John - I'd be interested to know why you think the Russian standard is better?
I have experienced a sky pointer and a bank pointer, the sky pointer always points towards the sky, the bank pointer remains stationary on the aircraft as the bank marks on the AI move.
I have also seen the Russian version where the ground appears to be on the top, I see them as three different systems. Initially I hated the sky pointer, as I was used to a bank pointer. That was until I was told the sky pointer always pointed to the sky, so in a bad attitude you can always roll towards it. My level of training was such that changing didn't take too long and I'm quite happy to swap between the two now, but I shudder to think how long it would take to transition to the Russian standard.
I take novices in a mobile simulator in a trailer and in full motion sims. sometimes in the trailer sim people say "oh, the controls work backwards" as they see themselves driving a screen, rather than being in an "aircraft" and driving that. In other words they see themselves moving the graphics. This has never happened in the full motion sim, for obvious reasons. I like the fact the horizon outside and the AI look the same, the Russian stuff looks very weird to me although unfortunately I haven't had the chance to fly in a Russian aircraft.
In an odd attitude, what makes the Russian standard better?