Here is a goldmine of early IL2 server information, a screenshot of IL2 Connect showing the last servers it was connected to probably during late 2002/early 2003. IL2 Connect was software like Hyperlobby that pulled up servers from around the world and let you connect to them:
I spent a long, long time flying on Aviar's dogfight server, and I remember the virtual pilot "Bogey" used to like flying the P-40 when it first came out.
I had no established system for using my views when I first started flying IL2 in the winter of 2001/2002, I used to use the keyboard number-pad to look around and this was very limiting. So I used to just fly low and fast on Aviar's server in the 109G6A/S and wait to find a target that was in front of me I could make a passing shot at. Once I had the Mk108 Gunpods on this 109 and saw a furball up ahead and thought "here is my chance to help". I flew towards it and opened up on a target thinking I was saving someone on "Blue" team, but actually I blew one of my own team out of the sky. It is what noobs do......