Dear Martin,
I appreciate the fact that DTG is going to make a platform for new comers who may become the next generation of flight simmers. The "Flight School" should be entertaining and fruitful when they learn the basics of flying.
However, I also agree with all the honourable gentlemen up there about?"Flight School" that learning experience would be an important element in this platform should provide them with proper "instinct" of flying so that they may get the idea correctly from day one, as when a person has learnt a wrong method it takes more time to un-learn it in the future. Hence teaching them flying the plane safely would be vital when they are having fun in flying, also saving them a bit of trouble when they join the flight sim community afterwords.
But this doesn't have to be a scary or strict way, as most of the instructors in real life would just give you a friendly remainder like "It's a bit too low for the base leg, just add a bit of power to reduce the descend rate" without instructor taking control and "fail" you for the lesson - I would suggest not to fail anyone in lesson unless they crashed, instead just kindly ask if they want to have another attempt again.
What I would suggest is just to add a bit more of friendly voice guidance to help the new pilots and also give them an after lesson briefing with praising for their effort - this has proved to be quite useful for new flyers. "Professional but friendly" should be throughout the whole learning experience - sim or real life.
Also whilst it is correct that the pilot would control the airspeed through elevator input, the power would also be used to control the descend rate - so there is not "set the power and hold it right there" - usually 25-50 RPM adjustment should be needed to maintain the glidepath. I believe this would be very important when wind comes into the equation in the lessons afterwards. Also from documents of the airfield that the circuit height is 800ft on QFE, so I am pretty puzzled that in the video it was at 1000ft with the rose stating for 1210ft? (while the field elevation seems to be 157ft AMSL). But it seems that in the video the route of the circuit was done properly as to comply with all the noise abatement procedures as in the map:
Moreover, being a LAPL(A) holder in the UK myself, I would like to stress that LAPL is not quite the easier version for PPL. They share most of the lessons with only reduction of distance Qualifying Cross Country and also cutting the "land-away" practice short. Most part of the checkride for the licence is the same - Getting a LAPL enables you to flying all over EU airspace with 3 passengers, so it is not just for the basics really.
Thanks a lot for being here listening to us and I am looking forward to invite more people joining our community through your DTG Flight School as an initial step.
- Gary