"Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight" celebrates the first 100 years of powered flight with a collection of important historical aircraft and exciting new features that continue the traditions of realism, technological innovation and richness that have delighted aviation enthusiasts and pilots around the world and made "Microsoft Flight Simulator" one of the best-selling entertainment titles ever produced for the PC and in general.

This 20th anniversary edition includes nine historical aircraft - the record breakers, the workhorses and the innovators - as well as 15 contemporary aircraft and represents the most comprehensive and compelling version in the history of the franchise. "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight" also introduces an updated, dynamic weather system, enhanced automatically generated (auto-gen) scenery and detailed visual effects.

Here are some key features of "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004":

Celebrate the past. Players can take the controls of nine aircraft that changed the world, including the Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis," the airplane Charles Lindbergh piloted on the first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. They can experience what it was like to pilot Wilbur and Orville's 1903 Wright Flyer, an invention that changed the face of history. "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight" also features in-depth and engaging multimedia content that reveals the amazing stories behind each of the historical aircraft and the pilots who made them famous.

Explore the present. Gamers can take command of 15 contemporary aircraft, from the Cessna 172 Skyhawk SP Model 172 and the massive Boeing 747-400 to the R22 helicopter. The long-established "Flight Simulator" physics engine lives up to its reputation for providing an experience that is "as real as it gets."

Dynamic weather system. Players can watch raindrops on the windscreen on a foggy, drizzly morning or wispy cloud fronts move across the horizon on a hazy summer day with the improved Real World Weather system. They can create custom weather, choose from a variety of weather themes, or experience automatic live updating that mirrors real-world weather.

Improved scenery and visual effects. The software enhances an already stunning graphics engine with expanded automatically generated (auto-gen) scenery, improved taxiway and runway signs, and highly detailed modern airports. In all, more than 24,000 airports from around the world are featured.
Interactive 3-D virtual cockpits. "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight" improves on the franchise's virtual cockpit by allowing pilots to operate aircraft controls, tune radios and flip switches without leaving the virtual cockpit view.

Interactive multimedia content. Virtual pilots have new streamlined access to informed and insightful articles about "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight," its remarkable aircraft, briefings and interactive lessons without ever taking their eyes off the computer screen.