What Is FS2000 and Why Do Virtual Airlines List It?
FS2000 refers to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000, a flight simulator released in the late 1990s. It shows up in virtual airline compatibility lists because those lists often span the full history of Microsoft Flight Simulator versions that members have used. If you are flying today, FS2000 is mainly of historical interest — modern virtual airline activity centers on FS2004, FSX, Prepar3D, X-Plane, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
Where FS2000 Sits in the Flight Simulator Lineage
Microsoft's consumer flight simulator line runs roughly in this order:
| Simulator | Common shorthand | Era |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 | FS2000 | Late 1990s / 2000 |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 | FS2002 | Early 2000s |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight | FS2004 / FS9 | 2003 |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator X | FSX / FSX: Steam Edition | 2006 onward |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 | MSFS / MSFS 2020 | 2020 |
FS2000 is the oldest of these and predates the versions most virtual airlines actively support today. It is a separate product from FS2002, FS2004, FSX, and MSFS 2020 — not an add-on or a setting within them.
Why FS2000 Appears in Virtual Airline Compatibility Lists
Virtual airlines often publish a broad list of simulator versions to signal which platforms their members have flown over the years. Delta Virtual Airlines, for example, describes itself as a group of flight simulation enthusiasts flying Delta Air Lines and alliance partner routes, and its site lists simulator support spanning Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004, Flight Simulator X (including Steam Edition), Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, Lockheed-Martin Prepar3D v1–5, and Laminar Research X-Plane 10/11/12. FS2000 and FS2002 appear among the site's keywords alongside those newer platforms.
That kind of listing serves a few purposes:
- Historical record — it reflects the full range of sims the community has used since the early 2000s.
- Search and discovery — older sim users searching for a VA may still find the site.
- Legacy membership — long-time members may have started on FS2000-era software.
It does not automatically mean the airline's current flight-reporting tools work with FS2000. Compatibility depends on the specific reporting system (for example, ACARS-style clients or manual flight reports) and whether it can read data from that simulator.
Is FS2000 Relevant to You Today?
- If you fly FS2004, FSX, Prepar3D, X-Plane, or MSFS 2020 — FS2000 is not relevant to your setup. Focus on whether the VA supports your actual simulator and reporting tool.
- If you are curious about flight sim history — FS2000 is a milestone release worth knowing about, but it is not a practical platform for current virtual airline flying.
- If you actually run FS2000 — check with the specific virtual airline before joining, because modern flight-reporting clients are unlikely to support a simulator that old. Manual reporting may be the only option, if it is offered at all.
What to Check Before Joining Any Virtual Airline
Rather than relying on a keyword list, verify these points directly:
- Supported simulators — does the airline explicitly list the version you fly?
- Flight reporting method — is it an automated client (ACARS-style) or manual PIREP submission?
- Client compatibility — does the reporting tool state which sims it can read?
- Activity requirements — some airlines require regular flights to stay on the roster.
Delta Virtual Airlines states that once you join its active pilot roster, you can submit flight reports and contribute to discussion forums and the image library — so the practical question is whether your simulator and reporting method fit its current system, not whether FS2000 appears in a keyword list.