ORIGINAL: Chucksolo69
That is debatable. Getting real airtime is IMHO a hell of a lot better than sitting in front of a PC trying to learn to fly a model heli. BTW, spent $99.00 on the mCX and was able to pass it down to my brother in pristine condition. Nothing compares to the real thing. That's just like trying to learn how to shoot a .45 automatic playing ''Medal of Honor'' or some other stupid video game. It ain't gonna happen.
That's actually a pretty horrible analogy. A better analogy might be learning to shoot a .45 automatic by playing medal of honor with a .45 automatic controller, or maybe even the actual .45 you'll be shooting hooked straight into the system. Even that's not a very good analogy, because you wouldn't use a war "simulator" to help you learn to shoot a gun. In all likelihood, the simulator to help you shoot would just be a firing range, or shooting clay pigeons.
I agree with Sigma. It's not the same as real life, but it helps you get a feel for what you'll be up against.