Thanks for all the great advice. I guess flying sims is a little like playing Need For Speed and then thinking you can drive 160mph

I didn't realize that there was an active club in Cordele; I'm new into the aerial RC game and finding ANYONE in this area who flies is mostly blind luck. I definitely agree that an instructor would be the way to go; there are a million subtle little taps and bumps on the ailerons, rudders, and elevatos that make the difference between "air-borne" and "ground-pound". For example, I know from observation and second hand stories how difficult landings CAN be, even in the best of conditions and even with a wide wheel base tri-wheel trainer like the Falcon it can still get away from you fast, so I'm definitely nervous about that! I'll have to hit Cordele and see what the atmosphere is there. I'm on a really tight budget right now (hopefully to change soon, but we'll see) so making impact craters and snapping wings is NOT a good thing!

I wish I could afford a good RC simulator with the control, but that's just not in the cards for a while..... so I'll just have to practice when I can on flight sim games (like IL2: Sturmovik).

I'm a little relieved to hear everyone speak out against idea of a total novice flying a Heli unsupervised. I wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of "attempting" unsupervised flight with that thing! The thought of a pair of highspeed spinning wooden blades going completely out of control, and somehow ALWAYS manageing to track on YOU, just didn't sounded like speed dial for 911.. (that and I know of someone who has had a T-Rex for over 6 months and he's FINALLY gotten to the point where he can "hover" about 6' above the ground, but nothing else! At 6 months, I'd rather be at LEAST doing some preliminary and very basic aerobatics )

I've been thinking about picking up an Airhog Jetscream or a Jaxx MiniMPV just to get my brain thinking in 3 dimensions (I just have to smuggle $40 out from under my wife's nose somehow....).The YouTube videos of these little foamies are a real hoot

My "end goal" is to own and fly a P40 (not a GIANT Scale; maybe a .20-.40 size), then a P38 and a Mosquito. If I set these up right, I should be able to minimize the cost by using alot of the same ellectronics. These were my 3 favorite model planes as a kid and I've grown up with a real passion for these remarkable aircraft. Well, that's only part of my "end goal".... I live on a very quiet street in town with ZERO traffic and, God help me, I have an uncontrollable desire to buzz the stray dogs in the neighborhood [>:] I have no idea why...