If you are going to get an instructor, you will want to get a radio that is compatable with his so you can do the buddy box thing. The difference between radios is like debating Ford against Chevy, so it comes down to what you want. If your instructor has Futaba and is willing to work with you, then you would want to get a Futaba radio that has the proper training plug on it. The same would apply if you had an instructor with a JR radio and so on. You would need a 4 channel as a minium and anything beyond that is a plus for later use. Make sure that any radio you get is on an aircraft only frequency. Good Luck, Dave