pnc024,
There are more things than just flying to plane that an instructor will teach you. Things like-- The oil on the side of the plane is normal. -- Leaning out the motor so there isn't anything on the side of the plane will eventually burn your motor out. -- Where to buy replacement parts for your plane when they break off.

I know that I may sound a little harsh, but there are a lot of things that the instructors teach you besides just flying your plane. They will teach you how to safely assemble the plane, safely tune the motor for flight, how to make repairs when damage does happen. One thing that does worry me a bit is your flying and not knowing the location of any local flying fields, your radio could possibly cause interference to other pilots and cause their planes to crash.

One thing that doesn't happen (very very rarely if not never) is damage to your plane when using an instructor. I've been teaching for 6 years now and I have never crashed a students plane. Yes, you can repair your plane after every crash, but that doesn't mean that you are learning good safe flying habits, and those would be taught by an instructor. Also, when you start flying with an instructor you will more than likely be required to join the AMA which will give you insurance. This insurance will cover you if you hit anything with your plane and cause damage or injury to other people. Flying where you are now you could be held financially liable if you hit anything or hurt anyone.

We've seen the same "I fly real planes so I can fly the little ones" before. While being a full scale pilot does give one an understanding of HOW a plane flys, that is where the advantage stops. You have to realize that a full scale pilot is sitting IN the plane that they are controlling and everything they do is reacting to what they see and feel in the plane. Flying a RC plane is completely different, if not directly opposite. Now you are removed from the plane and you have to have a completely different set of skills to fly the plane. For instance, in a full scale you move the stick to the right and the plane moves to your right, but when an RC plane is coming at you and you move the stick to the right the plane will move to YOUR left (still the plane's right). I've seen many full scale pilots have to stand at the end of the runway and let the plane pass over them in order to land, so they are directly behind the plane. They never develop the skills that many RC pilots have that lets them stand on the side of the runway and still land the plane. I've also seen full scale pilots come out the "attitude" and try to fly with no help. They usually destroy the plane, get mad, leave in a huff, and never return. If they had taken a few minutes to ask for help this would have never happened. Please do not think that I lump all full scale pilots in this group, because that isn't true. I've seen many full scale pilots become very successful RC pilots, but they usually have to learn just like the rest of us.

While you are free to proceed anyway want to, I would recommend that you do find and instructor to continue learning to fly. I am sorry if I sound like I am preaching, but sometimes a reckless attitude towards how these models are operated can sometimes cause harm to others. I know this for a fact because I have been hit by an RC plane that the pilot wasn't being safe with, so I tend to preach safety. And I do know what is coming next, there are those that will say that there is nothing wrong learning to fly on your own. To those people I say that they need to stand in the parking lot of a flying field and get hit with a quarter scale plane, and then we'll see how casual they are about safety!!

Ken