Some not quite as new, but still "newbie" input...

Being in the middle of my 4th build now, I've found that there are certain "building block" skills that would be, imo at least, independent of the kit one is building.

Learning to do things like ensuring a tight flush fit of pieces, using the right glue for the right job, monitoring the amount of glue used, sanding for good fit and appearance, etc....these skills are fundamental to ANY kit one builds. Granted, they may be more or less important to one kit or another, but learning first to WANT to get them right EVERY time, and second to actually DO so, are generic to any modeling activity, I think.

It seems to me that, in this case, you're practicing on an airplane kit...you're doing things where fit, accuracy, precision, and weight matter. those are concerns and skills that will definitely carry over to future builds.