<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">, I just want to practice my ILSs. There's so many keystrokes to learn on this program that I just don't have the time/enthusiasm for it and being a BALPA rep for the whole of last year didn't help either! I need something that I can start instrument flying on pretty quickly without spending three years reading the instructions/online help files!
</font>
Several thoughts. Almost everything can be operated by mouse, so that's a help, and although you can't do this in real life, to allow for the time needed to make changes that would happen in other ways on a flight deck, hit the pause while you make them.
Another thing that might help, you can save a MODE file, which does not have to be on the ground, it can be in the air, at 4 miles, or whatever, which will allow you to repeatedly fly the same approach as many times as you want,
If you want to make it "interesting", try setting the outside air temp to something low like 0, and the overcast to 10/10. ( Yeah I know, it should really be Octas), and then see what happens. If you also have a cross wind set up, it can get exciting!
There's several things in AS2 that make it a lot more realistic than most sims, especially in the area of flight dynamics, and navigation aids, ( it's still the only sim that can correctly model an offset DME, or an NDB DME combination correctly.)
I've used the professional networked version of this software to produce a research simulation that's being used by BAe for Human factors work, with a pretty close A320 flight model, and a lot of the systems being implemented as well, with the added advantage that we don't use a mouse or PC keyboard anywhere, it's all done using a special board from the States (EPIC) that means we can have illuminated switches and the like that work like the real thing, as well as things like multiple throttles, and the like.
Anyway, enough from me, try the mouse, and see if that makes any difference. It is worth the effort, the flight models of the "new" aircraft in there are worth the time it takes to get to know them.
FOr sure, you'll find that a good Yoke & Rudder pedals are essential, best supplier I can suggest in the UK is RC simulation at Bristol Airport (+44 1275 474550), they have pretty much the best there is on both software and hardware ( usual disclaimers!)
Cheers
Steve