Charley,
Nice post.
If you use a joystick with a high spring force, fore and aft pitch forces can actually be reasonably simulated. You could go one step further and get one of the many "force feedback" controls, but i haven't tried them.
The problem with MSFS isn't with the program itself. it is that most people don't learn to fly using the right techniques. If someone taught him/herself to fly an aircraft (without killing himself) i wouldn't be suprised if he/she made the many mistakes that most 'desktop' pilots make.
I agree with your comments about maintaining climb attitude. My solution was to set a scattered cloud layer above me and to try to keep a cloud in a particular spot on the windshield (just like in the real thing), problem solved.
I think i'm going to start a pre-PPL flight sim course
. "save £1000s of your PPL"
. Its high time someone took a bit of business away from the old fashioned PPL training industry.
Capt. M