"Dave" wrote in message
news:aNq%c.1509$sS4.87@trndny03...

Although your motorcycle skills and experience would most certainly
have
had a positive effect on accelerating the learning process in the
airplane, the actual effect of flying a desktop simulator would have
limited effect. It's true that the simulator would have taught you
the
basic DIRECTION of movement for each control, and that would be a
positive, but for the actual purpose of flying an airplane, it's
PRESSURES and RATES that are the pertinent factors, NOT direction!



This has made me rethink a little. My time windsurfing surely helped
in
this regard.

--
Dave A

I'm sure it did. Students coming into flight training with a good
background in sports; normal or better reasoning skills; and a high
positive motivation based on positive incentive are very easy to work
with and train.
Surprisingly enough, a background in aviation related subjects can be
either an asset or a liability depending on exactly what has been
absorbed. It's a complete toss up in this area until the instructor
discovers what can be used and what has to be changed. Some of the most
difficult students I ever had, brought prior aviation knowledge into the
learning curve with them that was flawed...but as I said, it can be an
asset as well. The problem is that prior aviation knowledge has to be
evaluated by the instructor and this takes time away that could have
been spent in more productive ways.
All things considered, I much preferred the student coming in cold in
the aviation knowledge department and heavy in the other attributes I
mentioned.
Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship

Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship