Calling All "Real Pilots" for advice

[Cafguy]

I am going to take My I.F.R. Training classes- Not for real life- but just to advance my simulator Pilot Career and aviation knowledge.
BUT What classes do you pilots recommend? Did you use a simulator for a lot of your training or to stay "current"? I am using MSFS 2020
Keep in mind I would like to do the actual real-time work- But I am constrained by any limitations of the Sim. [ No Bonanza in the Garage ]
Also I have the cockpit with Radio's and A.P. but I ain't gonna fork over for an external Garmin nxi G1000, or the external 6-pack. So I will be using the on-screen ones as much as I am limited ? by them.
I will also be using VatSim as my A.T.C.

Any other advice would be helpful. I have been "faking" I.F.R. on the sim for awhile now I wanna get it all right.

 

[Dogpilot]

As a long time pilot, nearly 50 years and a several thousand hours, around 1000 in actual IFR. First the sim needs to be much more aircraft real than just a computer screen. Buttonology is important and you need at times to have the tactile feedback and be able to access it without looking at it, Radio freq, HDG bug and so on. Sims are only good for about a third or less of your training time in actual practice. You need the physical feedback and disorientation that the actual aircraft will give you. Sims are great to refine your procedures and many of the repetitive items you need to do. Nothing replaces lousy controllers, not being able to get a word in edgewise or being sent to some random waypoint in the LA Control zone on a really busy day. The randomness of the real world will make you an IFR pilot that can do it. It is not a calm video game out there. Yeah, the Nxi upgrade is totally worth it, swapped it into my personal airplane last year.