This thread's subject was fixed a little bit; you had put F-16 instead of F-19. 😉

F-19 will select PC speaker (internal) sound by default on non-Tandy systems, and Tandy sound by default on Tandy systems, unless a sound option is specified on the command line when running the game. As such, it's possible that the Steam release's conf file for the game is selecting AdLib sound, and you're getting that even when changing DOSBox's machine type to Tandy.

Look in the [autoexec] section of the conf file, or in a .bat file if the [autoexec] is running one, and check if the command is "f19" or "f19 /aa".

Sound option parameters (don't specify one to get the default as described above):
/aa - selects AdLib
/ab - selects Innovation
/ai - selects Internal (PC speaker)
/ar - selects Roland
/at - selects Tandy

Notes:
- Innovation sound is not available in official DOSBox, but it is in some unofficial builds, such as Daum SVN.
- Roland sound requires an external MT-32 synth or the MUNT emulator, and you have to install the driver from MPSROL.ZIP (see here).
- It's possible to use Tandy sound on non-Tandy machine types in DOSBox using the tandy=on setting.

That was the ticket. Steam was running it with /AA. I switched it to /AT and... well, it's not quite the same, still sounds a bit too low and not quite tinny enough (hey, those speakers weren't actually very good in the day either), but it's the music I remember now. Thank you very, very much.

Edit: Unfortunately, I'm getting a pair of other issues. The Steam forum is basically dead for this game, so any additional help I can get I would truly appreciate.

First, the =+ key does not seem to want to work. All the other keys function, even -_ but I cannot get the =+ to work. And, since that's the key that ups the throttle, I'm basically stuck on the runway unable to do anything.

Secondly, and I remember this one from back in the day: It's not saving my profile. I do remember that even back then that it didn't want to actually save your character's data (name, service record), unless you had the original disc in. A layer of copy protection, perhaps. This version is doing the same thing. Every time I load up, it's the default records.

Any useful advice for these two problems?

The + key to increase throttle and saving to ROSTER.FIL are working here.

I'm not familiar with the Steam release; which version of F-19 do they distribute? When you start the game it should say Version 453.0X -- the version I have is 453.02, but supposedly it goes up to 04.

The game does have documentation-based copy protection, but not physical disk protection AFAIK. It will refuse to write to ROSTER.FIL if the current drive volume label is "I(heart)F19A", which is the original first disk label, but that is a safety to preserve the original roster file contents and should not apply to an installed copy of the game.

Does the Steam release appear to be cracked? I mean, do you have to answer the "Aircraft Identification Exam" correctly, or has the exam been bypassed or modified to accept any answer?

435.04. Yes, 35, not 53. Not a typo this time.

And, yes, it's a version that bypasses the exam, automatically says correct. The game does have a .pdf of the manual, hell I have the actual manual in a box somewhere, but they decide to skip it.

I upgraded to .04, and have no problems playing the game. My pilot became KIA in ROSTER.FIL after getting blown up. In the uncracked game, failing to answer the exam correctly prevents you from doing anything but a training mission.

Because F-19 works fine for me, I recommend you take your further issues to the Steam support forum. If nothing else, maybe you can get an unmodified copy of the game for your trouble, which is what Steam should be distributing in the first place.

Well, I do appreciate the help you were able to offer. Thank you very much.

There are still things you can try: install official DOSBox 0.74 and run the game with a default config, instead of what Steam includes; check if DOSBox is registering the =/+ key when you type it at the command prompt, etc. The general idea is to see if there's something going on with DOSBox or with the game.