Technically I soloed on my first flight. By myself. I managed to fly the plane and land it without mishap. The second flight ended in a cartwheel down the field. I then hooked up with a great gentleman, who had me landing (proficiently) after the third flight under his direction. The only damage noted so far has been the loss of a nose gear, one hole in wing, both a result of a dead stick, on two different planes, and both easily fixed. I used the G2 sim for about 2 weeks prior to my first attempts on my own. Mr. Barr (my instructor) said he had only instructed one other person who caught on so quickly. Of course I consider myself to be "pretty good" but I am still a beginner.