I watched a few people learn to fly using the Stryker as their first plane and they crashed, fixed, crashed, fixed, crashed and... It's rather hard to learn to fly when after launch, you crash soon after.

Check out the Stryker thread and learn as much as you can, but I'd recommend getting someone to help you learn, who will get you in the air high enough and teach you slowly and take over before you crash.

Or, get yourself a different plane. One that isn't so sexy, but will be willing to perform and put up with your clumsy attempts at your first tries. Most people recommend the plane they learned on, which only makes sense if they experienced success.

Everyone has a different way to learn. Listen to others and decide what's best for you. For me, I spent a lot of time on a cheap computer simulator until I could take off, do all required manuevers in a 'RC Wings' type program and land all in simulated windy conditions before I tried flying my Slow Stick (in zero wind conditions). After doing that for many, many hours, started flying slightly faster and more agile planes. This is my 4th year flying and I'm putting my brushless Stryker together at the moment. After flying a more tame wing, I have a lot of confidence that the maiden will be lots of fun, but uneventful.