Alright, I can not say much about this game that hasn't been said in this place already. It's magnificent. A game that follows actual realistic flight skills and whatnot faithfully, but at the same time remains very intense and fun, once you get the hang of it.
That's my complaint. ONCE you get the hang of it. You see, it takes a lot of time. Not only does the game contain a rather sub-par tutorial in my opinion, it also is extremely tricky to understand if one doesn't have an understanding of basic flight. I never knew much about planes before purchasing this game in -07, now I know more than I ever wanted to know. The learning curve is extremely steep, so I do not recommend this game to anyone who doesn't have a great amount of patience or prior knowledge of the genre.
But boy oh boy, when you learn how to fly, you will never stop. It's a game of pure magic. One in which a simple task like taking off will just make you feel unprecedented joy every time you lift off. Few games give you so many feelings of accomplishment as IL-2, and that's why, for 10 bucks, it's a bargain unlike any other. But as I said, you will need time and patience to learn all of it's nooks and crannys.