I have a friend (from my last job) who won a raffle that was held by our club. He got a complete RTF trainer system. I can't remember which one it was, but that's not important.

What he wanted to do was go out to the fairgrounds and start flying. I convinced him, after a lot of talking, that this was a very bad idea. Yeah, he only spent $60 on raffle tickets to get into the hobby, but he would be spending a lot more (or leaving the hobby) if he didn't joing the AMA and the RC club I'm in and get instruction. I talked him into trying out taxiing in his neighborhood, and now he realizes it's harder than he thought. He still hasn't gotten instruction yet, because he went too fast and ran into a curb and broke his prop. He's still waiting to get the new props he ordered so he can come out to the field and learn how to fly.

I know it's harder to convince people who are on a forum, but if you're thinking about trying it on your own... it's very likely you won't do well and will end up disappointed with RC flying and leave the hobby before you really give it a chance. Find a club, there are usually a few in any given area, and make sure you like the people. Get an instructor you can get along with, one who actually wants to help you learn, and you'll have a great time learning. And soloing is an awesome feeling!