On Apr 4, 6:41*pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
writes:
Other than you don't have airplanes, big birds, loose balloons and other
assorted objects appearing out of nowhere, the aircraft isn't bouncing
around in turbulance while you try to maintain attitude and altitude,
there are no other people in the aircraft trying to talk to you,
there is a pause button so you can take a leak anytime you need to,
and there are no real world consequences to any of your actions, it is
just like the real thing.

Most of these things have no influence on ATC communication.

You are absolutely wrong on this. In some cases, dead wrong.
External distractions (real life turbulence, watching the restricted
airspace around you, overlapping ATC comms, other planes buzzing all
around etc etc etc) can turn a decent student pilot into a panicked
ball of jelly wondering how he will clean up his pants if/when he
lands safely. When ATC talks, you can get so flustered that you don't
know what they said. Been there, done that. That will never, ever,
ever happen to you sitting at the monitor killing time before Sesame
Street comes on.