#1. You can use a flight sim to "pre-fly" a route to an unfamiliar airport. As you approach the airport using the simulator you can get a feel for the approach patterns, and how the airport is situated to a nearby town, a lake, or other physical features. If the simulator you're using is detailed enough, you might experience a strong sense of deja vu when you actually fly to the airport for the first time.
#2. Pilotage is becoming a lost art in this age of GPS. This is flying without reference to instruments, and prepares you for the day when the GPS suddenly goes on the fritz, and there are no VOR's you can track. With your simulator, choose a destination, plot a compass course, calculate the wind vectors, and see how close you can come to your intended destination using only time and airspeed.
#3. Use an airplane simulator to practice instrument procedures. If you don't have an IFR license, it's likely that the last time you flew without ground reference was when you were first training for your private pilot license. Being able to control a plane without reference to the ground can save your life if you suddenly find yourself in the clouds, or in a thick layer of smoke from a forest fire. Use a flight simulator to practice choosing two VORs to cross-track to a particular IFR intersection. Then concentrate on maintaining your stick and rudder coordination as you make shallow turns without ground reference.
#4. Many pilots wait too long in the landing sequence before electing to "go around." The winds might have shifted, or an animal might have wandered onto a rural runway. By practicing go-arounds on a simulator, you can get the feel for the correct procedures in your aircraft, and establish them as habits. Do you raise the landing gear first, and then the flaps? One or two notches of flaps? How fast can you climb to avoid a 75-foot obstacle at the end of the runway?
#5. Emergency procedures can be expensive and even a little dangerous to practice in your real aircraft, especially if you're doing low-level engine out procedures. With an airplane simulator, you can choose an airport, close the throttle, and see if you can put the plane "on the numbers."
Then, set up a simulated cross-country flight. From a common cruising altitude -- say 3,000 feet above ground level (AGL) -- simulate an engine out situation. How do you set up for the best glide speed? Are there clues as to the wind direction? Choose a potential landing spot and head for it. Can you successfully spiral or glide down to a chosen approach point, and then reach your intended landing spot, or do you overshoot or undershoot? Do the same practice from other flight elevations, such as 2,000 feet or 1,500 feet AGL.
Get an airplane simulator that includes plane similar to the one(s) you fly, and also make sure that it can simulate changing weather conditions. Then use it to keep your flying skills sharp, and develop smooth, established responses to emergency situations. You'll save money, avoid bending your real airplane, and become a safer pilot.
Gary MacFadden is a licensed pilot and a flight simulator [http://www.eairplanesimulator.com] enthusiast. He has published widely on flying topics including licensing requirements and biennial flight reviews. Visit [http://www.eairplanesimulator.com] for a free video on what to look for in your next airplane simulator.
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