+1 on the Apprentice. At $299.00 it is a great starter. Why? Because it is a 4 channel plane to begin with. Buy a 3 channel plane and you will be buying another plane shortly. The DX5e radio is not the best because it is not a computerized radio, BUT, it is still a good radio that can fly any plane that has a Spektrum RX. You can always upgrade, as you advance in the hobby, to a better radio. But the DX5e makes a great back up.

The pluses to the Apprentice is that it's large ( large planes are easier to fly) and it can do aerobatics that those smaller planes can't do.

I have advanced far beyond my Apprentice, but was never sorry I purchased it. It taught me well and I still have the DX5e radio that my grandson is now using.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbMHQ_ea9xA