RE: New flyer has airfield question
hi dan,
first and foremost, welcome to the best hobby in the world! you can usually fly at a park, the firebird if i'm not mistaken, is a small electric with no landing gear? i haven't flown one yet, i tend to go away from electrics after my first incident with them.(a big 3 second flight followed by and even bigger crunch!!!) but they are relatively easy to fly. i would try to find someone that knows how to fly, just for the sake of your wallet. they should be glad to help you learn how to fly. ama is a modeler's insurance company and usually runs $60 a year. it covers property damage, and injury to people if you hit them. i strongly recommend that you get insurance before flying.
it is also a good idea to get involved with a club. you can use their field, and i'm sure n e one in the club will teach you the basics, and if you move on to glo powered aircraft, they will become even more useful! this web site has a club finder. go to the rc community tab, and go to local clubs. it'll ask you to type in your zip i believe. then it will list the clubs in your state/area. also they have the r/c venues. those are the different flying fields in your area. that is also very helpful. i found 2 more in my area that i never knew were there!
good luck, and again, welcome to the wonderful world of r/c modeling. i'm sure you will love the sport.
-james