From a desktop sim?
Yeah you can practice those things on them, but it's not going to give you a true to life response and feel as the airplane would. Especially pilotage, dead reckoning and pattern work. Those things cannot be taught on a home sim.
How is that? I was taught all my basic maneuvers in an FAA-approved sim and practiced them at home on my own sim. Yeah, you don't get the seat-of-the-pants sensation but that's really it.
For instance, when I did steep turns, I took my CFI's advice and practiced lining the horizon up on designated spot on my cowl for both left and right steep turns. My next training flight, I nailed my steep turns.
When I did departure stalls, I intentionally stalled uncoordinated and practiced picking up the wing with opposite rudder.
When I did S-Turns and Turns on Point, I changed my view to look out the side window and practiced maintaining the position of my wingtip relative the wind and my position.
When I practiced Lost Procedures, I was able to practice dialing up cross radials to triangulate my position.
When I was doing dead reckoning I practiced my visual check points even evaluating time and distance using a wind triangle.
For emergency procedures, I simulated vacuum failure, engine fires, fuel system failures, alternator failures.
When I needed to bone up on crosswind landings, I used my sim and I still do.
Of course all this stuff needs to be performed in a real airplane, but for practicing and firming up learned skills taught by a CFI, it beats the hell out of chair flying.
Of course if you want, you can also set up your sim to be just a game where you fly around and buzz the Statue of Liberty and I suppose most simmers do just that. But if you set up your sim as a tool and use it as such it can be incredibly powerful.
