Hello.
I have just turned 14, and I have been using FS2002 seriously since October 2002. I have around 750 hours in my logbook, with 380 of those being with BA Virtual.
So, the original question: Is FS too real?
Firstly, I'm guessing you havent seen the previews of the new version, of which I am a beta tester for. The whole FS world has changed so dramatically over the last two years, it's unbelievable.
When i flew to AMS last July on KLMuk, I visited the Captain before the flight. I asked him if he had flown anything else comercially, he said he'd flown the 734. Click. The Dreamfleet 737 is a package with crew calls, FA Calls, a damm realistic panel and sounds, with an equally good visual model.
When i asked the Captain if he had heard of Dreamfleet, he said he had. He said that it was basically spot on compared to the real thing. Just goes to show exactly how far it has come.
One other factor could be 3rd party sceneries. As you FS flyers will know, the default MS sceneries that come with the game are basic to say the least. The add-on sceneries for Heathrow, Los Angeles, Frankfurt etc that are a mixture of pay and freeware add to the realism.
Personally, I find it very easy to land a 767 in FS. Simply set the ILS up, leave it in until 1000ft, take everything out, switch to the Captains perspective landing view, and then keep her at a good angle, retard the throttles and then raise the nose one or two degrees and bang - welcome to Heathrow.
I have been talking to a Britannia 757/767 pilot recently, I told him about all the various things we have available to us. Like the monthly AIRAC cycle updates, Flight planning website which calculates fuel, time, maps etc.
VATSIM (The online ATC thing) adds to the realism again. For example, you can EGLL_V_TWR, Heathrow voice tower, even the instructions they give are based on the real world. Same with all the SID and STAR procedures in the FMC with PSS addons & 767PIC etc.
Say ATC said : Speedbird 999, be level 7000ft, 5nm before Biggin." All a PIC pilot would have to do is to make an arc on the display by going to the FIX page of the FMC, putting the FIX in, then the '/5' for the arc distance, then adjust the FMC to automatically calculate the descent, or use the VS - simple.
I wish there was a TV programme too, it'd be awesome to see the comparison between the two.
Henry