For the most successs in this hobby the easiest route is to join a club and get training. If you are serious about learning to fly, then phone your hobby shop and ask them for the phone numbers of the nearest RC club. Flight training is usually free for joing the club and the club will probably have a nice safe flying area with good sized runways. You can proably get a few training flights in to see if you really like it before comitting to joining the club. You will be connected to a trainer box by a buddy cord so that the instructor can take over and save your plane when things get out of hand. Meeting other flyers is a big part of the hobby and half the fun. Trying to go it alone will most likely have your plane broken again in less than a minute wheather you have a 3 channel or 4 channel setup, won't make much of a difference. Bottom line here is "get some help or be prepared for repairs"!