ORIGINAL: bigedmustafa

I first tried teaching myself to fly on an electric airplane, because I assumed that glow powered airplanes would be expensive, fragile, and complicated. I didn't have much success with my Aerobird Challenger, however, and I ran into a local club that let me try flying a glow trainer with one of the flight instructors. Boy was it eye-opening!

I found that the glow trainers were much better fliers in breezy conditions. I also found glow trainers easier to control, they just seemed to respond more positively and more consistently to my stick inputs. After flying for five minutes on a buddy box, I was hooked.

I bought a glow trainer and went through the club's flight training program. Once I started getting the hang of my glow trainer, I discovered that I could also fly my Aerobird Challenger a lot better than before.

I was surprised at the durability and inexpensive cost of operation that my trainer provided. Balsa and monokote bounced back nicely from less-than-ideal landings, but severe landings were easy to avoid because of the enhanced stability that the larger, heavier plane offered. Once I'd purchased my RTF glow trainer and field equipment, there weren't any additional costs except for a gallon of fuel every six or eight weeks and the occassional propeller.

Unlike yourself, however, I had no problem joining a local club and getting some help learning to fly. I enjoyed going out to the really nice club field that was just a few miles from home. I too had no building or mechanical experience, but Nebraska is windy all of the time, and I decided I'd rather fly my plane than stare out the window and wish the breeze wasn't so strong.

There will be a learning curve if you decide to try glow aircraft. You will need how to fuel up and tune your plane. You will need get some help from an experienced pilot who can show you how to safely operate and maintain your aircraft. Maybe you'd rather not make new friends who share your interest in flying model aircraft.

If you must stick to electric aircraft, I'd advise you to check out some of the excellent and affordable electric flying wings that are available as ARFs or RTFs. They handle wind well, can be flown fast or slow, are affordable, and are a relatively easy step up from a first airplane.