However the cost at the moment is sometimes astronomical. The sim providers need to help out!
That is reasoning the wrong way around.. The sim providers are hurting because their production is way down. They do the right thing: keep prices and quality at the same levels (well sort off) The problems we have as an industry is that the guys that fly with us as PAX made money by being sharp negotiatiors and looking for quick wins ie a low price. It is the the weakest who is the most desperate with the lowest price who gets the business. But that does not mean we should lower our standards because of this!
The answer: the JAA and CAA should be tougher on those who do not their LPC and OPC on the aircraft full stop.
ps the reason why some sims are pathetically expensive is not so much the TRTO like CAE or FSI but the Aircraft manufactureres like Bombardier and Embraer who make a killing selling the perf data to the Sim manufacturer... A Lear sim can be double the cost of a 73 sim because of that
