While there is nothing wrong with electrics per-se, there are advantages to starting out with a glow ( or gas ) trainer.

For what you would pay for a startup setup in electrics, including chargers, half a dozen spare battery packs, etc... you could get a much larger easier to see Nitro/Gas plane that you can fly all weekend long.

Many clubs advocate or utilize Nitro/Gas trainers to train beginners, and some even limit test certification to gas/glow planes.


There is a bit more to learn with Electrics, especially as you move to the larger sizes.


I recommend novices stay AWAY from most ( but not all ) foam/electric trainers as they tend to be "one season" planes.

Even if it doesn't end up as a pile of broken foam pieces flying away in the wind, by the end of your first year a foamie is going to look horrid.

Most glow/gas trainers can be easily repaired to better than new state, and the skills you learn in doing this help you as you move to much larger aircraft.

Get a glow/gas trainer and see how it goes. As mentioned you can often find great deals from people moving up to something larger...

If you find that the "addiction" has you by the throat, you can always move toward electrics later too and be in a better position to do so.