Birdog writes:

The discussion on simulators was interesting in many aspects. Since being
grounded some 20 years ago (medical), I've tried substitutes - radio control
and computer simulators - and found them sorely lacking, if not downright
boring.

How far have you gone with simulation, and what type of flying did you do
before you were grounded?

There's a very wide range between the simplest flight simulation (which would
probably be Google Earth or the Easter egg inside, I think, Excel), and the
best certified, full-motion simulators used for loggable training and
practice. It depends mainly on how much money you want to put into it. The
more you spend, the greater the realism.

The degree to which you can gain satisfaction from simulation depends also on
what part of flying you like best. If physical sensations are the best part
for you, it's going to be hard to get that from simulation. If procedures are
the part you like, you can simulate that pretty effectively.

What medical condition grounded you?

Also, do you ever fly with someone else as PIC?

However, while playing with the simulator, I could not help but
grieve that it was not available back in the days when I was burning time
and fuel in IFR training - basically learning to scan the instruments until
it became virtually instinctive. So, while I get a little peeved when a
computer jock starts arguing with active pilots, their questions sometimes
elicit interesting discussions, and I do think these $75.00 programs have a
valuable (and cheap) place in flight training.

Would you expect a computer jock to get peeved when pilots start talking about
computers?