My intention wasn't to make you mad, (although I expected a reply similar to the one you typed), it was to let anyone starting in this hobby that read your post know what not to do. I don't feel I'm better or that my way is the way everyone should do it. I also understand context in these posts is determined by the tone of voice you use in your own mind while your reading someone else's reply.

I heard your story so I feel I have to tell you mine.

I started flying RC in 1985 on Camp Pendleton. Another Marine (Jim) and I decided to go to the hobby shop and see what we could get that could be kept in a wall locker. Jim had limited experience and I had none. With the recommendations of the store owner, I walked out with a CG Gentle Lady kit and Jim grabbed a (Dynaflight??) Wanderer kit (both sailplanes).

We taught ourselves how to build, and then how to fly off a hill by San Onofre Beach. After literally hundreds of flights I bought a DF Mini Bird of Time kit, another sailplane, that made several hundred, if not a thousand more flights. I got out in 1988 and gave it up when I came home.

Fast forward to 2003. In a friends garage, I found a Royal 40 Trainer with an Airtronics VG4 transmitter setup installed. I fixed it up and re-covered the plane. I got a few flights on it that fall in between engine failures. I showed up at the local club field the next spring and they went over my airplane and told me my engine was junk (TT.40), and that my hinge gaps were too big. I started to get a tad offended until the Club President gave me an OS 46FX new in the box. I put that in and he met me at the field on a Sunday. After breaking in the engine, he took me up with the club trainer a few times because there were no Airtronics buddy boxes. I was old enough (late 30's) to realize I needed to listen to this guy and he didn't need, or care, to hear about all the experience I thought I had because I wasn't going to impress him anyway.

Two days later on training night, a different instructor took me and my airplane aside. After a preflight and a range check (you'd figure with all my "experience" I would have know to do these things), he took it up and trimmed it out and handed me the transmitter. Two flights later, everyone went back and sat down while my instructor told me to do three takeoff's and three full stop landings. After my three flights, nice ones too I might add, I was officially an RC pilot. 13 weeks and 8 gallons of fuel later I ordered my Funtana 40. Club members kept letting me fly different airplanes, Funtana's, UCD's, GP 40 Corsair, Sukhoi, etc. I decided on the Funtana and I used the same 46FX I had in my trainer.

The next Summer I missed flying my trainer so I bought an OS FL70 for the Funtana. That Fall I got a Saito 82 for it and started working on some 3D (notice the progression?) I sit here now looking at the same Funtana that after it's 3rd season, other than normal hanger and field rash, has never had the firewall, gear, or even a stick of balsa broken in it, and it is all due to me knowing when to shut up and listen from the start, and I still do that. My experience has increased 100 fold simply by asking questions and doing what I was told. BTW, I'm also a full scale pilot licensed since May 1989.

Since that first summer I have been an Intro Pilot for 2 years with several soloed students, News Letter Editor, Webmaster, Vice President, and for 2007 the President of the Club. So I guess in this post I'm saying your right, it can be done, but from what I could understand from your first post you were telling all newbies that they simply needed to run out and buy G3 and they had all they needed, then you went on to explain how you crashed 3 airplanes. If you re-read the first line of my above post you'll realize I wasn't giving you advice, since your beyond that point, I was using you as an example of what not to do if your new to the hobby and sport, blame it on the instructor in me.

Jeff