After 14 years I went to the TA and spent time with mtnman and it did me a world of good. I'd recommend utilizing the trainers no matter what skill level you think you're at. They can help from learning the basics to fine tuning advanced ACM.
Learning on your own may be one of the worst things you can do as it ingrains bad habits which can be difficult to break later on.
Like what?
1. Diving into a red ball of a/c alone?
2. Developing a "best" evasive move called "pull up as hard as you can"
3. Learning only to the fly the a/c that won't compress on a 500 knot dive (that rules out all german iron)
4. Somehow justifying to yourself that the Spit is a uber plane
5. Getting great at trying to out flat-turn everyone and every plane you fly against
This was Changeup's uninstructed, frustrated first 6 months on Aces High...every night at furball lake. Boy was that a waste of time looking back.
Changeup