I am very glad as a newbie that has yet to fly AH ONLINE. to find a thread like this, concerning being helped. So far, ALL of my flight time is offline, trying out a lot of the different things that I have seen discussed, different BFM's, ACM's, etc. I am also using the other sections, " Hardware ", " Connectivety ", etc., to get my system set up as best I can, prior to attempting to engage in the ONLINE Mode.
While it may seem strange to those that just jump in and go whole hog from the get-go, there are people that prefer to at least have an idea about what is going on, before jumping in with both feet. I find it to be a lot less frustrating, to at least have an idea as to what I am supposed to be doing, and feel good that there will be somebody there to help, when whatever it is I am attempting to do does not work in the way I understood it should.
For My part, having been a Squadron CO in another Flight Sim, I can easily understand the frustrations involved in being a Trainer, and having a training session disrupted. Some of the ideas I have seen and would like to see come to fruition, would be a list of Trainers available, The times training sessions could be held, as well as the subject of the proposed Training Session. I would dearly love to see some type of chat room set up for a particular subject to be taught, with a follow on session putting the training into effect. Possibly on some of the nights that there are no other scheduled events going on. I totally agree that it takes a lot of determination and effort to be able to BE a decent trainer.
Perhaps something I saw on the 412th FS Braunco Mustangs Website might help. They have a section set up for Jobs that need to be Done within the Squadron. Commo Oficer, Intel Officer, Etc. Perhaps Lephturn, BeTown, or somebody else, with the time available and willing to step up and take a swing at it, could gather the info on WHO is available, as well as QUALIFIED, to teach a certain subject. Once a Trainor and assistant trainer were selected, for a specific subject, an announcement could then be made on the BB that training in a certain area was to be conducted, and would be scheduled, as soon as enough people responded and signed up for the training. I know it used to frustrate the dickens out of me to have squad members harp on needing training in a certain area, set up the training, ( to include an instructor, sometimes from a different Squad, ) and have few if any show up on time. It was also very embarassing, to say the least.
To preclude a Trainor wasting His/Her valuable time, I feel very strongly that the training should be done as a scheduled affair, with sign-ups etc., a time limit for joining the session, and then locking the door after a fair time. It does not seem fair at all to those that were responible enough to be there on time, for someone to come in late and need everything done over again. Of course, this would give fuel to those that enjoy getting hacked off because they were'nt on time, and the world should have stopped and waited for them to show up, but, such is life.
Hopefully, I have given something constructive in My reply. I quite agree with DON that a Trainor within the TA, especially during a scheduled event, and at any other time, should have the ability to remove or at least silence those that attend in order to disrupt what others are attempting to do.
