I'll throw my two cents in here. You can go to your local college and take a short course that will help you get your ham license. It's not very expensive and relatively easy. They will clue you in to what books you need but I do think I got mine from Radio Shack also.

I have been flying on ham bands both 53mhz and 50mhz. When I flew on 53mhz I knew that there were repeaters on the 53mhz band so I would check and make sure before I went into an area that there was nothing on my channel being used. At this time the only ham frequency available from Futaba is on the 50mhz band so that's what I fly now and there are no repeaters to worry about.

I was one of the pilots flying at AZ Jet Rally and watched the carnage. My opinion is that 72mhz is not the problem but you do run a higher risk of somebody else having your frequency. Also with all the synthesizers on the 72mhz band transmitters the possibility of having every usable 72mhz channel at your fingertips increases the chance to make a mistake not that any of the pilots at the rally did however I am pointing out a possibility that can exist.

The really nice thing with ham is when I flew there and at Fresno I was the only one with the channel I had, so no waiting or worrying. Also no park flyers or RTF trainers come with a radio on 50MHZ so the inexperienced new flyers can't unknowingly shoot you down. I decided to go to ham many years ago and it worked out great since I missed all the changes that the 72mhz band went through in the late 80's and early 90's. That is not the case now and on the down side if everyone goes to ham there aren't that many channels available.

I overheard one of the pilots that lost a plane at AZ and he mentioned that he had a problem and lost a plane at St. George on 50mhz. I don't think he was on ham at AZ though. I am only mentioning this in hoping that he chimes in and elaborates on what experience he has had.
George