BDS wrote:
Do I think either of them could do it for real just because they did it in
the office on the sim - nope, not a chance. What does this tell me? - just
because you can do it in the sim doesn't mean you can do it when it counts.

True, it doesn't mean you can't either, or that some sim time wouldn't
have helped.

Think of all the non-pilots who manage to get a plane down (with some
external guidance) when the pilot is incapacitated in-flight. My wife
refuses to learn to take flying lessons, but she's comfortable doing
emergency scenarios on the sim, and it makes me feel better knowing
that she has even "just" sim practice.

For that matter, who needs sims? I remember my first flight. The CFI
let me take off and fly. He landed the first time, then I took off
again and landed (without help) the second time. Much of that was dumb
luck (and zero winds ;-) but it happens all over the country every day.

The sim has its place for sure, but it will never replace actual experience.

I "gut feel' the same way, but I'm guessing that future sims will do so
a lot... partly because actual experience doesn't let you play out a
lot of dangerous scenarios. For example, I was surprised several
years back when I tried an engine-out in clouds in MSFS just for fun.
Guess what happened as I glided down? The AI slowly spun down and
tipped over, because of no engine vacuum! Holy moly, eye opener.
This is not something that happens in real-life practice sessions
because we don't actually shut down the engine.

Regards, Kev