No, you don't have to get an instructor. Just put whatever you were going to spend in an envelope and send it to me. You are going to crash. Sending me the money will save you the pain of picking up the pieces.

I am repairing my Hangar 9, Alpha 60 right now, and I have an instructor and a very good one. My depth perception is not what it should be and I thought I was
lined up with the runway, but sadly discovered I was about 20 ft out and landed in a ditch tearing the firewall out. Fortunately, I am able to repair will
little fuss.

I would have sworn I was lined up. At our field 10 ft. makes a lot of difference. The territory surrounding the runway is very rough. I am thankful for my
instructor who was able to save me from an even worse crash. I am a few more flights away from my solo, but my instructor has had to save my plane
more than once. Yours will too.

I might mention that the relationship you build with your instructor is priceless. Mine has helped me so much, teaching me safety, setup, preflight. The other
pilots will appreciate you more, also. Because they see you getting proper instruction and when you solo they will not be concerned about the safety of their
planes or persons.

Congratulations, welcome to RC. Do it right, and you will love it.