That is a very good question.

The FAA actually allows 50% of the students number training hours for instrument rating allowed to be done on a simulator. That's a huge percentage. Also there are actual lives at stake as well. So if the FAA will allow 50% of instrument training to be done on a sim for transporting humans, why not 100% for RC?

I think it's quite obvious that Tower thinks the simulator can replace the trainer. Why else would their ads for the simulator come before the trainers in every one of their ads or catalog.

If you train right on the sim and confident personality, there is no reason to use a buddy box now if you have a lot of good hours on the sim. I'll be the first to admit that I learned to fly on G2 and never used a buddy box. I spent 3 weeks on it. Bought a trainer, went flying with no probs at all.