RE: Realflight G2 Simulator
In order for the simulator to work properly... It has to be setup properly... Try to get the settings as close to the actual heli you'll be flying... For instance, if you're using the SunDog, it's setup with -10 at the bottom 0 in the middle and 10 at the top... Most beginners would be running -2 +5 +10 instead... If this is the case setup the heli this way....
Also, take the simulator seriously... Fly it like you're flying a real model... I know you can simply hit the space bar and continue with a new heli, but if you treat it like if you'd crash, you'd lose $1000, you'll learn much faster.
The simulator won't teach you to fly per say... My dad has never flown a heli, but I put him on the sim and he upped the collective... The heli floated around in circles and never crashed... As long as he kept the collective up, it just floated around... eventually it got away from him, but it won't teach you everything... It will however teach you the controls... It will teach you reflex and it will teach you orientation....
The only other factor that makes the sim totally different from the real world... Fear.... I can kick *ss on the sim... I go out to the field and I'm very apprehensive about what I can and can't do. On the sim I fly real close, but when I see those blades spinning in real life, i want to keep that thing away from me as far as I can without loosing it visually. Also on the sim, I always fly behind the flight line, cause I could... nobody is going to die on the sim... In real life... you can't do it...
Keep it as real as possible and it will work out better for you. For me, I'm already used to breaking all the rules on the sim, so my curve is somewhat hindered... I can tell you though, a lot of the moves I've learned on the sim, are a hell of a lot easier on the real heli once they are mastered them.