's gone into the program. The virtual cockpit is also very detailed.The sounds are excellent and very convincing. PDF guides are included to make the most out of the sim-experience.It's a great add-on that should keep any flight sim enthusiast occupied and expands your knowledge of flying as well as your flying skills. Recommended.

Just to get one thing clear; the installation is very simple, and quick! I'm running it on Windows 7 64-bit, which seems to have the most problems in terms of installing old games and this installed without a hitch, not even 5 minutes!In game play, you get a new plane which is...well, OK. It's not particularly fast, but its the only stable takeoff/landing plane for the very cold icy conditions it is designed to fly from/to. The interior cockpit looks great, and the attention to detail is fine, it handles well but I prefer jet-fighters speed and manouverability to a prop plane.My final thought is; if you've exhausted your FSX experience and fancy something a little different, then get this, you won't be disappointed. But if you're new to the game, don't need to get it straight away unless you have a specific interest in pole to pole flights.All the best,