Where else can you get things horrendously wrong, reset, start again, put it right, practise again and perfect the technique. Then have several people give you opinions and advice, go and practice again, find your own niche, and then have people ask you how to do it. Cheaper than paying for gas/airtime. Great fun trying different things, landing in different weathers (in and out of limits), different configs and at least if you get a decent sim and instructor, he will throw things at you willy nilly, including other aircraft..... I actually enjoy my sim check preparations but the actual sim check is conducted exactly as a flight including ATC from the guy sitting in the back.
