We have a single monitor in the Shack, with an overhead switch panel, and we use a projector and screen for scenery. We are using genuine seats, pedals and throttle quadrant, 4 levers each for boost and throttle, using Leo Bodnar control cards. The Impala.. We use an actual fuselage, 2 seater, ejection seats. The rear seat has a screen in the dash as the panel and another mounted just above it for scenery. The front has the same panel configuration, and we use a 32' screen on the nose. Controls are linked together. 

The Shack is slightly narrower than the original, as it's on a trailer. 

We are using freeware Aeroworx scenery, slightly customized.

FS2004 just works.

I would use it if I still had it--the reasons?:

Because it was a great sim, it allowed FS9 to get a boost.  It had the places we enjoy in it, like Meigs.  It was a cute program.

John

My old PC can't run FSX smoothly, even I start trying from FSX Demo.

Last year, I leap to a new PC which run P3Dv4 just fine.

Still, I had FS9 on my list, fly several times pre month.  PSS757, PMDG MD11,PT Tu154M, Wilco+50N 737CL, and TM732 are the main reason.

I know, some of these aircraft are avalibe on FSX, and I have FSX both retail and steam version...

But FS9 is just such a reliable and fine tuned(by me) platform for me. FSX feels like a stranger, still.

16 hours ago, Dillon said:

Even if I bought it today I wouldn't know where to start with the many tweaks needed (I've thought about it).

FS9 required no tweaks?  FSX/Acceleration requires no tweaks unless you have a system that provides no performance.  I don't know of any gaming software program that does not require a tweak as it seems man cannot survive unless they tweak something (which, in some cases, does more harm than good).  See the AVSIM FSX Configuration Guide for list of tweaks and how to set up FSX.  It does require the Nvidia Inspector but the guide has a link to the latest NI and the proper settings.

9 hours ago, Jim Young said:

FS9 required no tweaks?  FSX/Acceleration requires no tweaks unless you have a system that provides no performance.  I don't know of any gaming software program that does not require a tweak as it seems man cannot survive unless they tweak something (which, in some cases, does more harm than good).  See the AVSIM FSX Configuration Guide for list of tweaks and how to set up FSX.  It does require the Nvidia Inspector but the guide has a link to the latest NI and the proper settings.

 

Thanks, good info concerning the setup guide.  I'll take a look at it at some point especially if the new offering from Microsoft next year falls short of supporting this community and third party developers (draconian licensing, etc). 

Edited September 6, 20196 yr by Dillon

I flew FS98 for years, I resisted going to FS2k2, but I did,and it was fun, then I resisted FS9 for  several years. When I di make the move it was great.With that said I DID NOT NEED a newer computer to run FS9. And yes over the years I did get better systems, but kept with FS9.

As many have said, FS9 runs great, I have not done anything to it in years. I spend money for add on scenery and Aircraft. And all the freeware that was put out for FS9 made it look great. Yes, I did buy FSX Gold, out of the box it looked terrible and did not run good one my system. I tries scenery addons, and all that did was choke it further. I then tried X-plane 9 Demo. I DID like the night lighting, but the scenery and the ability to fold the wings into  "U" with no ill effect, the small balls of smoke when landing, etc, turned me off along with what I see now as a continual UPGRADING of X-Planme (yes, maybe for the better,) but I see a lot of Xplane guys complaining about what was broken in the last update. SO I avoid it.
Also and more important why I keep FS9 besides it looking and flying nice, s MONEY. I am old and disabled, fixed income, and DO NOT HAVE $3000 to drop on a new computer that ill run X-Plane/FSX) with add ons to make it look nice.

Lets be real here. FS9 has both FREE and payware PhotoReal scenery that makes it look as good as X11 with Ortho ( OR NEARLY as nice but at a lesser resolution ) so I ask Why spend the money and time to go there?
Also, flight sims have become all about the money. I already spent a lot of money for my FS9 payware add ons, But FS9 had tons of GREAT freeware, that worked with other freeware just fine. I know that a lot of freeware is out for XPlane, but I also see people saying how poor a lot of that is, and How long before XPLANE updates and that freeware will no longer run?

I also saw one pilot here say how more than one copy of FS9 is installed with different era/ Scenery, How cool is that?

