- Ball link plyers (makes it easier to snap/unsnap the links)
- incidence meter (I used my flying buddy's for a while, then got my own)
- blade balancer (still use my friends) - don't tend to crack up the blades as much as everything else
- talking stop watch. I use a Radio Shack one for $10.
- training gear
- crash kit - typically involves rotor and tail rotor parts

I heard some guy built his training gear out of fiber rods (arrow-type material) and they went into oscillation and brought his chopper down!. I'm sticking to wood dowels.

It's awfully nice when you crash, and you will, unless you've done 100 hours on a sim) to have some spare parts and not always have to go to the hobby store. When I got my used Hirobo Shuttle Zx 30, it came with a box of parts. It really helped to keep the momentum going.

This site is worth looking at for a set of maneuvers to practice on the sim:

http://ircha.org/ppp.html

By the way, are you for real "Guys I want to know everything you guys know." or just form another part of the country. (Don't mind me, I know the Celtics don't have a chance and finding hard to cope). I hope you're not pulling all our respective legs. Doesn't seem like it.

By the way, I crash every 5th time out or so. I'm learning to get real conservative. Been flying for 3 months, fixed wing since 1975. It's humbling but an absolute blast. Wouldn't trade it for the world.