Simulator Setup

Joystick Calibration

From my limited flying experience, I find the simulator to be more difficult to control than a real aircraft. Having the proper input devices will be a great help. A precise, self-centering joystick is the most important aspect. Make sure to calibrate the joystick under Settings->Joystick & Equipment. Press the "Calibrate Joystick Hardware" button and move all the controls through the full range of motion. Then you can assign the joystick buttons to have useful functions.

Rudder Controls

By default, your joystick will not control the rudder (yaw axis), so X-Plane will automatically link rudder movement with the ailerons (roll axis). For flying this is great, but it makes things more difficult for takeoff and landing. I suggest getting a set of rudder pedals, or using the "twist" axis on the joystick to control the rudder.

Transparent Panel

In my opinion, the single hardest aspect of simulator flying, compared to real flight, is the lack of peripheral vision afforded by the PC monitor. During the takeoff climb and landing round-out, you cannot see the horizon at all due to the instrument panel. Aside from an expensive mult-monitor setup, the next best solution is to press ; (semicolon) to make the panel semi-transparent so you can see the horizon at all times.

Disable Winds

Crosswind landings are fun, but not for beginners. Go to Settings->Weather and set the wind speeds to zero for your first flights.

Roads

Having some more streets and roads visible will help you navigate in the air, and make it easier to place objects. Under Settings->Rendering Options set "Number of Roads" to "Tons."

Version Notes

The good news is that you get free software updates when you purchase X-Plane. New functionality is added with minor versions. Unfortunately, when performing serious simulation work, it's not good to have things like the flight model change in the middle of your experiment! Therefore, I don't suggest updating X-Plane in the middle of a study unless you absolutely have to.