Really? You did the takeoff on your first flight? This was OK with your instructor? REALLY? I said there would be some difference of opinion between us on some stuff but "the student does the takeoff on his very first flight" ! WOW. I can't believe it, I do, but that's crazy IMHO. I'm reading your post and going "yeah this is good", "that's good", "that's good", and then I get to the part where you takeoff and I go "WHAT?" I have never heard of that instruction technique, never! Normally, the instructor will do the takeoff, bring the plane to a safe altitude (what we call three mistakes high), then turns the control of the plane over to the student through the buddy box and if the student looses control then the instructor releases the trainer button and takes back over, recovers the plane and brings it back to stable flight again at a three mistakes high altitude then gives the control back to the student when he is ready. I am not my clubs official "instructor" (though I have been asked, I turned it down) however I have taught several students to fly including a "problem child" that was deemed as not "capable of learning to fly" by our official instructor. I have been successful with several other students that had problems catching on so I am not without instructing experience. When I do instruct I don't use self recovery systems just the buddy box on both glo and electric trainers. Other instructors, please chime in here, is this a new normal way to teach?? johnstoninia, I sorry you lost your plane. It sounds like you were getting good help right up until they had you take off without having had some stick time up in the air at a safe altitude. I have no explanation for this approach to teaching. Let's hear what others say about it.