Airplane! has no relation to the screwball 1980's comedy of the same name. In fact, it's a serious flight simulator made by Quantum Design Group - the same team behind the popular Pilot! sim.
That said, you don't need to keep your yaw straight and make sure you don't run out of fuel. It has enough of the basics nailed down that anyone can hop in and become a great pilot-for-hire in a matter of moments. That said, there are a few things that keep it from being a smooth flight.
The controls are simple. You have an accelerator on the left side of the screen and a directional pad on the right. You'll need to keep a steady pace and turn your plane to go the right away. It's a simple set-up, but one that works remarkably well in regard to vehicle handling.
As for things you'll need to keep an eye on, there are three - your Altitude, which monitors your height; your Air Speed, which features an easy-to-read green/yellow range; and your compass, pointing where you need to go with a helpful red arrow. That's it. It's not complex like most Microsoft flight sims, but it's quite suitable for a mobile app.
That said, the flying itself is quite bland. If you choose to take a flight over a thousand miles, it'll take you several minutes to get through, with barely any changes. The only time you can skip the flight is if you use Auto-Land to reach the airfield, though that cuts your payout in half, leaving a significant ding in your paycheck.
Takeoffs and landings were handled with great care, but taxiing to the runway takes practice. You'll need to maintain enough speed to get there, but not enough that you'll run off the jetway, thus failing the mission. It's almost enough to make you want to use Auto-Land.
Airplane! operates with a coin system, where you can build a steady amount by completing missions in a proper timeframe. Most early jobs give you 18 to 50 coins, and you need about 30,000 or more to unlock the premium content. Unless you're patient, prepare to open your wallet. At least there's plenty to unlock, including various planes across four classes - each with their own missions - and six weather conditions.
Quantum did a pretty good job with the game's presentation. The 3D visuals look smooth and the vehicles mimic their counterparts, right down to the engines hanging beneath the blimps. The environments look great too, even if they repeat - who knew Kyoto, Japan and Zurich look similar?
Audio-wise, the game provides decent engine noise, but that's it. There's no music to speak of unless you blare your own tunes in the background.
On that note, Airplane! is a decent flight sim, with a control scheme that everyone can adjust to and plenty of vehicles. Unfortunately, its real-time flight system and slightly unfair freemium set-up may leave some players grounded.
