My first flight was nearly 13 years ago. I didn't have a buddy cable or even a formal instructor. I did join a club though thanks to my boss as I got a saturday job in a model shop just before I finished my first model (kit).

There were a lot of people at the club the first time my dad drove me there (I was too young to drive at the time) and they were all very friendly and willing to help - though there was no formal instructor. One guy was a school teacher for a day job and he maidened my model for me and taught me to fly.

I'd had a few hours flying fullsize before then and a very good understanding of aerodynamics for my age as my father and grandfather were fullsize aircraft engineers and taught me a lot. I had the usual moments of confusion with orientation and spent a good few hours fixing that model over the next few months.

I don't even consider how easy a model might be to fly nowadays before I start drawing plans/building but I do consider the flight characteristics of the fullsize (scale models are my interest). If the real thing was doable, I'll happily build a model of it - I figure I can worry about learning to fly that particular model when the time comes.

I've never stopped learning and I get butterflies every time I maiden a new model. It's not so bad now, but I still need my dad or my best friend with me for moral support and encouragement

I have learned that no 2 models are ever the same, and the more models you build, the better at building you get, and the more models you fly, the better at flying you get. With the big scale jobs most have bad habits to some degree, and for me anyway, the difference between success and a pile of splinters is having seen most of them at least before on another model Not neccessarily in the same combinations or severity, but every model will teach you something you never forget - even if you don't know it until it's called upon in future [8D]