Now finally, as VATSIM is about to shove  SquawkBox   out the door, and more than likely ending my ability to do the VATSIM thing, it displays simply one more cog in the Future is all that matters mentality, where only newer matters. There are several Manufacturers of flight sim software who simply abandoned all support for those who bought and run the FS9 versions. So I am ULTRA GLAD I have saved copies of say LIVERY for aircraft's, as they are no longer available online.
A shame, but its all about the money, and it seems to me people today are all to eager to just keep spending for updates over and over again

FS9 for me.

Yep, I still have FS9 installed (as well as FSX and P3Dv4), each for different reasons.

FS9 and California Classic represents the Golden Age of commercial aviation with B737s and propliners and reminisces the days when travelling by air was fun instead of a chore.  Even coach seats were far enough apart you didn't get a pulmonary embolism because you didn't have enough room to exercise your legs and the courteous flight attendants delivered full course meals.

FSX is for collecting airplanes, modern and classic.

P3Dv4 is strictly for Orbx scenery and I only fly my Quest Kodiak (wheels and floats).

Variety is the spice of life even in flight simulation.

Noel

FS9 is a very good simulator. I used FS9 up until I switched to x-Plane 11 about a year ago. The flight dynamics in x-plane 11 is awesome. And I still have FS9 on my drive.

Cheers

On 10/2/2019 at 9:08 AM, birdguy said:

Yep, I still have FS9 installed (as well as FSX and P3Dv4), each for different reasons.

FS9 and California Classic represents the Golden Age of commercial aviation with B737s and propliners and reminisces the days when travelling by air was fun instead of a chore.  Even coach seats were far enough apart you didn't get a pulmonary embolism because you didn't have enough room to exercise your legs and the courteous flight attendants delivered full course meals.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may wish to search the other popular download site for " FS2004 Silver Wings  " I had it set up once and it is really nice, but sure to look it over good as it changes everything about the look of FS9

 

There are some stunning themed downloads unique to FS2004, the already mentioned Silver Wings & the CalClassic scenery collection, as well as Golden Wings & the scenery from the Ford Tri-Motor Project, of which I have separate installs, with suitable themed aircraft & textures. 

These sceneries are all unique to FS2004!

 

 

Short answer - money.

Upgraded hardware/FS steadily fs4 till fs9, which got everything thrown at it $$$ plus a ton of back end work. Got so I was tweaking, learning, modding and painting more than flying - that hamster wheel

Time FSX rolled around I was sort of burnt out, and as an almost exclusively airliner simmer couldn't bring myself to reinvest in rebuilding it all in FSX (and folks were tweaking more than EVER!). Plus other interests got my attention - this was key. Even if I wanted to, couldn't afford a more expensive than ever FS plus my other even more expensive interests.

And, FS9 was going on stronger than any superseded sim before it. So just 'settled' with good enough till I just stopped entirely. Haven't flown in years, but FS2020...wow

Edited October 6, 20196 yr by MarkRey

2 hours ago, MarkRey said:

Short answer - money.

Upgraded hardware/FS steadily fs4 till fs9, which got everything thrown at it $$$ plus a ton of back end work. Got so I was tweaking, learning, modding and painting more than flying - that hamster wheel

Time FSX rolled around I was sort of burnt out, and as an almost exclusively airliner simmer couldn't bring myself to reinvest in rebuilding it all in FSX (and folks were tweaking more than EVER!). Plus other interests got my attention - this was key. Even if I wanted to, couldn't afford a more expensive than ever FS plus my other even more expensive interests.

And, FS9 was going on stronger than any superseded sim before it. So just 'settled' with good enough till I just stopped entirely. Haven't flown in years, but FS2020...wow

 

This post sums up allot of the sentiment when FSX came out.  Many freeware developers turned in their hat around that time.  FS2020 might bring allot of people back into the hobby if they nail it.

On 10/6/2019 at 5:57 PM, Dillon said:

 

This post sums up allot of the sentiment when FSX came out.  Many freeware developers turned in their hat around that time.  FS2020 might bring allot of people back into the hobby if they nail it.

Maybe? But FS2020 may turn in to another money pit, paying for all the addons. This is why I switched to x-plane 11, lots of freeware. Time will tell, you may be right.

No reason to not have FS2004 as well as any other sim. 

Edited October 9, 20196 yr by n4gix
Added the missing "not" in that sentence

Robin, I believe you left out "not" as in "No reason to not have..."