You can’t have enough practice when it comes to safe flying.

Every thing you do helps. No matter who your instructor is, how well you learn depends on your aptitude, attitude, and diligence. Someday you might remember something very important when you are in a difficult situation.

Flight simulators have become more and more essential for good flight training.

Today’s common, inexpensive simulator programs are far and away better than even professional, FAA approved simulators of only a dozen years ago. You can get sophisticated control mechanisms like yokes and pedals, throttle quadrants, dual screens, and so on. Obviously you need real time in real aircraft, but if you use a flight simulator effectively combined with videos and books, your pilot education will be much better.

These days there is amazing technology and information sources to help you become a pilot.

On the top of that list is the use of a modern flight simulator.   The more complex the aircraft ( and more expensive ),the more time is spent learning in a simulator. Now, we don’t start training on a 737, so we don’t need a multi-million dollar simulator to get a private pilot certificate. Small planes, small simulators.

Here are just some of the many things you can do with a modern home flight simulator, like Microsoft’s FSX or for MAC computers:   X-plane

download real time weather data and fly in it.
fly to thousands of different airports,
“fly” hundreds of different aircraft types,
“fly” virtually in multiplayer real time “games”, sometimes with real certified traffic controllers hosting a virtual airport and talking online with other pilots.
Use real charts and “navigate” them with real instruments and aviation navigation beacons
Share your aircraft with other pilots in an online session.
….take turns “flying” the same plane.
Add additional, more detailed scenery for specific areas. See moving cars, trucks, boats, and other aircraft around as you as you fly.

Fantastic full motion simulator See www.redbirdflight.com