What are some of your favorite downloads for Flight Simulator 2002? Planes, scenery, airports, etc?
When I was a kid in the mid-1980s, I got my hands on a very early version of FS…I think it was version 1.0 or 2.0. It used vector graphics and only had two planes (the Cessna and the Learjet).
I just got FS 2002 about a week and a half ago, and I’m liking it very much. What an improvement!
Except landing is a bitch, especially with those big jetliners. Just about forty minutes ago I crashed my Boeing 747 just a hundred feet short of the runway at Honolulu International…the jet stalled and I couldn’t pull out in time. Fortunately I saved the flight just before I began my descent so I’ll be able to take another whack at it.
What I would love to see is a downloadable file that explains every technical whatsit on the dashboard. Most of them I can figure out, but quite a few have me stumped and the pathetic PDF “manual” doesn’t describe any of them. I’ve googled every search term I could think of, but can’t find anything.
Oh, and Stupendous? I just saw your location under your board name and I should point out that the first flight I ever tried with a Learjet 45 in FS 2002 was from Portland, Oregon (the metro area where I live) to Ottawa, Canada.
No particular reason for the destination. I just like hearing the sound of “Ottawa.” 
Simply go to www.flightsim.com and register. It has all of the best downloads ranked by most popular for the day and year to date. The only problem is that the site only lets a certain number of people on at a time. Just keep hitting refreshed when you are denied access. Sometimes it takes 20 or 30 tries but it is worth it.
I second that. It is far, far better than the terrible Lear they shipped with the game. It is one of my most-used aircraft now.
One of my favorite things to do in FS is use a fast fighter to intercept other traffic, and then fly in formation with them. When I’m established comfortably alongside, I pause and take screenshots.
The best plane I have for this is the F-15, although it’s best for use on the big jets. It’s tough at slow speeds if you want to fly with a Cessna. In that case, I use a sweet P-51 Mustang.