My question: *Can anyone contrast this with MSFS or XPlane for this
purpose? *I'd be willing to invest in something better, but I don't have
the time to poke around for another simulator unless I know it will be
an improvement.

Thanks!
Tman


Tman
Not wanting to get into an ear bashing here as I know what a lot of
the guys here think of simulators ;-( but with the right add-on
software and hardware (flight controllers and yokes) coupled with FSX
it can be benificial i.e a good payware aircraft (you can get a huge
range and possibly the one you are training in like Cessnas,
Beechcraft and Pipers for G.A.) and a good weather generating program
like Real Environment Xtreme or Active Sky X helps immensely allowing
you to download current METARS or set your own conditions manually.
You can download a demo of FSX which is just around St Maarten area
and runs for 30mins to give you a TINY glimpse of what it can do. I
will STRESS though that 2 substantial patches have been released since
the demo was launched two years ago witch address performance issues
on low-mid specification pcs. FSX requires the latest fastest pc you
can get your hands on due to the cpu load required. The demo also has
their basic aircraft and environments which can be enhanced
substantially if you put the money into buying add-ons. Built in ATC
leaves a lot to be desired but virtual ATC is available with the likes
of VATSIM when logged onto their servers

Ibby