One of the main problems you'll run into here (I know I have been down the same road) is that the actual bulk of flying is mind-numbingly boring.....MS Flight Sim in all it's many versions is by far and away the best but the only real action comes in the bit's that you say you don't want i.e. taking off and landing.....believe me when I say as much as you think flying around and swooping about will be fun the novelty wears off after a while if you have nothing else to do up there.......What MS FS does is to provide you with the most realistic version of what a typical passenger flight from say heathrow to john lennon would be like and for the most of the journey it's boring.
PS save yersel a few bob and download a version from WinMX and try it out rather than blow �30 on the new version from the shop to perhaps discover you don't like it.