William Black writes:

No, it's like saying that anyone who has driven any car knows a great
deal more about driving than someone who has played driving games on a
personal computer, no matter how sophisticated.

But that is also an incorrect statement.

If only real flying experience were important, then nobody would ever use
simulators. In fact, if someone wants to fly a 747, he is better off flying a
simulator of a 747 than he is flying a Cessna 152. While the simulation isn't
the same as flying a 747 for real, it's a lot closer than the real-world
experience of a Cessna 172 would be.