Originally Posted by born2build

I think Hydro Junkie has the right idea. In fact, I know he does. Model aviation was never intended to be a "grab-n-go" kind of thing, although the industry is doing their level best to make it so. Electric power has certainly come of age, but it gets decidedly expensive as you go up in size. I've flown the Apprentice for other people and it works well. There is one major drawback, though. The "Safe Flight" feature can (and does) become a crutch, a hindrance when it becomes time to turn it off, rather like kicking a cane out from under someone with a bad limp. The best advice I can give is to find an instructor and accumulate as much stick time as you can. You are, after all, learning how to pilot an airplane. The PT 40 (with ailerons) is an excellent choice for your first build. It is, after all, what it was designed for.