Inexpensive park flyers aren't as good of an investment as they seem to be when you're first learning to fly. The problem is usually the wind. Missoula, MT might be the "dead calm" capitol of North America, and wind won't be a problem for you. Here in Nebraska where I fly, it's too windy 95% of the time to fly a small park flyer.

I was like you during the spring of 2005, mini14gb. I was intrigued with the idea of R/C flight, but I didn't even know that we had flying clubs around here. I also thought that a glow-powered aircraft would be complicated and expensive and too far advanced for my skills.

I bought a Hobbyzone Aerobird Challenger at my local hobby shop. The folks at the hobby shop told me that would be a really good plane to learn to fly with. That was also the last time I took their recommendations on which plane to buy. I spent more time crashing and repairing my Aerobird Challenger than I ever did flying it. It was difficult to keep "trimmed out" properly because of the plastic tail screws and fishline used for controlling the plane. I spent a lot of money replacing wings, tail assemblies, and propellers as well.

After a couple of months of flopping around like a fish on the sand with my Aeroturd, somebody told me there was a "flying club" that flew out at a local park. I went out there to check them out, and they let me go for a "training flight" on one of the club glow trainers. It was quite an experience to actually have the plane respond to my stick inputs, and the wind didn't seem to push the plane out of control all of the time.

I joined the club almost immediately and bought myself a Nexstar Select RTF to train with. A couple of months later, after I'd been training with my glow plane for several weeks, I discovered what I'd learned helped me fly my Aerobird quite a bit better as well.

I spent $130.00 plus tax on that Aerobird Challenger, and the whole thing was trashed before the end of my first flying season. I paid $339.98 for the Nexstar through Tower Hobbies. The Nexstar was crashed, and then repaired, and then crashed again. I could have replaced the fuselage and kept flying it, but by then I'd solo'd and moved on to sport planes. The Nexstar's engine and radio system were moved to other glow planes and I still fly with them to this day. I have no doubt that the Nexstar was a much better investment than the Aerobird.

If you really want to just try throwing around an electric park flyer RTF system, my advice is to spend as little as possible. The Firebird Scout at $49.99 will give you a taste of how much fun R/C flying can be, but again you'll need calm wind conditions for flying it. My Aerobird Challenger was almost three times the price, and it was still only barely flyable in 8 to 10 mph winds.

Consider the following items for sale at eHobbies.com:

http://www.ehobbies.com/ttr4523-f12.html

http://www.ehobbies.com/ttr3002.html

$229.99 will buy you a complete, ready-to-fly Thunder Tiger Tiger Trainer .40 MKII with TT GP-42 engine and radio system completely pre-built and requiring only final assembly. An additional $29.99 will buy you a complete field kit with glow ignitor and charger, fuel pump kit with fuel line and bottle cap, 4-way glow/prop wrench, and chicken stick. This airplane and field kit can provide you with years and years of fun, dependable service for about the price of two run-of-the-mill electric RTF planes.



My advice is dive into this hobby with both feet. Spend your money wisely instead of learning to crash before learning to fly. Learning to fly a glow plane at an AMA chartered club will teach you more quickly and more safely than throwing around an electric park flyer on your own. You'll also have instant access to club members with the expertise to help you with mechancal issues and needed maintenence and repairs.

Whatever you decide, good luck and feel free to post back here for any additional help or questions that might arise.