LearningMan,

I believe you will find the jet community to be on of the friendliest of them all, everybody is willing to help and anybody will talk to you and give you "there own" opinion whether you fly Bvm, Yellow, Top Gun, Jet Hangar, Skymaster, Jet Cat, Simjet, Fte, or even OS. I can't count how many times I've seen a "few" reps affilted with a brand y and a person asked them a question about brand x, if they have the time I’ve seen people help others for a whole day or how ever long it takes to resolve the solution. Like Kevin_W said, pick a nitch, and ask as many question as you need and when someone else needs help you will have been there and done that, But the ultimate question whether to start out with d/f or turbine goes back to local flyers in your area, do you have turbine pilots close? if not go ducted fan, they'll make you use your head more because you can be assured that more than once you will be put in a bad position where you need power and you don't have it, then you have to think quick to save your tail, because "usually" in a turbine you have ample power to pull your self out of the "creek"