RE: 3rd flight ever... aerobird extreme... no survivors
imrec....I was a young mechanical engineer also, back in 1973, when I learned to fly R/C. In those days there were no buddy boxes. I got a few lessons and after that it was takeoff crash, repair, takeoff etc. I have known 3 or 4 R/C people that were also full scale pilots. I believe it is easier to teach R/C to someone that has never flown full scale. The landing is almost impossible for a full scale pilot to learn alone. Also, how to recover from an abnormal condition. Disorientation clouds everything and in you go. You should seek the help of an R/C pilot. There are clubs all over the place. This is a wonderfull lifetime hobby. Right now I'm having a ball with a flying lawnmower I designed, built, and am flying. It has been a struggle to control it up-side-down, but slowly I am gaining on it. Find an instructor.