Clark writes:

A book does not equal a simulator.

Actually it does. It describes flying without actually allowing a person to
experience it. The distinction in this debate is between the alleged unique
and essential character of real experience vs. simulation of real experience.
Simulation can take many forms, and is not found only in the form of a desktop
PC program. Reading about something is simulation. So is an instructor's
illustration with paper and pencil or with a model airplane. If simulation
with a PC cannot be adequate, then neither can anything else.

However, the reality is that simulation is fine. The closer it is to reality
and the more accurate it is, the more useful it is, but anything that
simulates with any accuracy at all is always useful.

The apology is in order for claiming that you know better than the folks
who have gone before you when you haven't made the journey yourself.

I owe nothing to them, and I feel no obligation to preserve or inflate their
egos. I merely discuss aviation. Other people are names on a screen. I
evaluate what they say by comparing it to what I read and learn from other
sources. When I see high correlations, I assume that I'm getting accurate
information. When I see large conflicts, I assume that someone or something
is wrong. To me it's all facts and information, not personalities. I'm sorry
if some people are so insecure that they cannot sustain a conversation without
constant praise and validation, but that is their problem, not mine.

Everything about flying the aircraft requires an instructor present until
you solo.

Why?

Why do you claim that?

Actually, I consider it self-evident.

Tell ya what, survey practical simulator use in
flight training (or just about any training) and get back to us on how many
simulators are used without instructors present.

People use simulators with instructors mainly so that they can officially log
the hours in some way, not because simulators are not useful without
instructors. Part of the instructor's role is just to verify that the student
really is using the simulator.