As part of a worldwide launch, Microsoft Corporation India on Wednesday announced the availability of the 'Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight' in India.

This 20th anniversary edition of flight simulator celebrates the first 100 years of powered flight.

The game series from the Microsoft stable is among the best-selling aviation simulation produced for personal computers.

It combines realism, technological innovation and richness to give aviation enthusiasts and pilots around the world a true to life experience, say game enthusiasts.

Commemorating a century of flying, Microsoft India also announced a special Flight Simulator 2004 offer for the first 200 gaming fans which includes a free T-shirt with the special launch edition pack.

The latest version offers a combination of historical and modern aircraft, superior graphics, interactive 3-D cockpits, dynamic weather effects and interactive multimedia content to celebrate history and teach the basics of flight, a company media release said.

"It (the game) empowers pilots of all age groups to take control of aircraft that most would otherwise never be able to fly. Without leaving the ground, virtual aviators everywhere can experience what it was like to be one of the pioneers of flight. They also can fly a variety of contemporary aircraft in the most realistic skies available on the PC," said Mohit Anand, Manager, home & entertainment division, Microsoft Corporation India Ltd.

The flight simulator package allows users to learn and experience flight in historic aircrafts such as the 1903 Wright Flyer, Curtiss JN-4D 'Jenny', Charles Lindbergh's Ryan NYP 'Spirit of St Louis' and the Douglas DC-3.

There are also 15 contemporary aircraft in the simulation space, including personal aircraft such as the Cessna 172 Skyhawk SP and Robinson R-22 helicopter as well as turboprops and jumbo jets, each of which includes interactive 3-D virtual cockpits.