I started out like most people who try to teach themselves to fly. I went to the local hobby store and got talked into an Avistar with an OS 40FX, an intermediate level plane that was way too fast for a beginner. I was no kid, so I didn't need a beginners plane right? WRONG! I promptly tent pegged the thing on the first flight. (at high speed of course) I realized I needed something slower that I could react to more easily. I purchased a Graupner Ikarus and installed an .049 Cox. With just two channels I could get familiar with the right stick and because of the speed and weight it was difficult to damage. When I went back to the four channel plane I could familiarize myself with the left stick by practicing on the ground, taxiing. This made flying my repaired Avistar much more enjoyable. This time, after I took off, I knew what to do and how to react. Eureka! I'll never forget the elation I felt, after that first successful flight with a real, four channel plane! I was on top of the world for the rest of the day! I guess the moral of my story is, if you go it alone, start with something light and slow. Ross