Thanks everyone. Guess I didn't realize what a broad spectrum that planes presented[]. Had never heard about "foamies" either until now. Had always thought foamies were foam bodied as opposed to the balsa ones. My mistake. Oh well. Think I may may have found a good home for the cessna, and if not, I'll just hang on to it until I can fly it.

Sooo, my question is this; As I am probably going to be self educated with a simulator and trial and error, where should I start? I'm thinking a decent foamy or maybe one of those weird planes with the rear facing props that are supposed to be able to take multiple nose dives into the ground. Does this sound like a better starting point? Also, if foamies build false confidence, how would one graduate from a foamy to the cessna?

One more thing. I live on a lake and am facing 6 months of winter. The lake freezes and the snow turns into a perfectly smooth landing strip. Is there a way to swap wheels for a more appropriate landing gear? What models would you suggest? Hey, I need all the help I can get.