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Your teacher isn't very knowledgeable on aircraft carriers.

France, India, Britain, .... no it isn't easy but just having an aircraft carrier isn't that big a deal.

Actually, the teacher is pretty knowledgeable on the subject.

Building a carrier, even taking one to sea is one thing. Effectively operating it is entirely another.

Next to the US, the French have the "best" carrier capability. By a lot of accounts, the De Gaulle has been a near-disaster - up to and including its recent operations in Libya.

Hell, you might as well strike the Brits off the list, since the doesn't even HAVE a carrier capability anymore. With the retirement of the Harriers all it has are two LPHs (one a bit more glorified than the other).

With the exception of the US the CVs of all the "carrier navies" are just white elephant "national prestige" ships with very little - if any - value when it comes to actual power projection.

Varyag is no different.

By a lot of accounts, the De Gaulle has been a near-disaster - up to and including its recent operations in Libya.

Out of curiosity, what issues have you seen in relation to the de Gaulle? It conducted 4-1/2 months of operations off the Libyan coast before being taken in to port for maintenance.

You said exactly the same thing as me except you argued the teacher wasn’t a dim bulb....why bother?

“Building a carrier, even taking one to sea is one thing. Effectively operating it is entirely another.”