@Randy Harrison, cleaning an airbrush will most certainly require knowing what type of paint you've sprayed; i.e., some paints use lacquer thinner, others use acetone, and others use water to spray through the gun after you are done spraying the paint, and disassemble the airbrush to clean further. And how to disassemble the airbrush will depend on the specific brand and model.
Also, and I'm far from being an expert, my recent experience is that it's very desirable to have a test "mule" available to practice on to see what dilution and PSI work best for the particular paint being applied to achieve a desired finish. That's also the time to test how the paint is being applied; i.e., how light a coat is being applied and the time between coats.
Also, the mule helps test how to mask the model since most paint jobs require at least two colors. The same goes for using the mule to test decal application and finish clear coat application.
In other words, unless you are being taught by someone who will demonstrate spraying a model that's the same as your anticipated project, I'm not sure how much directly transferable information you will acquire.
Not trying to discourage you from working with someone; but, there are limits to how much such assistance can help when it comes to a specific project.
In my own case, I've found it useful to ask here from experienced painters using the same paint I'm using for their advice on paint thinning and PSI, as well as application techniques that can be effectively expressed via email.
Good luck.
