This is my third summer. I'm in a club in northern Vermont (where the season is May-early October) and started on .40 size glow planes. I flew in a pattern meet my first summer and was hooked, and I now primarily fly a 110 size electric pattern plane. A 1.20 Yak (glow) is my backup plane.
I started with the club and would not have it any other way. I have met some wonderful people to fly with, or to help out when I started, and to help with the switch to electric. I also have some great friends now to fly with.
Flying at a sanctioned club field with my AMA membership is such a good feeling, in case anything out of the ordinary ever happens. I've read and heard about misfortunes in the RC world, and club fees and AMA memberships are a small price to pay for everything you get in return, plus a piece of mind.
I actually just moved to Central Vermont for the summer. I joined the local club immediately, and now have two fields to fly at for wherever I am this summer. I have my electric pattern plane with me, and my Yak gets flown when I head back up north for a weekend or something. Tough life I've got...