Hi Bob,
A really good free R/C simulator is FSM found at
http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/
No matter what you decide to get, FSM will give you a real good taste of what these R/C simulators can and can't do. It can be used with a mock TX box, joysticks or a cable adapter from your real TX box. For a free program it is very well made.
I have the Game Commander (mock transmitter box) and Easyfly combo ($80) and I am very happy with it. It also works very well with FSM. I am only interested in getting use to a TX box again and dusting off my orientation skills, so these low end ones work just fine for me. Tried both Realflight and Dave Brown's and could not swallow the price, but your mileage may very.

Take Care Amigo