After reading through this thread, reading the original post by Fascinated, then the replies, and the follow-up by Fascinated, I can see that there is no way that anyone is going to get through the wall in this situation.

I started out with a Tower 40 trainer then switched over to a NexSTAR. I won't go into my reasons, because they don't apply here. Needless to say, I thought I was getting a better plane.. and in some respects, it was. I flew with an instructor for about three or four months, actually three different instructors.. while one was not present, one other was there to help out. I also had the G2 (at the time it was the state of the art in sims). I flew on the G2 with the NexSTAR and did ok. All it really tought me to do was land. Other stuff was playing around and understanding that going full throttle and pulling on the elevator caused the plane to loop, or push the aileron over and it would roll.

After the four months or so of instructor aided training, I decided I wanted to try to solo. So, the instructor pulled the plug and up I went, and did just fine. And as someone already said, I went home and changed my underwear, but did so proudly.

I flew that NexSTAR for several weeks now really beginning to learn because I was on my own and did not want to destroy my airplane. I really wanted something better, but stuck with the NexSTAR for a while. I finally decided, after many discussions with various people at the field, that I would get a Tiger 60. This was a great choice because it was aerobatic, but gentle. My maiden flight and the two or three after maiden were all done with the aid of my instructor on the buddy box, there to help me should I mess up. All was fine, and, by the way, I still have the Tiger 60. I sold the NexSTAR to an older gent that destroyed his and needed another trainer. He still has my old NexSTAR, by the way, after I gave it all the abuse that I could muster up, and HE gave it all the abuse HE could muster up.. it is still in one piece AND still flys.

I now have several other models (see below) and all fly just great. I just bought and built, and maiden'ed a Tiger 120, all with my good old instructor present, but in the case of the below, with the exception of the Tiger 60, I maidened myself.

I have buried three models in the mean time, a Goldberg Skylark 56, a Venus 40, and my Brio 10 electric. All of them because I did something that my instructor suggested that I do not do.

Take the word of the people posting here.. listen to what they say and swollow your pride. You won't be the first RC pilot that has done what the instructor said to do and survived, or did not do and did not survive (the plane that is).

I've qualified several new pilots this past year. Each of them are still using trainer aircraft and still learning, but having fun doing so. Imagine that.

DS.