Prepar3d

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Time travel back to the beginnings of the flight simulator

Once \| C64-Emulator \| Flight LA-Catalina

On January 26, 2026, my 14-year-old gaming PC unexpectedly broke down. It took about a month, from PC failure and troubleshooting to waiting until the PC, which was individually assembled for me, was delivered and set up. I passed the time with my 40-year-old C64 and subLOGIC’s Flight Simulator 2. Good old, indestructible hardware that still works perfectly. I had to re-learn how to fly with the rather clunky controls and a meager 0.6 to 2 FPS, but it was a lot of fun. I completed a flight from LA to Catalina using VOR navigation; for this, I scanned the original map and drew a route with a pen and ruler (see image on the left). You can find a printable map here: FS2FlightScheduleLAPrint.pdf If you'd like, you can recreate this flight on the C64, the C64U, or a C64 emulator. You can download suitable emulators, as well as the “Flight Simulator 2 software from subLOGIC,” from the web. You can find the download links here: C64-Emulator		La-Cataline Route (Click on the image to enlarge.)
You'll need a ReferenceCard to operate the flight simulator. (Click on the image on the right to enlarge it.) I've also compiled the most important information from the original FS 2 manual into a single document: GeneralInformation.pdf
I re-ran the flight in P3D and took a few comparison screenshots.	C64	P3d
Shortly after takeoff, I switched to the rear view; you can see LAX getting smaller. By the way, that thick vertical bar in the middle is the tail unit. It’s amazing how much detail you could see on the C64 back then!
Upon reaching 5000 feet, I looked back and thought about how beautiful flying is in P3D; you don't just see a few pixels, but the airport in detail. However, the comparison shows: I don't really see any more in P3D; I can definitely see the second airport (on the right) better on the C64.
So I flew my planned route, and as I approached Catalina Airport, I wished I had my P3d, because you can see the airport from a distance with that, unlike with the C64, or so I thought. How wrong I was...
On the C64, you can clearly see the three pixels that make up the runway. In P3D, you can't see anything unless you know where to look.
Admittedly, the final approach is much easier in P3D because you can control it precisely with sophisticated hardware, unlike the C64, where you can only press one key at a time, never two, as that overloads the keyboard decoder. Nevertheless, it's astonishing how good the flight simulator was even back then.
I recorded the flight in three videos and added captions to make it easier to follow along. 1. Video: Preparing the C64 Flight (33MB, 7m49s): This video shows which settings need to be adjusted for the flight. 2. C64 Flight Video (300 MB, 1 hr 2 min): This video provides many tips on how to control the aircraft. 3. C64/P3D Comparison Flight Video (431 MB, 1 hr 2 min): On the right side of the screen, you can see four views from P3D for direct comparison. Have fun flying along.
I not only recreated this flight in P3D, but turned it into a mission. You can find the mission here: LA-Catalina(e)

Once \| C64-Emulator \| Flight LA-Catalina

I hope you enjoy these flights, if so, please give feedback to p3d@andi20.ch. Also send error messages (spelling mistakes, wrong information, etc.) to me, I appreciate any feedback.