Well, to be honest, even though you prefer RTF... I was told that one of (if not "the") best entry level plane was the
GWS SlowStick for someone who wants to get into the hobby. The Aerobirds and GoldEagles, etc.. are fun, they're great ready-to-fly kits, but I think you might find, as I did, that while they're great for a lark, once you start to actually put together an ARF (almost-ready-to-fly) kit like the Slow Stick, pick your own servos, your own receiver (all of which the guys here helped me with HUGELY), and see how much more you can do with a plane than the RTF models allow you, it's even MORE fun. And the SS will probably stay in the air even LONGER for you, I'd bet. Since it's a true park flyer.
That, and a Slow Stick kit complete with everything you'll need to fly it is also probably going to run you less than an Aerobird Xtreme. What I decided to do was pick a radio control that I could use for any number of future planes I might buy and assemble (ARF). Basic ARF planes can be pretty inexpensive (they can be very expensive too, but many of them are quite affordable). For example, the Slow Stick is around $34 for the kit. But that's just the plane itself. After that, you still need a radio (I purchased a HITEC Laser 6 model ... good for future flying too, since it has 6 channels, and it came recommeded by a friend). Later I was told that a 4 channel would've been just as cool to use, but now I have 6 anyway so it's all good.
After that, I got the servos and the receiver and the crystal (same channel as my radio), the speed controller and all the various Ni-MH batteries, etc. It seemed a bit daunting at first, all that "extra stuff" to remember, especially when you I could've got it all at once with something like an Aerobird, but I think you'll agree that once you start to pick your own radio out and look at how the various components of the plane come together (especially since you were building them as a kid already), you'll have more fun this way. And to make it even easier, a few places sell planes like the Slow Stick complete with flight packs already assembled so all you have to do is put it together. Like GWSExpert.com for example:
[link=http://www.gwsexpert.com/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id=345]http://www.gwsexpert.com/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id=345[/link]
The above kit can come with a radio transmitter if you want it to, or you can get it without one and just pick your own out separately (I recommend this). But as you can see by the price, it's about $108 ... which isn't bad. Then you can reuse your radio on your next ARF plane, and if you wanted to, you could even pirate parts or batteries from the original kit if you didn't feel like buying new and the next plane was about the same size and motor type. So you can save some $$ that way.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. I suppose it depends on what you want to do ... and since I'm about the newest newbie here on these boards, I'm probably the LAST person who's qualified to give advice on this subject!
I can just tell you what I did, and let you go from there.
Cheers!
D.