Wes, as you've already heard, the best thing you can do is to find a local club. They will have instructors who can help you make sure the plane is ready to fly, and then will help you make the jump from sims and electrics to glow powered planes. The concepts of flying are the same, but the glow plane is probably faster, and the glow engine requires knowledge to adjust so it runs properly. The local club will most likely require AMA membership. The AMA will provide insurance in case any accident happens. You can get more information about the AMA here: http://www.modelaircraft.org/. Look on the left side of the page for the Charter Club Locator. You can use this to find the nearest club. Good luck and welcome to the world of slimers