This is a pretty common belief for people that want to start flying and believe they can do it themselves. The problem with it is that the plane rarely cooperates!!

While you plan on keeping it "waist high" the plane may not stay there. Especially if the plane is out of trim. What happens a lot for people is that once the plane lifts from the ground it will climb to substantial altitude before you know what's going on. And now you have to deal with a lot of different things at once, which usually doesn't end well. While it is possible to teach yourself to fly as there are people out there that have done it, the reality is that it's not a common skill. I would say it's only 1 or 2 in a hundred people that can successfully teach themselves to fly. And those that can do it never do it without having lots of repairs along the way. They will do a lot of damage to the planes as they teach themselves to fly. Many times people that are trying to teach themselves to fly will simply get too frustrated and wind up quiting without learning to fly.

Joining a club changes that and puts the odds in your favor of learning to fly. The club experience isn't the "crowded mob" that you seem to want to avoid. Most clubs are a very friendly place where like minded people get together to enjoy the hobby they love. Nobody is going to make fun of you as you learn, nor will they put you down for mistakes that are made. We've all been there in the hobby and we remember that as we help new people get started in the hobby. You might be pleasantly suprised just how enjoyable being in a club situation can be. There are times I will go to the field to fly and wind up just "just shooting the breeze" with my buddies and not fly at all that day. And you know what? I have just as much fun doing that as I do actually flying planes. But anyway, I'm getting off track a bit. The club is going to give you a great route to learning to fly with the least amount of stress.

The members here are not "harping" about joining a club or seeking help just to be mean.  You need to realize that most of us here have been helping people get started for a long time, and we have seen hundreds if not thousands of people trying to get started, and we've got a ton of experience with this. They are recommending this to you simply because it's true. They are giving you the best advice that has proven hundreds of times to be successful in getting people flying. There is nothing wrong with having ideas on how to do things, but many times those can be wrong. I know for myself that I defintely was that way. I had ideas of how I should go about learning to fly, and I will be the first to admit that my ideas were dead wrong. Had I gone the route of what I thought was best I would have destroyed a lot of planes. Luckily I found an instructor who helped me learn to fly safely. So please realize that the people here are only trying to help you get a start in this hobby that we all love so much. They aren't being mean at all, just trying to help.

Hope this helps

Ken