Do you have Photoshop CS? If not, you need to get it (and not just for the raw converter) The raw converter in that is very good and all you need unless you have to do batch conversions in large numbers. If your image was correctly exposed you can generally use the default parameters and not change anything. If exposure or white balance or contrast, etc. is off you can correct that in the conversion process. If the image looks right you're safe to just go with the default settings. Even if it turns out that there's something you could have changed, as long as you're converting to 16 bit tiff, you can change whatever you need in Photoshop just as well as in the conversion process. For a 1ds file the conversion takes about 8 seconds with a 1 Ghz G4. For a 20D file it should be about half that, depending on the speed of your computer.
My experience is that the conversion process is pretty routine unless an image has really serious obvious problems that you can adjust in the conversion process. Where things get more interesting and creative is in Photoshop. In case you missed the threads about the Photoshop ColorWasher and Velvia Vision plug ins, those will be very helpful in easily and quickly adding more life and drama to most landscape images. Digital cameras tend to provide less intense and vivid and "interesting" raw images than for example Velvia slide film. Velvia images are not very realistic (colors too intense), but they sure are very artistic and attractive to the eye. You can "velvia-ize" your digital images to whatever degree you want, far more intensely than what Velvia film is capable of, but you have to be careful that your images don't becom too implausible. It's a fine line.
Have fun (on the ground and in the air), but don't start piloting with a laptop in your lap.
