smwalter, congrats on your first successful flights!! Sounds like you are doing well. Now just for something to think about. I have heard more than a few times somebody suddenly yelling "does anyone see my plane?!?". This is because their plane got a bit too far toward the sun. Get a hat, make it a big one like the Aussie style that you can clip up one side or the other, not a baseball cap! Spring is just starting and you are just beginning to get in stick time. Sooner or later something is going to happen and you will find your plane heading toward the Sun. If you have the big hat on then its not such a big deal. The wide brim keeps your eyes in the shade and you can correct the situation. You can fly toward the sun if you have to by making sure that the plane is below the "brim level" of the hat. The wider the brim, the higher you can fly. No hat and all of a sudden all you see is bright glare followed by the sound of a crash!! Another thing, this hobby gets us out in the sun for days at a time and the UV rays aren't as friendly as they used to be. A wide brim hat will keep the sun off your face and your neck. [8D]I never train anyone unless they are wearing a hat. I bring spares so no excuses!