Circle the skies, from your Smartphone

Flight simulators are one of the most enduring types of computer games. For years, they were primarily played on traditional PCs, but many smartphones and tablets are now powerful enough to give simulator apps the realistic look and feel of swooping and soaring through the sky.

Infinite Flight, which is $5 (Rs 300) on iOS and Android, is easily the most impressive flight simulator for mobile devices. The app has realistic graphics and sophisticated controls that simulate many aspects of flying real aircraft. It also comes with a number of aircraft, and locations to fly around.

To start, select an aircraft type, like a small Cessna or the powerful F-18 fighter. Next choose a location and some basic weather options.

Then you’re immediately transported to the cockpit, with a beautiful view of the sky and ground and a display of the important aircraft controls. Don’t panic at the sheer number of buttons and dials, though, as the app has some introductory lessons for guidance.

The game has other options besides flying around and trying to land on different runways. You can strive to accumulate achievements, and if you don’t want to fly the entire route to distant runways, there’s even an autopilot mode.

More locations and aircraft cost $3 (Rs 180) to $5 (Rs 300). Also, be aware that the image quality sometimes becomes a little jerky, and the engine sounds can occasionally be annoying - though they can be turned off.

X Plane 9, which is $5 (Rs 300) on iPhone and free on Android, is a well-known brand of flight simulator, and in many ways, it’s comparable to Infinite Flight. The app emphasises realism and is packed with technical details for handling and navigation. Users can even change the weather and time of day to alter the look and feel of the flying environment.

X Plane is a little more daunting for beginners than Infinite Flight, and it has less step-by-step instruction, but it is extraordinarily convincing in many ways thanks to its complexity. It also lacks a feeling of gameplay, which may limit its fun.

On iPhones and smaller Android devices, the small screen may be frustrating, particularly when the planes’ controls are on the display. However, a separate $10 (Rs 600) iPad version makes good use of the larger screen and has better graphics.

For a slightly more gamelike app, try Flight Unlimited Las Vegas, which is $3 (Rs 180) on iOS and Android. It offers staged missions for zipping around the Las Vegas landscape. The game has some great-looking 3-D graphics of famous landmarks, and you can choose different planes to fly, including a Learjet or A10 tank buster. The flight controls are simpler than X Plane’s and it won’t take months to play through the content.

None of these games is going to let you get into the cockpit of a real aircraft and fly it. But I’ve been at the controls of several planes, and I can say the games do capture a tiny bit of the delight of flight.