Ware found "Flight Unlimited" approachable and noted its "simplicity of use and depth of instruction". Buchanan hailed the lesson mode as "a dream come true for any budding pilot". A writer for "The Washington Post" called the game " world's first truly easy-to-use flight simulator" and "a good entry product", in which "rank amateurs can just launch the program and start cruising immediately". "The Washington Post"s John Gaudiosi wrote that, while many games in the genre are overly complex, "Flight Unlimited" lets "those who aren't rocket scientists ... experience the thrills of stunt flying." He found its control scheme simple to understand. By contrast, Bailey found the game difficult and initially "frustrating": he complained that he had to play the lesson mode before even taking off. Denny Atkin of "Computer Gaming World" characterized the game's learning curve as steep, thanks to the accuracy of the physics programming, but he noted the scalable difficulty options. Bailey later recommended the game in a holiday shopping guide. He wrote that "it can be difficult to master. But once you're up, it's worth the trouble."