One thing about the realism that a lot of newbies miss is easily corrected.

Very often, the airplanes seem too stable in flight. That's because most of the airfields come up with no wind and no thermal activity. I've setup a couple of my favorite airfields to have bumpy air and it's very obvious how unrealistic the smooth air settings are by comparison. Try it. You might need to adjust it a bit but it's worth the little effort. It really does make the sim a simulation.