I am a beginner and I love my Aerobird. Started in March. I have about 50 flights. I would guess 12 minor crashes and about 6 really major ones. Most of the crashes were due to flying in toooooooo muchhhhh winddddddddd. If you are new, don't fly in anything more than a 5 MPH wind.

Key for new flyers:

ALWAYS LAUNCH INTO THE WIND - OTHERWISE YOU CRASH

Read the whole manual, then read it again.

Always launch at full power - never anything less than full power - give the prop a chance to come up to speed before you hand launch.

Hand launches should be level or only very slightly up. If you throw the plane up at an angle, it will stall and crash most of the time. (at least twice for me) Strong level toss. The plane should almost fly out of your hand.

Check to make sure your tail moveable surfaces are properly alligned. The transmitter and the plane must both be powered up for you to do this. Be sure the trim slides are in the center when you do this. If you make the adjustments without putting the transmitter on, then putting in the battery, any adjustments you make will be wrong. (at least one crash on the power on thing)

Make sure the wing is on straight (that caused one crash for me)

Make sure the battery is fully charged!

ALWAYS LAUNCH INTO THE WIND! (one crash)

Make sure the slides, the trim slides that are around the stick are in the center. Sometime I bumped mine and pushed them off center just before a launch ( that caused at least 3 crashes)

ALWAYS LAND INTO THE WIND (one really bad crash)

These are my starting thoughts.