Many of you will probably receive a smartphone or tablet during the holiday season. While you should include the necessary aviation apps, you also need to have some fun. So below are five aviation game apps for you to consider for your device. These are not endorsements of any app.
Air Mail ($2.99 in iTunes)—This app, which plays on an iPhone or an iPad, is a high-flying aerial game that features a human story and cutting-edge graphics. It has three game modes and unlockable paint jobs that let you customize your ship.
Aviation 3D Free—Light Plane (free in Google Play)—This smartphone app allows users to experience 3-D flight with a live wallpaper that uses full OpenGL rendering for the highest quality 3-D graphics possible.
Apache 3D Sim ($2.99 in iTunes)—You are a combat pilot in the AH-64 Apache helicopter in this iPhone/iPad app. Handle land and carrier combat operations with various scenarios or improve flight and landing skills in the free flight mode.
APP Control ($4.99 in iTunes)—You are the air traffic controller in this iPhone/iPad app developed by Vincent Lambercy. Like an air traffic controller, you must maintain a lateral separation of three miles or a vertical separation of 1,000 feet between aircraft landing and departing. Users can test their skills at 21 airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Frankfurt, and Wichita Mid-Continent Airport.
Chopper Mike (free in iTunes)—This app, optimized for the iPhone 5, is an arcade-style helicopter time-trial game. Users can choose from three difficulty modes and 48 levels, picking up gems, avoiding collisions, and landing as quickly as they can.
Thanks to everyone who voted for AOPA’s top 10 apps of 2013. I look forward to highlighting more apps in 2014, and I’d love to hear from more Android and Windows users in the new year. I’m also looking for apps in the following categories: developer updates and submissions, checklists, FBOs/services, fuel, instrument simulators, logbooks, radar, and weight and balance. You can see previous apps reviews here.
