What the sims will do is reduce the number of crashes and damage to your plane. True, flying your plane will be different from the sim but it won't be the totally clueless experience it would have been without the sim training. Even FMS will improve your flying abilities as opposed to no sim at all. Trust me, I destroyed my first plane and heli several times trying to teach myself, then I discovered the forums and FMS. Cut my repair costs by 75%. I still crashed but much, much less. I have tried several sims, from freebies to $200+ ones and none of them are like the real thing. Nothing can duplicate your plane, your flying area and your weather. They all teach the basics that a beginner needs (IE: light fingers and orientation and control of a remote object). Just learning that the plane's left isn't always your left is a costly experience without a sim. Even FMS (freebie) will teach a newbie that and save money and tears. Some sims teach more than others. As you progress in flying you will find the limitations of what the sim can teach you. A beginner probably won't tell the difference between FMS and AFPD other than graphics but after a few weeks of flying the real thing the limitations of FMS will be apparent. I must note that I have FMS on every computer I use (even work) and use it more than any other sim I have or had (RFG4, Reflex, AFPD, Preflight, FS-One). Why? because it keeps my mind focused on the basics over the winter and rainy seasons.