Hopefully you are aware that this is a kit, and that you will have to build and cover the airplane yourself. It does not come out of the box looking like the picture.

I can't say as I've heard much about the Great Planes park fliers, as most people are put off by the fact that they have to build the plane. If you truly are interested in the building aspect of the hobby, I applaud you. Being able to build your own plane seems to be slowly becoming a lost art these days.

Looking at the plane, I don't see any reason why it woudln't be a good first plane. It's a stable high-wing trainer type. The stock power system might prove to be inadequate, but I can't say for sure because I am not familiar with the plane. My main concern is with the fragility of the airplane. It's balsa, and will not take the abuse of a newbie trying to learn how to fly without expert help, which is what I presume you want to do.

The radio is a fine choice, but the receiver and servos it comes with are not suitable for the plane you chose. Using them would add too much weight to the airplane, IMHO. You will need to buy a micro receiver and two micro servos. You can sell the standard receiver and servos on Ebay to recoup the cost of the micro gear.

There is no way this plane will fly for "a couple of hours" on any battery that's light enough for the airplane. Five to ten minutes per flight is about all you can expect on the recommended packs. To get more than one flight, you need a field charger and/or multiple battery packs.

Long story short, it'll work, but frankly, I think you can do better for a lot less money. Look into a GWS Slow Stick ($35, includes motor and propeller), the GWS flight pack for the Slow Stick ($85, includes micro servos, battery, micro ESC and micro receiver), and if you want a fancy transmitter, the Hitec Eclipse ($189.99 for the transmitter only, including a Spectra module which lets you fly any plane on any channel).

The Slow Stick is mostly foam, and can stand up to the abuse from a newbie pilot much better than the Tutor. All the parts you need come in the plane kit and flight pack, so you don't face the risk of choosing the wrong parts and having an unflyable plane.