I say this as I complete my mandatory annual simulator training and ground school. Every year, every airline pilot must complete refresher training. We don't necessarily want to do it as it forces us out of the cockpit and into a classroom and simulator, not to mention having to study and brush up on things. But I ALWAYS walk away from this training smarter and better prepared.
I have been an aviator for a very long time (thirty-five years to be precise). I have flown in the military and as a commercial airline pilot. One thing that I have become aware of, is how quickly things can go wrong. The very worst things I have seen have all been in a simulator. The outcome was never in doubt; I would go home after the session. I would go home wiser and better prepared for many things that can actually go wrong, but fortunately, rarely occur when out flying the line (that's pilot speak for actually flying passengers).
We need smarter pilots, not just pilots building time towing banners, flight instructing (though instructing is an excellent way to build time, students are always trying to kill you!) or simply droning around in the sky. Simulators these days are amazingly realistic and can replicate things that we hope we never see. Most of them include full motion, HD graphics and can replicate any airport and scenario.
Most of us (commercial airline pilots) have a love/hate relationship with "sims." The sim can humiliate you very quickly. Pilots are a tad cocky. Humility is a good thing and keeps everything in perspective. I jokingly call the simulator the "Humiliator," but over the years I have learned to embrace it and I always walk away from a "Humiliator" session a wiser and better pilot. I am always learning, even at my age, because when you stop learning, you essentially stop living. As a pilot, that can be literal as well as virtual. Trust me, there were times when I virtually stopped living in the simulator when the screen turned red, indicating a crash. Fortunately, in the sim, I had plenty of extra "lives."
