Flight Explorer Personal Edition

Editors' ReviewDownload.com staffFebruary 10, 2005This program appears to be a comprehensive flight-tracking tool, but the demo restriction makes it tough to tell how well it really works. In theory, Flight Explorer Personal Edition lets you track flights over most parts of North America and its surrounding seas in real time. However, since the trial version only offers simulated data, we cannot vouch for how accurate the program is if you subscribe. Most of the main interface is dedicated to a map of the United States, with a multitude of icons and tabs surrounding it. Because the program has so many features, its appearance initially can be quite intimidating, though the detailed help files provide some assistance. The application lets you choose what sort of information you want the map to display, including time zones, major cities, special-use airspace, and airports. You'll also find a number of preset themes, which show data such as all American Airlines flights or all aircraft approaching O'Hare. Of course, you can simply choose to view all flights currently in the air, either via a table or by a graphical representation. All told, we'd like to be more positive about Flight Explorer Personal Edition, but since the demo hobbles much of its functionality, we don't feel comfortable highly recommending it.