My favorite memories about this game..? Well, I've been playing IL-2 Sturmovik games ever since the Forgotten Battles released in 2003, I have purchased every add-on that came out for it, and I am still enjoying it just as much as 20 years ago, it is still amazing to me what they managed to achieve at the time when some computers wouldn't even have enough memory for the Crysis installation, let alone being able to launch it. Even comparing it to the most well-known "simulator" now, the War Thunder, IL-2 still stands proud and tall against it, even with the 20 year gap between them, beating it flat in a lot of aspects.
The original IL-2 Sturmovik was an exceptional game, I can't give enough praise to it, and this is what makes me want to see its direct successor be available not just on Steam and disappear one day like many others, those games actually need to be preserved to retain at least part of the history that they carry with them.