Ray,
On the average, my students take around 5 hours, which can be done in around 2-3 days of intense instruction. I don't use a buddy-box, so I can let everyone I teach safely have takeoff and landing experience on the first or second lesson. On the average, they will have approximately 10 takeoff lessons and 20 practice approaches and 20 landings, with the last 10 completely on their own.
I have had many learn within a couple of hours ( same day) and none had previous sim experience. Although some of my students who did have sim experience, it didn't seem to help them at all. I think it was because they were practicing wrong and I had to essentially teach them to unlearn all of the wrong stick movements they had taught themselves.
I used to use the buddy-box, but found something that works much better for me. BTW, I don't have to snatch the transmitter either to "save" the plane. I know that there at least two instructors who will never go back to the buddy-box again.
After all of my students leave me, they can takeoff, fly around very skillfully land without breaking anything, except maybe a prop or two.
Take care,
CCR
http://www.kites.org/rc_instructors