Heya Medic,

I chose your method of learning too. I learned on a HobbyZone Firebird and Commander. While they are not pefect planes in any sense, they certainly took a lot of abuse and kept on flying. I am also a true "Park Flyer". I fly in a variety of schoolyards, parking lots, soccer fields, and baseball fields that are close to my house. I often just run out and go through a couple of batteries when I have the time, and can rarely dedicate longer periods of time to flying.

While I am sure that the clubs have a lot to offer, I am also sure that the new generation of elecric park flyers will fly largely on their own and not in a club setting. The whole attraction to the park flyers is that you can fly them almost anywhere once you gain a little control.

I also am very safety conscious and never fly when other people are using these facilities for other things. If others show up I usually just land the plane and leave. In most of the places I fly I can get some altitude and range over retention ponds and forested areas where I will not pose a threat to anyone else if I lose conrol of the bird. And I am also willing to crash the plane to avoid any chance of causing injury to anyone else.

It will be important for those of us who do not fly at designated club flying fields to act responsibly, or our flying rights will be swiftly curtailed. I hope we are all doing that.