Lookleft, I endorse what you say, both about fdr and the confusion and adrenaline surge when faced with a major emergency. Simulators can never induce what it feels like. We need several things on these forums. (1) More well informed words of wisdom such as those from fdr. (2) Less uninformed speculation by those with little or no experience of flying. (3) More sympathy for pilots faced with a real and totally unexpected emergency which is quite unlike anything they may have practised in the simulator.