Home flight simulators - Good or bad idea for a trainee pilot?

[Builds By Baz]

It's been recommended by some in my path and shrugged off by others.

 

As a trainee pilot with less than three hours of flying experience, Is it a good idea this early to have a flight sim at home for practice and familiarity?

 

I used to have Microsoft flight simulator back in 2006, with a Saitek joystick and throttle control, but I had no idea what I was doing and didn't keep it long.

 

If they are a good idea, what would I need? Stick or yoke, rudder and brake pedals, power and choke? How close are they to the real thing when it comes to learning and practice?

 

Where would I get one of so? I am learning to fly, so obviously cash is important right now, so are there second-hand ones that would fit the bill?

 

Baz.

[rgmwa]

I’m sure you will get lots of opinions. I don’t think they help much for flying because you don’t get the seat of the pants sensations, noise and movement of a real aircraft to develop your sight picture and coordination. I think the time and cost would be better spent on lessons and studying the books. 

Edited 10 hours ago by rgmwa

[Ian]

I think that it's worthwhile but not quite in the way that you expect. Flying is quite easy but like learning to drive it takes time and it's full of things that can bring you undone.
If you can afford it - go with a flight sim with a 3D headset, this helps you with your spatial awareness and get a yoke, joystick pedals to make it as real as possible. What it might be worth doing is to chip in with a few other trainee pilots because you're not going to be doing this 24/7, but it is way way cheaper than flying.
Can you cut 5 hours of training time off - yes definitely. 

 

What flight sims can do is assist with the muscle memory, radio calls and spatial awareness, when is a good time to turn base, I've lost power, what are the steps I go through. 
Because it is so much cheaper even if it's not as effective as being in a plane you can do the rough cutting on a sim and polish in the plane.

 

Like you, I don't really enjoy using a sim, but it is a useful tool. 

If they weren't useful airlines and the military wouldn't use them.