2002 pro is perfect for honing stick skills, especially if using real world weather situations. Nothing like landing a learjet (or a Centurion Airlines craft
) in a 40mph cross winds on a 6,000 foot runway in foggy or storm conditions, leaving you only with instruments to rely on during your flight.
Although I too prefer space sims, I try to keep a balance between the space flight type sims and the aircraft sims that have real world flight physics. Once you master a sim such as MS 2002/2003, ANY space sim is a breeze. The advantage to MS flight sims is that you can use what you learned and apply that to the real world and become a real pilot (as I have). But I too like to get away from the real world and adventure off into some furball battle in a space fighter!
Grab a helicopter sim such as Commanche or Longbow and really give your stick skills a test. Or try the helicopter in the MS flight sim, see if you can hold a hover and maintain it in 30 mph or more winds! Fun!!! (watch out for that building on your right!)