Do sim pilots log their time?

Do sim pilots log their simulator time? Is so, why?

I know this post was meant tongue-in-cheek, but now that we've had the
"Kiwi" up and running for a few weeks (see it he
http://alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm ) I've had some good
experience watching real pilots "fly" a good simulator.

Interestingly, even though I personally find the sim experience to be
quite realistic, some of the best sticks I know have great difficulty
landing. One fellow in particular is inexplicably having no luck
landing the sim, despite thousands of hours of flight experience.

Just to illustrate his expertise as a pilot, he participated in the
National Air Tour in '04, and also in this past summer's Barnstormers
Tour. He flew wildlife-counting flights for the National Park Service
out West until last year, and has owned and flown literally dozens of
aircraft.

To say he is a "good stick" is an understatement.

Yet, even when I downloaded his current aircraft, and set him up at his
home airport, he was not able to land on the runway. The only thing I
can think of is that he apparently flies his real aircraft "by feel"
more than most of us do, and the simulator obviously is lacking in
"feel", since it is not a full-motion sim.

On the other hand, most average pilots have no difficulty landing. And
a fair number of non-pilots are able to do at least as well as the
fellow I describe, above, who always makes it to the airport but never
lands successfully on the runway.

It will be interesting to see if the new computer system I've ordered
-- which will help to make the sim experience as realistic as possible
-- helps the situation, or if it's strictly a motion-related problem
that can't be resolved.

And, no, I'm not logging the time in the Kiwi...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"