ORIGINAL: drube
I think it has changed for the better. While MANY people here on this forum believe you HAVE to have an instuctor because that's the way they had to do it, doesn't mean that sims don't work. Technology is a beautiful thing! We still help each other, old or young I don't think that will ever change.
If it wasn't for the sims I wouldn't be in this hobby. With my schedual it's almost impossible for me to get together with an instructor. I chose a sim, It worked and i'm flying.[img][/img] I continue to hone my skills by watching, talking to alot of people and asking questions.
I actually had been struggling to learn to fly collective pitch heli's (6ch +) for almost a year and a half on my own before I was able to able to get Phoenix set up on my iMac at home.
After one week on the sim (and no heli time), my very next flight's performance on my 50 sized nitro 3d helicopter was like night and day ....... SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier and 'natural' in feel thanks to the sim time I was able to get over that week.
While I agree that they will NEVER replace stick time on a real aircraft, they do help while trying to master particular points, as I'd have had to win the lottery To pay for all the aircraft I have crashed in the sim if they'd have been real, and to date, since getting the sim, I have not had a single issue with what I have tried to do with my real aircraft (have a .61 powered fixed wing trainer now too).
In a nut shell, they are a FANTASTIC tool that pay for themselves in no time (re less crashes) if used correctly in accordance with their design purpose, and secondly, if you want to be a total clown and do stupid stuff with them should the mood arise ..... they are a total blast when I have a few friends over (and I'm pushing 40 too!!)