I definitely understand the concerns about scheduling. I was concerned about it myself at first, but in this case, I got 6 hours of trigger time under the direct supervision of a master (and no risk of getting stuck with an AI) for $275. I had time to actually learn from the drills that I shot, which doesn't always happen when you move from drill to drill without a moment to think. I actually learn faster when I get a few minutes to catch my breath, make some notes, and truly understand what I've just done. I also didn't have to wait around while people asked a celebrity instructor questions that he's already answered a dozen times online or in print. My skills are a lot better as a result, and I'll be able to run more effective self-training in the future.
I see three issues with big classes:
Can the instructor safely run a course of that size? If the class is basically sound, then I believe that this becomes a function of understanding how long the class can hang, and of the instructor's ability to monitor whether they're falling apart. We shot 20 rock-solid, challenging drills, and ended just before everyone was smoked. I've been in classes that burned up 1k rounds in two days, ending with complex, high round-count drills that were basically people running around turning ammo into noise as they began to fray and become unsafe. With Larry, we were on an indoor range with limited space, so he set up three relays of eight shooters each--hardly the chorus line that some instructors run. Every time I screwed something up, he spotted it, then told me the cause and exactly how to fix it. I feel pretty sure that the other shooters got the same level of attention.
Can the instructor still put out high-quality information in a way that students understand? In this case, I believe that the information was first rate, and I thought that I improved as the class went on. More important, I got an excellent set of drills and a new understanding of how to use old drills.
Can the students come away understanding the material and able to execute it? Obviously this will vary by student and I can't speak for the others, but I feel pretty good about things.
So, yeah, there were 23 shooters in this class, but I feel like I definitely got a LOT more my money's worth. In the end, Alias can certainly keep prices where they are and continue to "overbook" classes. Or they can raise prices to keep head count low. That will turn high-quality training into a hobby for the rich rather than dissemination of life-saving skills to the cops, soldiers, and other good people who truly need it.
Okie John