Rodney is exactly right in that your receiver antennae is not right. Switch off the radio and leave the power on the plane and the servo's will jitter, no signal.
A while back I had an AeroBird, it is not a standard receiver. The best advise I can give you is to ask in the electric forum. I have never looked close at that board but many in the electric forum speak of the AeroBird and are familiar with that paticular circuit board. Your range will never be that of a typical 72 mhz FM but if I remember 1500' to 2000'...far more than 2'.

I will also mention. although I figure you know this. The one I bought had the antennae all balled up in pod, its supposed to exit through the small hole in the end of the hollow stick fuse. Mine would not reach back to the prop.

My 2 cents