Pair X-Plane with PilotEdge, and you've got something that can help you with your radio skills so that you can effectively communicate with ATC. So many pilots go without flight following (asking ATC to watch your path and notify you of things you should be aware of) simply because they are afraid of the radio.
Completely agree about stick/rudder skills though...
Is anyone doing anything akin to a direct drive system for HOTAS force feedback? That would be incredible.
I have TM's Warthog system which is presently collecting dust due to lack of triple screen support (Nvidia Simultaneous Multi-projection or SMP, AMD has nothing) - in my space/flight titles, but hopefully not forever.
It's not anywhere able to convey forces affecting the plane in the way my DD steering wheel system does for driving. The feedback I get there combined with transducers is truly sensational, especially once you've had the time to become attuned. I'm becoming half competent now and it's an amazing thing to be able to do from the home.
Whilst there might be limited stuff to simulate in higher end fbw planes, for anything hydraulic there ought to be some options. I once had a Microsoft FFB joystick but considerable time had passed since.
There are sticks, yokes and even rudder pedals with FFB, from a couple different vendors (for example the ones made by the Swiss company Brunner) but they cost thousands. Unfortunately, AFAIK, there is nothing in the lower cost segment.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if someone could license brand names like Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Cirrus, Garmin, or Cessna and sell reasonably priced panels mimicking instrument panels of those makers with their help?
An LCD touchscreen and a plastic overlay would do wonders and still be a reasonable compromise.
Completely agree about stick/rudder skills though...