I am going to assume that you have very little flying experience, that you do not use a simulator, and that you do not have an instructor readily available.

As a beginner, you will crash. The point is to limit the crashes and the damage done. As a beginner, your mind and body don't know how to respond properly to an emergency situation with your plane. therefore you should start with a slow flying plane, one that will give you planty of time to think about what you need to do in every situation. One type is the Slow Stick / Slow-V; another is the Aerobird Challenger / T-Hawk. All of these planes are very good, inexpensive planes to learn on, but they all require calm wind conditions (5 mph or less). Usually, the most calm conditions occur during the first two hours after sonrise and the last hour before sunset.

Sorry, but I cann't help with your second question. Good luck.