All valid points. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about the new ATP requirements. Everyone's going to have to spend about $5k on the ATP-CTP now, and shopping around doing the practical in a light twin was going to cost me about the same especially needing to remove a centerline thrust restriction. Closest deal was Mil2ATP, maybe a few hundred less, but I was still gonna have to travel. Sky Warrior offers a similar deal. Bottom line is it's gonna be about $9k.
Correct, I have no delusions that time in the sim makes me better or anything like you said. But, it was a lot more fun and relevant flying a jet than a Seminole or something with lots of weird levers, haha.