This game is amazing so I am giving it my full review.
I started out SUPER clunky with the controls. The very first level took me probably like 5 or so tries to complete. But the thing is once you get it, you pick up the controls so easily. Good game design. After a while I was zoomin around like a pro. Each level got only a bit harder than the one before it, so I could learn really well. Good game design. The mechanic itself is so simple, so it is really easy to grasp - but all of the work around it (good level design, the fragility of the ship, no penalties on crashing) complements the core movement mechanic perfectly. Good game design.
I'll be honest, when level 3 said "end of flight training", I assumed that meant the end of the game - a lot of game jam games are about that size. But then the moment I beat that, the game was like "the tutorial is over" and I was like "WHAT?" The color changed, and now there were checkpoints - the tutorial took me directly into the game. Good game design.
Each area implemented one new mechanic - the wind and engine dead zones were so awesome. Good game design.
Finally I thought I was at the end of the game and then the FREAKING LAVA SHOWS UP! The "Final Boss" of this game is appropriately much harder than everything that came before it, AND it requires you to use the skills you developed with each level's individual mechanic all in one. Good game design.
5/5 in all categories. Good work guys.