Illustration from Hot Illustrations by Len Kageler
Just about everyone enjoys playing computer games. One of the best is Microsoft’s “Flight Simulator.” In most versions of the game, you can choose a prop plane or a Lear jet, and you can also choose which of 180 airports around the country to take off from or to attempt a landing at.
Only after acquiring landing skills after many hours of practice can a player avoid crashing the plane and land safely. It’s all very realistic. You can crash into the Empire State Building in New York City, the Sears Tower in Chicago, or the Space Needle in Seattle. Your plane can break apart in midair, breaking the sound barrier over Dallas. You can nose-dive into Lake Michigan going five hundred miles per hour.
The greatest thing about “Flight Simulator,” though, is that the game always restores you. No matter what happens, you can start all over again. Whenever you crash and burn, fall apart, or splash
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