hey allen I am not sure where ridgecrest is in our enormous state but the first question is do you belong to a club and if not have you used the AMA club locater to find one generally you need to belong to the AMA to fly at AMA regestered clubs with a few exceptions the AMA provides liability insurance in case of a accedent that could poss. occure.
when finding a local club you are bound to find a available pilot to teach you the basics of flying and the related info to make your life in RC easier