Banjar: In my copy of the ancient original version of IL2 the airfield does not appear in the distance until you are so close that a safe, calm, controlled landing is impossible. If I could see it from a few miles out I might be able to get down in one piece.
I this better in the current, 1946, version?
While I have had trouble finding the runway, it ios more my piloting skills. I have been able to find the runway and line up bombers in the game. A lot has to do with graphic settings, The higher the settings, especially for landscape and objects, the easier it is to see them at distances. On my first computer, I never saw the targets until it was almost time to drop, which did not help lining up the bomber at height. But with my new Win 7 machine (Dual Core, Nvidia card) I can see the targets at 23,000 feet and be able to have time to line up correctly. So newer computer then the one you flew your ancient copy on will most likely see farther afield.