Hello-
First, I need to explain that I've never bought or flown a heli, or any other model for that matter. I'm a newbie in the truest sense. I've always been facinated by model planes, but have been discouraged that I would have to drive an hour or more to find a suitable place to fly (I live in downtown Dallas).
I visited my local hobby shop (Hobby Town in this case) and the owner suggested I learn about electric helicopters. A challenge to learn but worth it and I wouldn't have to drive for miles.
He (the owner) suggested I buy a Hirobo's Skyrobo Mini RC. He said this is a great one to learn on and it will take some abuse. He also said it's easy to fix and find parts for.

Now my questions:
- Is this the best one for someone with no experience? I don't want to spend upwards of $350 and find that I've outgrown it in a year.
- Is there a difference between the Skyrobo Mini RC and the Skyrobo Lama? They look identical. I can't seem to figure out if these are the same model or not.
- He sells this model (Kyrobo Mini RC) for around $350. Is it better to buy from your local hobby shop or find it cheaper online?
- What about used? I've seen several used ones on eBay and other sites.
Any other thoughts?

Thanks for any and all advice.

- Jeff