Falcon 4 is a very enjoyable flight sim. It does simulate things to a very in-depth level, but you should bear in mind that it has many options to make this simpler, and so, you can 'ease yourself into it'. I would recommend concentrating on one type of mission, and using all the weapons suitable for that mission type, then trying another mission type, then another, as a good way to learn it. You'll be surprised how many of the systems seem familiar, since this kind of high-tech stuff is that makes the news, and you will have heard of a lot of the things in it, and be familiar with what they are, and what they do. Especially if you've watched news reports on the Gulf War etc.
Sites such as Frugal's World, are useful for learing all the bits and pieces of how it all works, and you should also note that even though the 'Allied Force' version does have just a small paper manual (unlike the original Falcon 4 which had a printed 500 page one), there is still a PDF version of the update 'full manual' in F4 Allied Force and it is a very good read if you want to learn what everything does.
One pleasing thing that you should be aware of, is that the F-16 is a very easy aircraft to fly, this is so that the pilot can concentrate on using it and its systems to best advantage. This means that you do not have to be 'The Red Baron Reincarnated' to fly some missions successfully in it. I suspect that with a few hours play, you will have no trouble at all flying the thing fifty feet off the deck all the way to the target and back if you want to (won't do much for your fuel consumption though LOL).
F4AF runs great on most computers with very high frame rates and is a blast online with a buddy as your wingman too. But more importantly, it has what is without doubt the most comprehensive dynamic campaign of any simulator anywhere ever, with more custom options than you can shake a stick at. I doubt if there will ever be another simulation of this nature which is as good. So if you like the idea of planning something along the lines of the entire Gulf War by yourself, you really can have a go at this kind of thing, and bloody good fun it is too, as well as being quite educational in realising how hard something like that really is to achieve! You can ignore this aspect if you like though, and have it generate missions for you while you just jump in the cockpit and fly them if you prefer.
F4AF is definitely worth the money, but like a lot of things, it requires a bit of effort to get the best out of it. But it is when you do that, that you realise just how great it really is. You will definitely not be bored with the challenges it offers, that's for sure.
Chock