He's Canadian, so joining the AMA won't do him much good. When you're 15 and on a budget, buy a basic 4-channel radio. Fuel is the best training aid ever, and the difference between a 6-channel computer radio and a basic 4 is a lot of fuel. With a trainer, you won't reap any real advantage from a more expensive radio. They're certainly not more crash-worthy, if you were trying to imply that MacAir.