Sblaze, I think it's wonderful that you are so nice to your boyfriend, but... I cringe everytime I see a parent in the hobby shop buying a plane for their kid, and I think I would cringe if I saw you in the same situation. At least you're smart enough to ask questions here. There are a couple of really big questions that should be asked BEFORE you purchase an airplane:

1. WHERE is he going to fly? The size airplane most of the folks here are talking about you can't just fly in your backyard. You need to fly at a flying field, and in the Washington area that means you need to join the AMA ($50 a year) and a club (another $50 a year, usually (plus some have initiation fees)). And that investment is BEFORE you even know if you like flying (OK, some clubs will let you fly one time before joining).

2. WHO is going to teach you how to fly? This is no small question. Most clubs in the Washington area (I am a member of two in the Maryland area) have good flight instruction programs, but even so, they only run on certain days, they can be very popular, and as a result, you may learn much slower than you expect. It would be a good idea to research (go to an instruction day) BEFORE buying a plane.

All the other ideas here are good, I just think that too many people focus their research on the equipment (what is the best plane to buy?), and much too little on the social aspects (who do I need to know to fly?). Some people are naturals and learn very quickly, but for most people, learning to fly takes much longer than they expect.

Good luck!