There's not really anything wrong with the particular Decathlon you've got for a basic trainer; there are better electric trainers, in my opinion, but this plane will do just fine. For those unfamiliar with it, here's a link:[link=http://parkzone.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=PKZ1400]Parkzone Decathlon[/link]. Assuming you want to maximize your current investment, you can learn to fly with this plane. You would be best served to find a club in your area and seek some help with the first flights; you'll learn a lot this way. They may even be able to help you get started without requiring you to join. Unfortunately, some clubs and flyers are still in the stone age regarding electric planes. If the club you find is one of those, you probably won't get much useful help, but lots of suggestions to buy a 'real plane'. Ignore it for now. A friend of mine taught himself to fly with Parkzone's Cub, it is not that dis-similar to the Decathlon, they are both 3-channel, have the same power systems and roughly the same wingloading, so shouldn't fly too differently. Anyhow, to reinforce the fuselage, you may want to epoxy flat strips of carbon fiber or 1/16"x1/8" spruce or basswood strips to the fuselage sides, about halfway up, from the front of the cockpit to 2 or 3" behind the trailing edge of the wing, if you can reach it. Keep it light and use as little epoxy as you can. Once you can consistently keep the plane in the air, adding 'crashworthiness' is just dead weight. One more thing, there are several threads in the Parkflyers forum concerning this plane that may have useful information for you, perhaps try a search.