You are right on.
For many years I have been a Flight Simulator enthusiast and I have found a way to share that with others.
I am a member of EAA Chapter 99 in Vero Beach, Florida. The chapter has invested in a simulator running Microsoft Flight Simulator X and I maintain and operate it for the chapter.
Although it is not full motion, it does have a large main monitor, a second smaller display for a moving map, a yoke, separate throttle segment, an operable swithch panel, rudder pedals and a unit that imparts engine and runway vibrations into the pilots seat. Also we run photographic scenerey of our area so users can sometimes even find their neighborhoods and homes.
We use this simulator at our learn to fly Saturdays, Aviation Day at the airport, and at other aviation related functions all during the year.
Kids and adults alike love it. There is always a waiting line, and we have had hundreds take it for a turn around the pattern.
While it is not the real thing, it is an affordable way to give them a taste of what flying is all about and hopefully light a fire in some of them to become our pilots of tommorow.
Every flight instructor knows the airplane is the worlds worst classroom. Simulators, and other training devices have proven their value in training. It is the place a student can get the "feel" of the new environment, learn about the checklist use, be introduced to procedures, develope a sense of the timing an aircraft requires, and so on. An instructor can allow a student to make mistakes that could never be allowed in the aircraft. With simulator training integrated in the flight training curriculum, the student will have the best understanding possible.