Hello everyone, new guy here. can any tell me if it is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY to have simulator training for heli training. is it possible to learn with out a sim. I have rc planes/boats/cars and i know heli's are the most difficult. are these sim trainers a MUST. If so who makes the best one.

thanks in advance, greg

I wouldn't say they are a "MUST", but they are definitely something that you "SHOULD" have. They will save you a lot of money in the long run. If it saves you from one crash, it's paid for itself.
As for the best sim, it all depends on who you talk to. My opinion, AFPD, G3 and Reflex are about the best sims out there. I like Reflex, but that's just the one that I have, I'm sure the other ones are good to. Here is a picture of a heli in Reflex (Raptor 90).

You can pay now are you can pay later!!! Like Charlie said, no you don't but trust me the $200.00 or so you spend on a SIM will pay for it self. This is even truer in the early stage of learning because it's not if you crash but how many times you will crash.

It's not as important if you plan to start with a FP but with a CP where every crash will cost you something and time to rebuild.

Tony