I will second the vote for the Futaba 6EXA. My first trainer (HobbyTown RTF 40, same as Hobbico SuperStar, except for the decals ) came with the Futaba Skysport 4 channel. I quickly outgrew that as I started building my 2nd plane. And now that I have an UltraStick 40, I definitely needed the 6EXA. The Skysport 4 channel is good for a starting radio, but it is essentially good for one plane. Trying to fly 2 planes off of that transmitter would be difficult at best. The 6EXA can store 6 different planes in memory. As my trainer has 3 of the 4 channels reversed, it is nice to have that 6EXA.

But that being said, it depends what you really want to do. Do you want to get your dad a radio that he can grow with, or just one that he can get started with? Do you think that he will stick with it? Do you want to spend the money for a computer radio? If you are unsure that he will stick with it, then pick up a 4 channel radio.

As for the EBay question, there are a lot of threads here about EBay purchases. Some were good, some were not. If I remember correctly, one guy bought an engine in "like-new" condition. When he got it, he said it looked like it had been dropped on a concrete floor from at least 6 feet up. Personally, I do not buy RC equipment on EBay. I usually buy from the local hobby shop. They match Tower Hobbies prices, give a 10% club discount. And we have already had one hobby shop close in the last 2 years.