ORIGINAL: gysgt6414
If you have the basics down, a Hobico Stury Birdy is what I learned on and still fly one today. I taught myself to fly it and went through some rough landings a crashes. Some mods and epoxy and she was in the air again. I don't recommend learning on your own but it can be done. Just be in a place that will not injure anyone or property because you will crash. At $59 bucks and $20 for a .40 or .46 LA on Ebay and your in there. It will even fly with .25 LA but I would go with the .40. Still light, super reliable and easy to tune. Not that powerful but you don't want that learning. I even had to add nose weight to mine with the .40 on the front to get the balance right. I can take off and land in my front yard and I live in a subdivision.
I'll bet your neighbors just love you! Lol I wouldn't suggest trying this at home. Get your AMA membership, go to your local club, & talk with the guys there. See what kind of training program they have in place. Meet & talk with the Instructor that will be teaching you to fly. He will have suggestions & answers for you. He probably also has a favorite plane that he likes to train on. Many clubs have a club trainer that they will let you learn on while you decide which plane to buy or build. Clubs that do have a club trainer usually will only ask that you buy your own fuel, along with whatever their membership fees & dues are. Most clubs have some sort of one time fee, plus your yearly dues. After that it is just the yearly dues. Good luck & have fun, but do it safely at a club with proper instruction.