Why 10 hours for a newbie and 30 days for a "programmer" ?

[Mark Brownell]

On Wednesday, September 1, 2004, at 09:55 AM, Marian Petrides wrote:

> The difference is that flight instruction is a structured learning 
> environment with literally one-on-one instruction from the CFI 
> (certificated flight instructor).

This is fun, just like hanger flying.

> A newbie to Dreamcard has to learn their way around the interface, get 
> a handle on the concept of stack/card/object and THEN try to use the 
> tool.  To be fair, I have not yet tried the video tutorials (except 
> for the first) but unless I miss my guess, while you are watching the 
> videos and trying to absorb what they are teaching, your 10 hour time 
> clock is ticking away.

Well that is either like taking off without the tail and rudder or 
worst leaving the airport on an empty tank. Is the only way to view the 
videos with Dreamcard?

>  You need time for the concepts to sink in before you can begin trying 
> to apply them.  Heck, since the only way to access the online dox is 
> to have the IDE running, you can't even print up a getting started 
> manual to look through offline without eating into your precious 10 
> hours.
>
> Back to the flight school analogy:   Try leaving the student pilot 
> with his ground school manuals, Microsoft Flight Simulator and an 
> airplane. Then tell him he has 10 hours to learn to fly the sucker. 
> Can he do it? Sure, if he's Chuck Yeager. Mere mortals with real jobs 
> and real family distractions, maybe not.
>
> M

That's an interesting analogy. You are expected to pass ground school 
before you take the less expensive version of flight-training. So 
knowledge of how to navigate, contact the tower, cross-wind components, 
FARs, weather, airport traffic procedures, flight-control uses, and 
maybe the exact flight characteristics of the training plane including 
the V-speeds for takeoff and the approach to a stall speeds are. What's 
missing is the instructor signing off on proving that the student can 
do it. Proffency can be tested in less than a half of an hour. Many 
times the student is not prepared for learning. In regards to Dreamcard 
it would be nice to have a ground-school for potential Dreamcard 
beginner programers. Then the ten hours would be more than adequate.

It has been reported that the airplane flew directly to the scene of 
the crash.

just my two touch&goes.

Mark