Hi everyone. This is my first post here. Just ordered my copy of X-plane 9 after reading all the reviews and getting feedback from friends who have been flying it for a while. I have been involved in aviation on various levels including flying for the past 14 years and love every minute of it. Pitty I can't fly full time. I have also been flying FSX for the past 2 years and can't wait to try X-plane. There are 2 shortcommings I find in sims compared to real flying. Firstly I find situational awareness in sims are more difficult than in real flying. Secondly, and more importantly, real flying is mostly about the feel of the aircraft which one cannot duplicate in a home sim. In real flying one can "feel" the effect of the wind, drafts, runway etc on your aircraft and can react before you even see the impact on your flight. That is the part of flight training that is very important and also very difficult to copy to a sim. However, Sims are very valuable in training procedures and general flying awareness. It is also a lot of fun! Further can be more difficult to fly than in real life, specifically if one navigate VFR cross country. Sims are great aids to pilots in my humble opinion and can enhance the flight planning and experience. I am really looking forward to X-plane (hopefully in 2 weeks time).