RE: Guiding me through ele flight firsts...
I have never flown a slow stick, but I hear good things about it.
If you get a Slow Stick you will have to read the instructions, build it, buy a radio, receiver, servos, battery, charger, balance the plane, charge the battery, set the linkages then test it to make sure it is set up correctly. When you get to the field, you range check the radio and then you fly.
My guestimate of set-up time, not counting the shopping, would be 5-10 hours for a truely new modeler, not counting charging the battery.
Nothing wrong with any of this. Estimated cost for the package would be $180-$300 depending on what radio, receiver, servos, battery, charger you get and where you buy them.
If you get the Aerobird challenger, you open the box, put the battery on the included charger, watch the video that shows you how to set the plane up and fly it. Go to the field, strap on the wing insert the battery, do your range check, then fly.
Estimated time to do this, including watching the video, 1 hour or less. Cost? $115-$160.
After you are comfortable flying the Aerobird, say 25-50 flights, you go back to the hobby store and get the sonic combat module for air to air combat. Also get the bomb drop and parachute drop module. You bring your buddy with you. He gets an Aerobird on a different channel.
You teach him to fly, he gets the sonic combat module and you spend hours trying to shoot each other out of the sky, doing bombing runs or trying to drop your parachute jumper in the bucket.
Either plane will get you in the air. They are both 3 channel planes so either will do three channel rudder/elevator type stunts. Either will prepare you for the next step, whatever that is.
Time for you to make a decision here buddy! No more asking.