IFLY...This may be a little off the exact subject but I can't help but consider one of the most important tools, and probably the most cost effective (money saving) tools would be a simulator. Much cheaper to crash the sim while learning and you don't even need ball link pliers to reset!! (Ha) For any newbie, like me, I think a sim should be formost in the tool stable and you can get one for free (FMS) or spend up to $200 for the RealFlight G2 USB version (just got mine and love it). I am positive the sim has paid for itself 100 times over compared to crashing and feel it's the most important tool I could have purchased. You can change and experiment with the set up, winds, models etc. etc!

Jim