I had the opportunity last year to spend an hour in a Chinook simulator, with a standards guy in the left hand seat, and another standards guy acting as crewman.
After some initial collective pumping, it felt pretty straightforward to fly - mind you that was probably the AFCS, rather than me !! I got to try some general wazzing, an auto, formation flight and some sling load pickups and drops - one to take the aircraft weight to just under max. All good fun - now, where can I get my hands on the money required to buy that simulator mouldering up in Scotland ?