With respect Christine, you have put in many many hours to get to the craftsperson stage, if I may call it that. If you pause to examine Owen's avatar, you will notice that he dresses his DB in fake leopardskin. I think he's looking for a fun experience as much as anything else.
You make a good point though and it is well worth putting in the time with apprentice tasks if you are looking to do scratch builds for a significant length of time.
In another life I might well have enjoyed an apprenticeship in lutherie instead of aero engineering.