ORIGINAL: mrjones30
You folks are right, I will wait until I can get to a flying field although looking at that plane that I have is really tempting.
I know how you feel! Been there! I had a bit of a hard time matching up with an instructor. It was very frustrating. But, when I finally found an instructor it was heaven. I soloed in a very short time - due to all the sim time I put in ahead of actual flying. I learned quite a few good things from my instructor - that I may not have learned going at it alone.
There's one about an hour and a half away from me driving, (The traffic getting there is pretty bad). I was there a few times and the people there were very nice.
You have my sympathies about the traffic. That's one of the reasons I live in Montana. Not very crowded. There are usually a number of very nice folk in the clubs. It makes the hassle of joining and getting there worth it, in my opinion. Incidentally, my instructor lived in New York for many years. Drove heavy equipment for a living - in New York City. Has some wonderful horror stories about the traffic. LOL!
Make contact with the club ahead of time, if possible. Find out if there is a training night/evening/day - or try and set a flying time with an instructor. That way if you go to the field you don't end up not flying. also, If you can matchup with an instructor ahead of time maybe he or one of the club members can give you a lift to the field.
The turbines there were awesome.
Yeah, one of the things I like about joining a club is all the fun planes I see at the field. I get a lot of good building and flying ideas, tips, and tricks from the other guys there. It's nice to have some company occasionally, too.
Good luck, buddy!