I started flying on a Firebird Commander and I found the plane to be an excellent choice for a beginner. Your reactions do not come naturally when you first start flying, you must think about every step that you make. The less control variables to think about, the more readily you can achieve successful flights. I didn't like having the plane make flight decissions for me, so I started flying in the pro mode almost immediately.

It sounds to me that you were flying in conditions where the wind was too strong. Your initial flights should be performed in almost dead calm conditions. This is true whether you are learning on a 2-channel plane like the Firebird, a slow flyer 3-channel like the Slow V / Slow Stick, or the Aerobird / T-hawk.

The plane should have been adjusted to fly level at 50% throttle. More than 50% should give a gain in altitude; less than 50% should drop the plane in altitude. You state that the plane continued to "float" with the throttle off: this is a clear indication that the tail was not adjusted correctly. I had numerous crashes with the Firebird until I learned to give the wind the respect that it commands and until I learned to avoid trees at all costs. Since then I have flown the Aerobird extensively and now mostly fly the Cub. I have not had any major crashes with either of these planes, due mostly to the lessons that I learned from flying the Firebird. I feel bad that you were so frustrated by the plane, which is really a very docile, good plane to learn on.