Agreed with everything rgburrill said. If the OP isn't willing to spend $160 on a decent quality plane, he's not going to spend it on club dues and AMA membership! That said, if this hobby truly interests you there are some low cost park flyer options that are beginner friendly. Forget about jets or anything fast or maneuverable until you have some flight skills (not video game skills, but real skills) and more money to invest in a quality piece of equipment. For aircraft, the above mentioned Cub is a nice beginner flyer, as is the mini Super Cub and Hobbyzone Champ (smaller and cheaper). The GWS Slowstick is really inexpensive and easy to fix when you have an unplanned landing. If you shop around, you can have one in the air for about $100, maybe less if you find a used one someone is selling with an old radio.